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Sitchu Awards 2026 Terms & Conditions
General Terms & Conditions
Awards Overview
The Sitchu Awards are a national celebration of the businesses, destinations and experiences that shape everyday living in Australia.
The Sitchu Awards 2026 are presented in partnership with Poco Vino (the Awards Partner). The Awards Partner is Australian Vintage Ltd (ABN 78 052 179 932) trading as Poco Vino.
Categories cover NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and TAS, with finalists and winners determined separately for each state and territory.
The awards are conducted in two stages: Nominations and Voting, followed by the announcement of winners.
All times in these Terms & Conditions are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, Sydney time).
Nominations
Nominations open at 4:00pm AEDT on Sunday 4 October 2026 and close at 11:59pm AEDT on Tuesday 13 October 2026.
Any Australian resident aged 18 years or over may nominate a business or venue in one or more categories. Businesses may nominate themselves.
All nominations will be reviewed by Sitchuâs editorial team and state-based editors to confirm eligibility.
Businesses must meet the relevant category criteria (see Category Eligibility Criteria below) to progress to finalist consideration.
Finalists
Sitchuâs editorial team will shortlist five finalists per category per state or territory from all eligible nominations.
Finalists will be announced at 10:00am AEDT on Friday 23 October 2026.
Finalists will be notified via the contact information available to Sitchu and published on sitchu.com and Sitchuâs social channels.
Voting
Voting is open to Australian residents aged 18 years or over.
Public voting for finalists is open from 10:00am AEDT on Friday 23 October 2026 and closes at 11:59pm AEDT on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
Each individual is permitted one vote per category in each state or territory.
Duplicate, automated, or fraudulent votes will be disqualified at Sitchuâs discretion.
Votes will be validated by Sitchu before final results are confirmed.
Winners
Winners will be announced on Wednesday 25 November 2026 on sitchu.com and Sitchuâs channels.
The business or venue receiving the highest number of valid votes in each category in each state or territory will be declared the winner.
In the event of a tie, Sitchu reserves the right to determine the winner based on editorial discretion and category criteria.
Winners may be promoted by Sitchu across editorial, digital, and social channels.
Category Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, businesses and venues must have been operating prior to 1 July 2026. This requirement does not apply to the Best Small Town for a Weekend Escape category.
Best Restaurant â Restaurants recognised for exceptional dining, service and atmosphere.
Best Neighbourhood Bar â Small-format venues with a primary focus on drinks service, ambience, and community appeal.
Best Deli or Sandwich Spot â Venues serving a core menu of sandwiches, baguettes, subs, or deli items.
Best Coffee Spot â CafĂ©s or specialty coffee venues recognised for consistent, high-quality coffee service.
Best CafĂ© or Bakery â CafĂ©s or bakeries offering breads, pastries, or cakes as a primary offering.
Best Boutique Hotel â Boutique hotels under 100 roomsârecognised for distinctive design, service, and guest experience.
Best Small Local Business â Lifestyle & Homewares â Independently owned businesses, not part of a franchise, chain, or larger corporate group, operating from no more than three physical retail locations, in the lifestyle or homewares specialist area.
Best Small Local Business â Beauty & Fashion â Independently owned businesses, not part of a franchise, chain, or larger corporate group, operating from no more than three physical retail locations, in the beauty or fashion specialist area.
Best Health & Wellness Business â Venues offering health, wellness, or fitness services and facilities â such as saunas, spas, yoga/pilates studios â recognised for quality of facilities, service, and client experience.
Best Small Town for a Weekend Escape â Australian towns with a population under 30,000 that provide distinctive travel experiences (food, accommodation, activities).
Editorial Integrity
All decisions regarding eligibility, finalist selection, and winners are at the sole discretion of Sitchu and are final.
The Awards Partner has no involvement in, or influence over, nominations, eligibility, finalist selection, voting, or the determination of winners.
Sitchu reserves the right to remove any nominee, finalist, or winner if they are found to breach eligibility criteria or engage in conduct that may bring the awards into disrepute.
Relationship of Parties
Participation in the Sitchu Awards does not establish any partnership, agency, or employment relationship between Sitchu or the Awards Partner and nominees, finalists, or winners.
Businesses do not pay to be nominated, shortlisted, or awarded.
Promotion & Publicity
By accepting nomination or finalist/winner status, businesses consent to their name, imagery, and business details being used by Sitchu for promotional purposes without additional compensation, including alongside the Awards Partnerâs name and branding in co-branded Awards materials such as finalist and winner badges.
