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Every March, the Club World Awards honor the best of North American nightlife. Every February, they turn to the club-going public for help. Read more for the rules and the list of nominees...
The Club World Awards honor the clubbing peaks of the previous year: The parties that caused countless missed work days; the DJs who made wall flowers into dancers, and the gear that helped them do it; the systems that impressed the pros and made the patrons hang out that much longer. And most of all the clubs themselves, which streamline the technology, the culture, the logistics and the music into perfect packages. Nominations are selected from a pool of online submissions by the Club World editorial staff. Winners are announced at the Club World Awards ceremony each March in Miami, Florida; and are determined by an industry-expert judge's panel (kept secret until after the envelopes are sealed). Six new categories have been added in 2008: Best DJ Set, Best One-Off, Best Bottle Service, Best Renovation, Best Banger and Best Anthem. The winner of the People's Choice Awards - NightStalker Award, Best DJ Set, Best Banger, Best Anthem - are selected by the club-going public via online voting. 
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 | Now that Boston's original Avalon has closed its doors, Avalon Hollywood has proved itself a worthy inheritor of the venerated nightlife brand's flagship crown. Taking its cue from Ibiza, the club phased in a Fall/Winter season this year, bringing in the likes of Tiefschwartz, Carl Cox and Laurent Garnier. Plus, they've decorated the club for each performer, constructing faux-Egyptian pyramids for Eric Prydz and a burnt-out subway carriage for Fabric's Wiggle. They've also brought sustainable thinking into their operation: They're busy with an energy-efficient renovation of their lighting rig, and recycle all their empties, with proceeds going back to the community. Now that's super. -JH
www.avalonhollywood.com | |
 | At 55,000 square feet, with enough distinct environments to make your head spin, Peter Gatien's brand-new Circa is as "super" as clubs get, giving new generation of club kids plenty of toys: 3-D glasses, sidewalk chalk, smiley inflatables, playmates/live models, interactive bartops and video panels. Businessmen get their kicks on a discreet VIP level above the DJ booth, where they can order bottles with the well-dressed and high-heeled. The gay community gets loose in the Ballroom, where DJs work diva tracks, anthems and anything danceable. Tourists get souvenirs to buy, like KidRobot figures and shot glasses. Music buffs get an ample dancefloor with plenty of spectators. Casual observers can gawk at a 20-foot-tall, open-lipped sculpture (which will blow smoke rings bearing fire code approval), fetish artwork, and a bathroom bar where lost boys often end up in the ladies' room. And the A-listers? They get their own room, glassed-in and hovering over it all. -CM
www.circatoronto.com | |
 | For three-year-old Mansion, 2007 was a very good year. Not only is the 40,000-square-foot mega still up and running, it's booking the big names like DJ AM, Erick Morillo and Paul Oakenfold. With lavish decor (crystal chandeliers, opulent staircases, Venetian mirrors by Francois Frossard) and big audio (Funktion One, EAW, Phazon by Sound Investment) Mansion has a year-round SoBe presence, but kicks it up for big ticket events like VMA after-parties and WMC bashes (Tiesto's gig there earned a Best One-Off nomination). And the veteran venue keeps fresh by embracing bottle service trends and outfitting a super-sexy staff with hot uniforms, as well as hopping on the event train with screens for corporate branding and movie premiers. -CM
www.opiumgroup.com | |
 | And then there was one. Pacha, last year's Best Superclub and Best New Venue, is holding it down as New York's only super, and exploiting its position expertly. The 30,000-square-foot, four-level club matched its thunderous Dynacord sound and customized Robe lighting with a permanent video system this year (nominated for Best Video System); finally hosted jocks like Frankie Knuckles and Roger Sanchez, both Pacha Ibiza residents and New York natives; and advanced plans to open a roof deck. Plus, it set a new attendance record: 5,600 for Victor Calderone's powerfully branded Evolve party, on November TK. Rumor has it that the brand is looking to expand to Las Vegas and Miami by 2009.
