How does the nomination round work?
The nomination round takes place January 5–26 and is purely based on write-ins. Nominate here.
Do businesses have to pay to be represented on the ballot?
No! The A-List Readers’ Choice Poll results are based 100 percent on the public’s nominations and votes. Being an advertiser does not guarantee a win.
Then what’s the deal with the ads on the ballot?
We offer A-List advertising packages which include ad spots on the ballot, ads in the magazine, and ads across stlmag.com. These advertising packages give businesses more exposure, but do NOT guarantee anything for the contest.
Why is my nomination not showing up on the ballot?
Nominations aren’t public until the voting round. The top five nominees in each category will move on to the voting round. In certain cases, when there isn’t enough variety in the nominations, fewer than five will advance.
How specific do I need to be when nominating?
The more specific the better! In some instances, we can’t approve a nomination unless it includes sufficient information. For example, if you’re nominating “John” for Best Bartender, please specify “John at The Watering Hole.” Another example: if you’re nominating “St. Louis Fitness” and the gym has locations in Kirkwood, St. Peters, and Ladue, please specify “St. Louis Fitness Kirkwood.” In many instances, companies with various locations get combined when there is no clear winner between the different locations.
I missed the nomination round this year. How can I be more prepared next time?
Sign up for our A-List emails. We’ll send you occasional emails with important A-List information.
How many times can I nominate a business?
You may cast one nomination per day per category.
How does the voting round work?
The five businesses that receive the most nominations in each category advance to the voting round. Voting takes place March 13–April 10.
How many times can I vote for a business?
You may vote once per day per category.
What happened to that one category from last year?
Every year, we take a close look at the categories from the previous year's ballot. Some categories get added based on reader feedback/suggestions. Others are dropped due to low engagement. Some categories are combined. Some are reworded for clarity. We do our best to consider the impact of these changes, but we’d like to hear from you if you have comments or suggestions. Please email those messages to lleppert@stlmag.com.
How can I promote my business to get nominations/votes?
Download these free graphics to help get the word out, and make sure to check out our marketing tips.
Can nominees be based outside St. Louis?
We consider nominations in the general St. Louis region and surrounding counties.
Can chain stores and franchises be nominated, or is it only for locals?
We love to see locally-owned small businesses shine, however some categories just don’t have many locally owned businesses. It’s up to the voters to say what they support.
I don’t have time to fill out the whole ballot right now. Can I come back later and do more?
Yes! As long as you’ve already registered (entered your email address on the form on your first nomination or vote), you can pick up where you left off. When you return to the ballot on the same device, you should be automatically logged in and able to see your previous selections. If you aren’t logged in and you know that you’ve already registered, click the “Already entered?” link at the top of the ballot, then enter the email address you previously used.
I've been logged out and I have not received the email to get logged back in. What do I do?
First, check your spam folder. The email's subject line will be "Login to A-List 2023 Reader's Choice." If you don't find the email in your spam folder, consider following these instructions to ensure your email platform isn't blocking emails from our email address (info@stlmag.com). If you're still having issues, please send us a message at info@stlmag.com.
Why do I have to make an account?
Our ballot software requires that users create an account to track your selections. This helps us guard against fraudulent voting and allows you to revisit the ballot before deadline to make changes and additional nominations. There is no password needed!
How do I find out who the winners are?
Winners will be announced online in June and in the July issue of St. Louis Magazine. St. Louis Magazine is available on most newsstands. Subscribe now to get the A-List issue delivered right to your door.
Which honorees will be featured in the A-List issue?
In addition to the Editor’s Choice winners, the Readers’ Choice winners and the two runner-ups in every category will be listed in the July 2023 issue.
When will finalists and winners be notified?
We do our best to notify finalists in February and early March (typically by email) prior to the voting round. We begin to notify winners in late-April. Select winners may receive a special packet in the mail in June. We ask winners to keep it a secret until the winners are announced publically (online in late-June and in print in July).
Why wasn’t I notified that I was a finalist or a winner?
With hundreds of categories and thousands of contenders, it’s a challenge to maintain an up-to-date list of contact information. If the nomination and/or voting round has ended and we haven't contacted you yet, please fill out our status request form (available in February) and we'll let you know your status (if you've been named a finalist or winner). If you know your status, feel free to send us your best contact name, email address, mailing address, and phone numbers at lleppert@stlmag.com so we can keep you in the loop.
Still have questions? Contact advertising and marketing coordinator Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com.