Privacy & Marketing
By submitting a nomination or a vote, participants consent to Sitchu collecting their personal information, including email address, and adding them to Sitchuâs mailing list for direct marketing. Participants may unsubscribe at any time via the link provided in each communication.
Sitchu does not share participantsâ personal information with the Awards Partner.
Personal information is handled in accordance with Sitchuâs privacy policy, available at: https://www.sitchu.com.au/privacy-policy
Competition Terms & Conditions
Promoter
The Promoter is Sitchu Pty Ltd (ABN 77 606 865 525), located at Suite 4, 2A Phoenix Street, Lane Cove NSW 2066.
The Awards Partner, Australian Vintage Ltd (ABN 78 052 179 932) trading as Poco Vino, is not a promoter of this competition and is not responsible for the prize or the conduct of the competition.
Eligibility
Entry is open to Australian residents aged 18 years or over.
Employees of the Promoter, the Awards Partner (including Australian Vintage Ltd and its related bodies corporate) and agencies associated with this promotion, as well as their immediate families, are ineligible to enter.
Competition Period
The competition comprises two phases:
- Nominations Phase: Commences at 4:00pm AEDT on Sunday 4 October 2026 and ends at 11:59pm AEDT on Tuesday 13 October 2026.
- Voting Phase: Commences at 10:00am AEDT on Friday 23 October 2026 and ends at 11:59pm AEDT on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
The Promoter reserves the right to amend the Competition Period at its discretion due to unforeseen circumstances.
How to Enter
To be eligible to win the $1,000 cash prize, entrants must:
- Submit a nomination for a business in at least one of the Sitchu Awards categories during the Nominations Phase; and
- Vote for at least one of the official finalists during the Voting Phase.
Entrants must use the same email address for their nomination and their vote. Nominations and votes submitted under different email addresses cannot be linked and will not form a valid entry.
Each eligible entrant receives one (1) entry into the draw, regardless of the number of nominations or votes they submit.
Incomplete, late, automated, or duplicate entries may be deemed invalid at the Promoterâs discretion.
The Promoter reserves the right to verify the validity of entries and to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process or submits an entry not in accordance with these Terms & Conditions.
Prize
There is one (1) prize to be awarded: AU$1,000 cash, payable by bank transfer. Total prize pool value: AU$1,000.
The prize is non-transferable.
Winner Selection
The winner will be randomly drawn from all eligible entries using a computer-generated random selection tool.
The draw will take place on or after Thursday 5 November 2026 at the Promoterâs offices at Suite 4, 2A Phoenix Street, Lane Cove NSW 2066.
The winner will be notified via email within 14 days of the draw.
Claiming the Prize
The winner must:
- Respond to the Promoterâs notification within ten (10) business days; and
- Provide a valid Australian bank account for delivery of the prize.
If the prize is not claimed within that time, it will be forfeited and a redraw will take place at the same location. The redraw winner will be notified via email within 14 days of the redraw and must claim the prize within ten (10) business days of notification.
Once the prize has been confirmed by the winner, it is non-transferable and non-refundable.
Verification
Entrants may be required to provide proof of identity, age, and residency to claim the prize.
The Promoter reserves the right to verify that the entrant completed both the nomination and voting stages, and to disqualify any entry that does not meet these requirements.
The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entry deemed to contain objectionable content, including but not limited to profanity, defamatory language, offensive imagery, or inappropriate conduct.
Privacy
By entering the competition, entrants consent to the Promoter:
- Collecting and storing their personal information; and
- Using their personal information, including email address, for the purposes of administering the competition and adding them to Sitchuâs mailing list for direct marketing. Entrants may unsubscribe at any time via the link provided in each communication.
All entries become and remain the property of the Promoter.
The Promoterâs privacy policy is available at: https://www.sitchu.com.au/privacy-policy
Liability
The Promoter shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or injury suffered or sustained (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) arising out of or in connection with the competition or the acceptance of the prize, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law.
The Promoter is not responsible for any lost, late, or misdirected entries or for any technical malfunctions that may affect entry into the competition.
Tax Implications
Independent financial advice should be sought as tax implications may arise as a result of accepting the prize. The winner is solely responsible for any tax liability incurred.
General
This is a game of chance; skill plays no part in determining the winner.
The Promoter reserves the right to:
- Cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the competition at any time, subject to regulatory approval where required; and
- Update these Terms & Conditions without notice, where legally permitted.
By entering this competition, all entrants are deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.