www.pachanyc.com | |
 | Who needs superstar DJs? Pure discovered this year that the way to a Vegas crowd’s wallet is through its deeply American lust for celebrity. So the 40,000-square-foot club spent its budget on appearances – everyone from Eva Longoria to comedian Jamie Kennedy to Nick Lachey, who of course brought along their equally fabulous friends – instead of performances. Not that the guy at the decks is a slouch: Mash-up DJ AM holds down a weekly residency (for which’s he’s a “Best Resident DJ” nominee). The party-with-the-stars approach – plus the Turbosound rig, 14,000-square-foot terrace, and attached Pussycat Dolls Lounge – helped Pure win the Vegas club wars (you can’t even get near the ropes on the weekends), and put it on par with top clubs worldwide. –KLM www.purethenightclub.com |
Best Club |
 | It takes a lot for a club located off the beaten path to overpower offerings in the U.S.'s leading nightlife nexuses. But Columbus, Ohio's Bar Of Modern Art makes ambitious enough use of its 23,000 square feet to to impressively debut in this year's competition. Situated in a former Baptist Church, the Bar, or "BoMA," as the locals refer to it, gives patrons the option to revel in no less than three massive rooms: the "Underground" basement area, the Great Room and the Sanctuary. It's certainly the answer to many a frustrated Midwestern clubber's prayers. -JH
www.barofmodernart.com | |
 | Probably on more DJ's wish lists than any club regardless of size is NYC's house haven Cielo. The old faithful Funktion-One system satisfies even the most critical audiophiles, and the dancefloor possesses a vibe that never seems to let up. Plus, Cielo is forever filling its schedule with the best beat-slingers; from resident legends Louie Vega (nominated this year for "Best Resident DJ") and Francois K, to the new wave of European techno talent. Winner of Best Club in 2005 and 2006, as well as numerous other awards, Cielo has a place in the heart of anyone who loves to dance. -PM
www.cieloclub.com | |
 | Jet's Monday night promo exhibits its commitment to substance over style, with VJ Roonie G (who won "Best VJ" in 2006) dropping his schizophrenic blend of music videos and club bangers in the main room, and resident DJs Faarsheed and Eddie McDonald in the back room spinning that rarest of elements at a Strip-side casino-club: quality electronica. Then there's the guest jocks. From Carl Cox to Kaskade, Dubfire to Tiesto (who played back-to-back nights over Labor Day Weekend), the Light Group property has consistently booked superstar jocks just as often as superstars, a major contribution to Vegas' oft-staid scene. -KC
www.lightgroup.com | |
 | Since opening in 2003 to celebrity and press buzz, Marquee has exceeded expectations of an industry doubting its staying power. And perhaps the longevity of the banquette-dancing mecca even surprised owners Noah Tepperburg and Jason Strauss, who've used the success to open another hit club, Tao, in Las Vegas as well as forge on with their marketing company Strategic Group. To them Marquee became a pillar of long-term success in a celebrity-obsession nightlife culture, which they've accomplished through what Tepperberg calls, "a never-before-achieved level of programmed special red carpet events, DJs, hosts, appearances and themed nights that has lead to the sustained operation of one of the only five-nights-a-week clubs in town for the last four years." The bi-level, 600-capacity Marquee was even rewarded with a face-lift from SLDesign in 2006, retaining its signature rainbow staircase at center stage, but replacing the crystal-encased discoball with dramatic lighting fixtures, curtains over the VIP mezzanine and ventricular panels at the entrance. -CM www.marqueeny.com | |
 | Coming back into the fray of competition this year as the defending champ, Chicago's Smart Bar has continued to secure the shifting loyalties of Chicago's nightclubbing elite after 25 years in the industry. Music director, talent buyer and erstwhile DJ James Amato has kept the club ahead of the trends with sets and live PAs from Spank Rock, Digitalism and Justice, whose set also scored a nod for Best DJ Set. In the meantime, the Funktion-One sound system and redesigned interior by Thomas Shoner has held up well since the club's ambitious 2006 renovation. Not bad for a basement club. -JH
www.smartbarchicago.com |
Best Club Banger |
 | Upon its release in August, this slow and steady, style-defying thumper shot straight to No. 1 on Beatport's chart, and stayed there for six straight weeks. It's sold 16,000 copies as of this writing, been licensed to compilations in all genres from "Club Azuli" to "Electro Nation," and landed in the box of the world's number one DJ, Armin Van Buuren. It also certified Deadmau5 (pronounced "dead mouse") as dance music's hottest young property and a full-fledged phenomenon. | |
