The B&T Awards is so huge it needs two days to reveal its shortlist – Not because there’s so many awards, that’d be tedious – it’s because the achievement of the agencies revealed below is so magnificent as to be worthy of two full stories.

Today we present the shortlists for the Agency of the Year categories as well as the Marketing Team of the Year, Employer of the Year and the Production Company of the Year. This group of finalists will be required to present in person during the second live-judging day, presented by ThinkTV, held on 3 November in Sydney.

When you get to Independent Agency of the Year, please don’t write in! We appreciate The Works is no longer independent, however, they were for the judging period, and as such, this year represents their last chance to take out that prize. We’re guessing that makes them sentimental favourites, but only so much as you can be sentimental about an agency enjoying a $30 million cash bath.

Regardless of what we write here, you’re just going to scroll down the page to see who made it through to the next round. Now these titans of the industry can start honing their handshakes, PowerPoints, singing voices and (we feverishly hope) their dance moves.

Top runners in terms of pure volume of number of places on shortlists goes to CHE Proximity with six, while Affinity bagged four nominations and Atomic212 also with four.

With no further ado, here’s the list you’ve all been waiting for. A thousand thanks to all of our judges and sponsors for their respective hard work and support.

Part II tomorrow for the individual campaign shortlists.

Book your tickets for our fabulous presentation night, and remember, it’s in Melbourne (at the Peninsular Docklands) this year, so you have to book your flights too!

Advertising Agency of the Year

• BMF
• CHE Proximity
• Clemenger BBDO Network
• M&C Saatchi Group
• The Monkeys

Branding, Design & CX Agency of the Year

• AFFINITY
• CHE Proximity
• Maud
• Re
• Special Group
• The Works Sydney

Direct Response/Performance Agency of the Year

• AFFINITY
• Atomic 212
• CHE Proximity
• LIDA Australia
• The Works Sydney
• WiTH Collective

Emerging Agency of the Year

• Alley
• B.B.E
• Emotive
• Poem
• Start VR

Employer of the Year – Over 100 employees

• Adshel
• CHE Proximity
• Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
• Lavender
• OMD
• PHD Media

Employer of the Year – Under 100 employees

• Adrenalin
• Orchard
• The Royals
• The Urban List
• The Works Sydney

Independent Agency of the Year

• AFFINITY
• Atomic 212
• The Hallway
• The Royals
• The Works Sydney

Marketing Team of the Year

• BBQs Galore
• Fairfax Media, Customer Marketing
• Menulog
• MLA
• NAB
• Universal Pictures
• Woolworths
• Woolworths Rewards

Media Agency of the Year

• AFFINITY
• Atomic 212
• CHE Proximity
• HYLAND
• OMD
• PHD Media

PR Agency of the Year

• Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
• Eleven
• Herd MSL
• One Green Bean
• Red Agency

Production Company of the Year

• Revolver Will O’Rourke
• Visual Domain

State Agency – NSW

• BMF
• RGA Sydney
• The Hallway
• The Monkeys
• The Works Sydney
• DDB Sydney

State Agency – QLD

• BCM
• Clemenger Brisbane

State Agency – VIC

• BWM Dentsu Melbourne
• Clemenger BBDO Melbourne
• CHE Proximity
• TBWA\Melbourne
• Think HQ