The James Beard Award Is Like an Academy Award for Restaurants

The nominations for the 2024 James Beard Awards were recently announced. Similar to Academy Awards but for food, the James Beard Award can turn a chef into a superstar chef and a restaurant into a travel-worthy destination.

Chefs, restaurateurs, pastry chefs, bakers, bars, restaurants, bakeries, wine and beverage programs, hospitality programs, and food journalists around the country are nominated every year for different awards, all related to the food service industry. While it may be win or lose for the restaurant, the people who labor in them, and the journalists who cover the industry, it’s a win-win for every lover of food.

The James Beard Awards are in their 33rd year in 2024. According to the James Beard Foundation, “Established in 1990 with the first awards given in 1991, the James Beard Awards are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries, and those in the broader food systems.”

The awards were originally presented in New York City at venues like The Lincoln Center. Since 2015, the ceremony has been held in Chicago, most recently at the Lyric Opera House. The 2024 nominations were announced in Washington, D.C. at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, a Hilton property. Hilton is one of the many sponsors of the 2024 awards.

The James Beard Awards have never been hosted or even attended by the influential chef, cookbook author, teacher and television personality James Beard, mostly because they were named after him posthumously.

James was a real person, not just a fake name of someone with good facial hair. Born May 5, 1903, he was one of the most important figures in food in the 20th century. His cookbooks, more than 20 published when he was alive and six more since his passing, are a fantastic resource for any foodie. His 1973 book, Beard on Bread, revised in 1995, is especially great.

James passed away on Jan. 23, 1985. Soon after his death, his friend Julia Child wanted to ensure that his home became the same type of gathering space it was when he was alive. This led to the creation of the James Beard Foundation in 1986, which led to the creation of the awards in 1990.

Netflix, Hulu, and PBS television host, restaurateur, chef, cookbook author, and actor David Chang has some of the most Beard awards. What makes his awards so unique is that he didn't win all of them for making or serving food. He won Rising Star Chef of the Year 2007, Best Chefs 2008, Best New Restaurant 2009, Outstanding Chef 2013, Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America 2014, and Outstanding Reporting 2019. He has been nominated six other times.

Some of the multiple James Beard Award winners are the biggest names in food. Even if you haven’t been lucky enough to eat their food, you most likely would recognize them for television.

Humanitarian, restaurateur, chef, cookbook author, and television host José Andrés is one of the most decorated James Beard Award winners. He has won Best Chefs 2003, Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America 2007, Outstanding Chef 2011, and Humanitarian of the Year 2018. He has been nominated nine other times. His first was for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 1999.

Other famous winners include Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio (Best Chefs 2000, General 2001, Outstanding Service 2001, Best New Restaurant 2002, Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America 2002, Television Food Special 2008, Outstanding Chef 2010, Television Program 2011) and Mexico: One Plate at a Time’s Rick Bayless (Best Chefs 1991, Outstanding Chef 1995, Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America 1995, Humanitarian of the Year 1998, International 2001, Outstanding Restaurant 2007, Podcast 2015).