 | Deep Dish's Dubfire declared his independence this year [the duo is "exploring (their) own creative paths," so they say] with a slate of adventurous releases. "Roadkill" in particular mixed the Deep Dish of the '90s with today's minimalism into a classic-styled electro-pogo that almost anyone could - and did - play, from Ferry Corsten to Gabriel & Dresden. The track even got illegally mashed-up with Rihanna's "Umbrella"…and still sounded damn good. | |
 | This track's hummable synth melody and Motor City-celebrating sample rocketed the Dutch/producer DJ to international fame, and landed a dance instrumental on the country's mainstream dancefloors. It hit No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart, and No. 11 on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart in the U.S. With 54,000 downloads sold, the full-on smash is as successful as bleepy dance can get. | |
| One of the bombs of Winter Music Conference '07, this monster is from two guys who are generally known for funkier fare. But house champ Knight and Ramirez exorcise their big-room demons in grand fashion, with a walloping smack of bass synth riding under spidery blips that belongs in a "do not open until 4 a.m." lockbox. Champions include Carl Cox and Robbie Rivera. | |
 | With an elastic synth guiding the way, this track's street-festival-style accordion riff was the year's most unlikely call to the dancefloor, sneaking into sets by everyone from Behrouz to Sven Vath. Berlin-based Swiss/Iranian producer Samim released a full-length of equally unusual dance, "Flow," on can't-miss Get Physical in September, solidifying his status as the go-to guy for accessible dancefloor oddities. | |
 | Trance king heir-apparent Van Doorn goes for the gut with a muscular punch of low-toned synths driven forward by techno's light cymbal hits. It's as relentless as they come, with more machismo than a lot of today's high-octane trance. This plus the Dutchman's remix of Club Scene Investigator's "Direct Disco" have helped define him as leader of the Netherlands scene's more metal te |
Best Anthem |
 | The Swedish producer has always circled straight-up nostalgia, preferring instead to surround his soulful vocals with more modern sounds. He does the same here, but the classic elements are so strong - a Byron Stingily-esque vocal; early '90s power piano chords; Def Mix-style strings; lyrics about love, baby - that the end result is better than deferent: It's transforming. The record rocked the Ibiza season, with jocks from Francois K to David Guetta to Roger Sanchez catching the vibe. | |
 | The No. 1 club track of the year, according to Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart, is a dark slab of New York after-hours featuring a deadpan alto vocal by Superchumbo muse James. It percolates with a nasty bass belch before boiling over into Nine Inch Nails-like noise, but never loses its deliberate groove. From hitmaker Pete Tong to party-starter Erick Morillo, everyone was on this record. | |
 | The flirty dancehall of this crossover hit is tempered with tragedy: Singer Natasja Saad was killed in a car accident in Jamaica last summer, right when the buzz began. Copenhagen-based producer Rune Reilly Kolsch (Enur is Rune backwards) made the brassy beats back in 2002, and Natasja recorded her vocal in 2006. When it finally hit the U.S., radio stations, club DJs - both dance and hip-hop - and clubbers took notice. At press time, the single is climbing the Billboard Latin, Rhythmic, Top 40 and Hot 100 charts; and is No. 1 on the Hot Dance Airplay chart. | |
 | Have you ever watched a club full of people pump their fists to a guitar stab in a dance record? Something about the forcefulness of Willis' vocal, or the track's giddy joy despite its angst-y lyrics, brought it to arena-rock levels. Delivering on the promises of previous Guetta lovelorn hits "Love Don't Let Me Go" and "Just A Little More Love," "Gone" won over the last of the resisters, certifying the DJ/producer as a reliable hitmaker. | |
 | James' Sade-meets-Tracey Thorn pipes got sun-baked for Balearic beaches by Kupper, with an elegant house mix that powered the track to No.1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in April. The inspiring song was the centerpiece and namesake of James' debut artist album, and went on to sell over 25,000 copies. Across-the-board jocks like Josh Wink, Laurent Garnier and Miguel Migs all got caught up in its spell. | |
| | With over 100,000 copies sold of the original, Justice's mega-hit brought together clubbers, indie rock kids and your average MTV viewers with its irresistible Sesame Street chorus and very French disco strings. Its clever clip got nominated for "Video Of The Year" at the MTV Video Music Awards, but meanwhile, the shaggy duo was rocking clubs large and small across the country with positively house-y DJ sets. Now they're preparing to play Madison Square Garden in March. |
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