Best Large Concert Venue: The Fillmore
Runners up: Davies Symphony Hall, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Many patrons of live performing arts in the city seem perpetually perplexed about the relative sizes of the venues they attend. Even among big venues, there are big differences. Take this year's winners: The Fillmore has a capacity of 1315, Davies seats 2743, and Bill Graham sells out at 8500. It seems like what folks like most about a large venue is how small it is! You're welcome.

Highlights at the Fillmore in the coming months include lesbian sister duo Tegan & Sara and gay club faves Junior Boys. Davies, of course, is SF Symphony central, where this fall's featured repertory includes Stravinsky's "Firebird" and a live performance of "The Godfather" score accompanying a screening of the film. The Bill Graham's highlight of the season is a sold out show by Lil Nas X.
www.livenation.com

Best Small Concert Venue: Bimbo's 365
Runners up: The Independent, Roccapulco

Bimbo's (capacity 685), located on Columbus Avenue in North Beach since 1951, has a distinctly San Franciscan old school supper club vibe that's well worth checking out just to experience the venue. So keep an eye on its eclectic upcoming rental bookings, the most exciting of which is singer-songwriter Beth Orton, whose first album in six years is winning rave reviews.

The Independent (500) will host comedian Melissa Villasenor of "Saturday Night Live" fame, gay singer-songwriter Greyson Chance, and drag diva Alaska before year's end. And Mission Street's Roccapulco (approximately 500), which specializes in Latin music, has Colombian cumbia cutie Silvestre Dagond in the wings. www.bimbos365club.com

Best Classical Music Venue: Davies Symphony Hall
Runners up: SF Jazz, SF Conservatory of Music

Apparently jazz is the new classical, although classical is still the old classical. But don't forget the Herbst Theater, home of the wonderfully varied SF Performances series. And take special note of our second runner up, where in-the-know afficionadoes can attend several free concerts and recitals by students and faculty every month; its one of the classiest cheap dates in town. www.daviessymphonyhall.org

Best Local Music Act: Kitten on the Keys
Runners up: Velvetta, Commando

The stage persona of East Bay native Suzanne Ramsey, Kitten on the Keys is kitchsy-kitchsy-cool, cracking wise and singing along to her own accompaniment on piano and accordion at venues including Bar Fluxus, Madrone Art Bar and touring with burlesque revues from New Orleans to Europe.

Runner-up Velvetta is a verging-on-sincere country band led by front-person Leigh Crow (Captain Kirk in Oasis' "Star Trek" spoofs; erstwhile Elvis Herselvis); catch them at the Riptide on October 23 and November 27. And queer nu metal collective Commando, led by Juba Kalamka and featuring Honey Mahogany and Lynee Breedlove, released its debut CD in March; cuts include somewhat cryptic tributes to Essex Hemphill, George Michael and Prince.
www.facebook.com/kittenonthekeys

Best Chorus: San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus
Runners up: Queer Chorus of San Francisco, Chanticleer

The SF Gay Men's Chorus begins a new chapter with this season's Christmas show, singing under the baton of new conductor/artistic director Jacob Stensberg. Previously on the faculty of Purdue University's vocal music department, Stensberg will oversee a season stacked with surefire crowd-pleasers. The chorus' annual holiday concerts will be followed by a unique program of songs from Disney films and a combined "Yellow Brick Road" salute to both Elton John and "The Wizard of Oz."

The Queer Chorus (formerly the Lesbian/Gay Chorus) has shows planned for November 11-13. In December, Chanticleer will tour the Bay Area and beyond, presenting seven performances of its Christmas concert. www.sfgmc.org

Best Art Gallery: Minnesota Street Art Project
Runners up: Moth Belly, Palette Gallery

Visiting the fifteen independently-owned contemporary galleries that make up the Minnesota Street complex already makes a wonderful afternoon for art lovers, an experience soon to be made all the richer with the opening, just blocks away, of our city's newest museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, which has its grand opening this Saturday. Moth Belly, a community gallery and DIY space in the Tenderloin, is dedicated to rebuilding the "weird artsy San Francisco...the eccentric, grassroots side of the city."
www.minnesotastreetproject.com

Best Art Museum: SF MOMA
Runners up: The de Young Museum, The Legion of Honor

If you've been lax on your museum going, make a priority of visiting SF MOMA before the December 11 end of its Instagram darling "Contemporary Optics" exhibit and the closing of its expansive Diego Rivera retrospective on January 3. You've got even less time to catch the fabulous couture dresses of Chinese designer Guo Pei at the Legion and African American painter and quilter Faith Ringgold's "American People" at the de Young. (both exhibits close November 27). "Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs" is at the de Young through February.
www.sfmoma.org

Best Nature/Science Museum: California Academy of Sciences
Runners up: Exploratorium, Chabot Space and Science Center

All three of these first-rate facilities are enormously popular for school field trips. Which is why it's especially great that they also have regularly scheduled adults-only evening programming. At the California Academy, the current vibrant "Bugs" exhibit features giant insect-eye-view plants and creatures. Nightlife events every Thursday feature special programming along with general museum access; separately scheduled lectures on astronomy and the natural world bring leading scientists to town.

The Exploratorium's After Dark programs are also a Thursday night staple. And Alameda's Chabot Center has unique outdoor Space, Paint and Sip programs that combine a planetarium show with beer, wine and a hands-on lesson in painting the night skies.
www.calacademy.org

Best Movie Theater: Castro Theatre
Runners up: Alamo Drafthouse, AMC Metreon

And... cut? Let's hope not, but the Castro's long run as the queer community's favorite movie house is on the ropes as reconfigured seating and other changes continued to be debated in the ongoing tussle between new lease holder Another Planet Entertainment and organized conservancy advocates. Before an anticipated closure for to-be-determined renovations queer audiences can look forward to live shows by Jonathan Van Ness of "Queer Eye" and "Drag Race" star Shangela in December and January.
www.castrotheatre.org

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by Jim Gladstone