The Austin Chronicle’s annual Best of Austin is currently taking nominations for the 2026 awards. Vote for your favorite Austin restaurants, bars, music venues, neighborhoods, coffee shops, podcasts, and more. Winners will be announced later in 2026.
The Chronicle takes nominations from Austin residents to crown the city’s best in dozens of categories every year. This is how Austin votes for itself.
Vote at austinchronicle.com →Every spring, the Austin Chronicle opens nominations for its annual Best of Austin awards. The Chronicle has been doing this since 1981 — making 2026 the 45th annual edition of the most-read local readers’ choice list in the city.
This page is a placeholder. When the 2026 winners are announced — typically in the fall — Paul Walhus will publish his commentary on the picks here, the same way he wrote about the 2025 winners. In the meantime, go vote.
Anyone can nominate their favorites. The Chronicle compiles ballot categories.
Public voting on the nominated finalists.
The Best of Austin 2026 issue drops in print and online.
Once the Chronicle publishes, this page becomes the Walhus take on the 2026 winners.