James Beard Foundation announced that its annual Awards program will not present winners in the remaining categories at the upcoming ceremony on Friday, September 25, an unprecedented decision in the Awards’ 30-year history. The choice comes as restaurants continue to suffer the grave negative effects of COVID-19, and as substantial and sustained upheaval in the community has created an environment in which the Foundation believes the assignment of Awards will do little to further the industry in its current uphill battle. The resulting ceremony, which will be broadcast live via Twitter from the host city of Chicago, will instead celebrate previously announced honorees in categories such as America’s Classics, Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, Design Icon, and Leadership Awards.
The Foundation has also made the decision to forgo its traditional Awards presentations in 2021. The Awards recognize work done during the previous calendar year, so any intent to hold a ceremony in 2021 based on 2020 work would be unfair and misguided, taking into account the unprecedented hardships which restaurants and potential nominees faced this year. Instead, the 2021 ceremony will be a celebration of the independent restaurant community who have shown leadership during this crisis and honoring those who have made a significant impact on the industry and in their communities. This celebration will be held in Chicago and broadcast nationwide in May 2021.
Winners will not be announced in the following Restaurant and Chef categories: Best New Restaurant
Outstanding Baker
Outstanding Bar Program
Outstanding Chef
Outstanding Hospitality
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Outstanding Restaurant
Outstanding Restaurateur
Outstanding Wine Program
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Producer
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Best Chef: California
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
Best Chef: New York State
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
Best Chef: Texas
The Awards Committee and subcommittees, made up of volunteer members from within the broader food, restaurant, and media industries, will work with the Foundation and an outside social justice agency to overhaul the policies and procedures for the Awards. The objectives are to remove any systemic bias, increase the diversity of the pool of candidates, maintain relevance, and align the Awards more outwardly with the Foundation’s values of equity, equality, sustainability, and excellence for the restaurant industry.
See the full announcement here
