2010 Nightclub & Bar Awards Program Finalists Announced

The finalists for Nightclub & Bar Magazine's 2010 Nightclub and Bar Awards have been announced, and one of GofG's favorites, 675 Bar has been nominated for cocktail lounge of the year. However, the other bars and clubs on the list had us scratching our heads a little...-

The majority of the nominated clubs are located in Las Vegas, and the one New York club that made the list, Pacha, certainly isn't the most buzzed about (though it might be the largest). In fact, out of all the clubs in our city, one could make the argument that Pacha is the least "New York".

What New Yorker's seem to look for in Nightclubs (exclusivity, anonymity, cache) isn't quite synonymous with the huge Vegas clubs such as Tao, XS, and Hard Rock. The Boom Boom Room, which is definitely having its moment, doesn't quite compare, and some of our club-ier clubs, such as Avenue, are miniscule compared to those of other cities. And that's just fine with us--keeps the riff raff out.

So while at first, looking at the list might make one feel snubbed for our fair city, in a way it just reinforces something we've known all along: New York nightlife IS, very uniquely, New York.

New York fares somewhat better on the Bar Category, with 675 Bar, Hudson Bar, and Flute Midtown. (Is it really surprising we weren't nominated for Sports Bar Of The Year?)

The judges (including Steve Lewis) will be asked to select a category to review. The winners will be announced in February, and we'll post them on the site as soon as they are.

[Nightclub And Bar Magazine's Top 100 Clubs]

Complete List of Finalists Below:

Mega-Club of the Year

* Pacha NYC, New York * Rain, Las Vegas * Stingaree, San Diego * XS, Las Vegas

New Club of the Year

* Infusion Lounge, San Francisco * Playhouse Hollywood, Los Angeles * Voyeur, West Hollywood * XS, Las Vegas

Nightclub of the Year

* The Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles * Lavo, Las Vegas * Opera, Atlanta * Tao, Las Vegas * Tryst, Las Vegas

Ongoing Promotion of the Year

* Pacha NYC, New York – Toolroom Knights * Rain, Las Vegas -- Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Vegas * Hard Rock, Las Vegas – Rehab * Tao, Las Vegas – Worship Thursdays

Resident DJ

* Danny Tenaglia – Pacha NYC, New York * Paul Oakenfold – Rain, Las Vegas * Roonie G – Opera, Atlanta * Z-Trip – Rain, Las Vegas

Single Promotion of the Year

* Four Year Anniversary – Tao, Las Vegas * Love Festival – Palms, Las Vegas * Midsummer Night’s Dream – Palms, Las Vegas * The Young & The Restless – Opera, Atlanta

Ultra-Lounge of the Year

* 32° Degrees Lux Lounge, Philadelphia * Blush Boutique Lounge, Las Vegas * Halo, Atlanta * Pink Monkey, Chicago

BAR CATEGORY FINALISTS

Bartender of the Year (category sponsored by Absolut Vodka)

* Charles Joly – The Drawing Room, Chicago * Columbine Quillen -- The Blacksmith Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge, Bend, Ore. * H. Joseph Ehrmann – Elixir, San Francisco * Russell Davis – Peche, Austin

Beer Bar of the Year

* Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Philadelphia * Gritty McDuff’s, Portland, Maine * Tapwerks Ale House & Café, Oklahoma City * Willimantic Brewing Company, Willimantic, Conn.

Cocktail Lounge of the Year (category sponsored by Absolut Vodka)

* 675 Bar, New York * The Drawing Room, Chicago * Frankie’s Tiki Room, Las Vegas * The Naga Cocktail Lounge, Bellevue, Wash.

Hotel Bar

* 207, Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego * BOND Restaurant & Lounge, The Langham, Boston * Hudson Bar, Hudson Hotel, New York * POV, W Hotel, Washington, DC

Small Wonder Bar of the Year

* The Empty Glass, Charleston, West Virginia * In Between, Honolulu * Manifesto, Kansas City * Qua Bottle Lounge, Austin

Sports Bar of the Year

* Blondie’s Sports Bar & Grill, Las Vegas * Champion Billiards Sports Café, Frederick, Md. * Connolly’s Sports Bar & Grill, Royal Palm Beach, Fla. * Jerome Bettis Grill 36, Pittsburgh

Wine Bar of the Year

* Ivy Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar, San Diego * Flute Midtown, New York * Mercy Wine Bar, Dallas * Zebra’s Bistro & Wine Bar, Medfield, Mass.