The James Beard Foundation Awards are among the American food industry’s most prestigious honors. Finalists for the Restaurant and Chef awards were announced on April 3, following the announcement of semifinalists on January 24. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in Chicago on June 10. Nominees for the Media award, which includes everything from cookbooks to podcasts to TV shows, will be announced on April 30, and the awards will be presented on June 8. The winner of the America’s Classic award, which recognizes “a locally-owned restaurant with timeless appeal,” was announced on February 28.
The 2024 awards ceremony will be the foundation’s third. Extensive Auditand like the 2022 and 2023 awards, will feature some new major protocols, including changes to how talent is surfaced, personal statements for nominees, and different award categories. The canceled 2020 ceremony was a mess, to put it broadly. The foundation initially blamed the pandemic, but reports said it canceled the awards due to concerns about the lack of Black winners and allegations of bullying and sexism among nominees. Some chefs reportedly voluntarily removed themselves from the running, while others were told they would be fired. The 2021 program was canceled to allow sufficient time for an audit and to implement changes. In the end, the foundation a lot It adds credibility to the awards program’s most high-profile contribution to America’s culinary scene.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staffers work for the James Beard Awards voting organization. Eater has partnered with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards ceremony in 2024. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
Additional photo illustration credit: Getty Images via the James Beard Foundation
