More than 40,000 votes were cast by y’all in this year’s first round of the Best of Austin Readers Poll. From those votes, nearly 800 finalists emerged across 180 categories in eight sections: Arts & Entertainment, Food & Drink, Kids & Family, Nightlife, Politics & Media, Shopping, Services, and Sports & Recreation. Represented on the finalist ballot are old favorites and first-time nominees. Politicians, playwrights, puppet improv, and an ABBA tribute band. Buzzy new bars and restaurants, plus dusty dives we’ve been haunting for years. And the scores of tradespeople, hospitality workers, artists, and other standout professionals who make our lives easier, better, prettier, and more rewarding.
This finalist ballot celebrates them all – but it’s also time to narrow the field to the winners. You can cast your ballot now at vote.austinchronicle.com. (You’ll need to register your email if this is your first time voting; we’ll automatically sign you up for our daily newsletter, but you can un-register right away – we won’t hold it against ya!)
Vote in one category, or vote in all of them. (For a little incentive, vote in 30-plus categories and you’ll be automatically entered to win a pair of Austin FC home game tickets.) Work on the ballot at your leisure. Voting ends Monday, May 18, at midnight, and you can adjust your ballot right up until the deadline.
One more fun thing about this finalist ballot: For every vote you cast, you can leave a comment – quippy, heartfelt, hyperspecific about that one thing the winner does better than anybody else. They’re like little odes to the people and places and businesses that make Austin so special, and we’ll pick our favorites to run in our June 19 Best of Austin issue.
Congrats to all the finalists, and happy voting!
This article appears in May 8 • 2026.
