Here Are the 2025 James Beard Awards Restaurant, Chef, and Media Award Finalists

See the full list of this year’s nominees

The James Beard Foundation has announced its list of chef, restaurant, and book and media finalists for the James Beard Award, considered one of the biggest honors in the restaurant industry. The April 2 announcement included nominees for Outstanding Restaurateur, Best New Restaurant, and the regional Best Chef awards, as well as finalists for three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

The announcement also includes winners of the foundation’s Leadership, Humanitarian of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement awards. Chad Houser was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award, and author and journalist Toni Tipton-Martin was granted the Lifetime Achievement Award. There were five honorees of the Impact Award, including Anthony Edwards, Jr., Angie Craig, and Dune Lankard.

This year’s announcement marks the five-year anniversary of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about several changes to the awards program. Amid unprecedented chaos that shuttered thousands of restaurants across the country, the organization canceled its ceremonies in 2020 and 2021. Following criticisms of racial inequity and lack of diversity among decision-making bodies and award grantees, the organization announced an audit of procedures, and has, in recent years, amended existing categories or created newer ones — such as changing its Rising Star award to Emerging Chef with no age cutoff, and designating separate regional awards for Texas, California, and New York — to recognize age and geographic diversity, thereby reaching a broader group of winners.

On May 7, the Foundation announced the nominees for its book and media awards. Last month, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its America’s Classics award, which recognizes six “locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal” across the country. The foundation previously released its annual longlist, highlighting semifinalists from various regions in the United States. Media awards nominees, covering books and food journalism, will be revealed on May 7. The final winners in the restaurant and chef Awards categories will be celebrated on Monday, June 16, during a gala ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Check out the full list of finalists below.

2025 James Beard Awards: Restaurant and Chef Finalists

Outstanding Restaurateur

A restaurateur who uses their establishment(s) as a vehicle for building community, demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship, and integrity in restaurant operations

• Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, The Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and The Progress, San Francisco, CA
• Sue Chin and Jason Chin, Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others), Orlando, FL
• Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.
• Alison Gibson and Cara Tobin, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, VT
• Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d’ Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY

Outstanding Chef

A chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals.

• Lisa Becklund, FarmBar, Tulsa, OK
• Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY
• Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO
• Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
• Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant

A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Coquine, Portland, OR
• Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
• Galit, Chicago, IL
• Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, OK
• Oberlin, Providence, RI

Emerging Chef

A chef who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

• Kaitlin Guerin, Lagniappe Bakehouse, New Orleans, LA
• Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA
• Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI
• Jane Sacro Chatham, Vicia, St. Louis, MO
• RJ Yoakum, Georgie, Dallas, TX

Best New Restaurant

A restaurant opened between October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, that already demonstrates excellence in cuisine, seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come, and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO
• Atoma, Seattle, WA
• Bûcheron, Minneapolis, MN
• Ema, Houston, TX
• Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh, PA
• Mābo, Dallas, TX
• Mita, Washington, D.C.
• Ômo by Jônt, Winter Park, FL
• Penny, New York, NY
• The Union, Helena, MT

Outstanding Bakery

A baker of breads, pastries, or desserts that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, WY
• Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA
• JinJu Patisserie, Portland, OR
• Starship Bagel, Lewisville, TX
• Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

A pastry chef or baker who makes desserts, pastries, or breads. Candidate demonstrates exceptional skills and can be affiliated with any food business and does not need a brick-and mortar presence.

• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
• Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa, OK
• April Franqueza, The Dining Room at High Hampton, Cashiers, NC
• Crystal Kass, Valentine, Phoenix, AZ
• Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos, Poulette Bakeshop, Parker, CO

Outstanding Hospitality

A restaurant, bar, or other food and drinking establishment that fosters a sense of hospitality among its customers and staff that serves as a beacon for the community and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Archipelago, Seattle, WA
• Aria, Atlanta, GA
• Atomix, New York, NY
• Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA
• Mixtli, San Antonio, TX

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

A restaurant that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the pairing of wine and other beverages with food. This includes the selection, preparation, and serving of wine, cocktails, spirits, coffee, tea, beer, or any other beverage with outstanding hospitality and service that helps inform and enhance a customer’s appreciation of the beverage(s). Ethical sourcing will also be considered.

• Bar Brava, Minneapolis, MN
• Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
• Charleston, Baltimore, MD
• March, Houston, TX
• Strong Water, Anaheim, CA

Outstanding Bar

A wine bar, beer bar, cocktail bar, coffee bar, or any other business whose primary offering is beverage and that demonstrates consistent excellence in curating a selection or in the preparation of drinks, along with outstanding atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Kumiko, Chicago, IL
• Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
• The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
• Water Witch, Salt Lake City, UT
• Wolf Tree, White River Junction, VT

Best New Bar

A wine bar, beer bar, cocktail bar, coffee bar, or any other business whose primary offering is beverage, opened between October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, that already demonstrates excellence in beverages, seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come, and demonstrates consistent excellence in the preparation of drinks, sourcing, service, hospitality, atmosphere, and operations.

• Agency, Milwaukee, WI
• Bar Colette, Dallas, TX
• Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR
• Merai, Brookline, MA
• Vice Versa, Miami, FL

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

A service professional who curates and serves wine, beer, or other offerings such as sake, lowand non-alcoholic beverages in a restaurant or bar setting; or winery, distillery or brewery that also serves food. Candidate has set high standards; demonstrates creativity and consistency in excellence, innovation, hospitality; is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture; and has served as an exceptional example or mentor for other beverage professionals.

• Jacob Brown, Lazy Bear, San Francisco, CA
• Jose Medina Camacho, Adios, Birmingham, AL
• Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s, Austin, TX
• Cassandra Felix, Daniel, New York, NY
• Cristie Norman, Delilah, Las Vegas, NV

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

A service professional who creates and serves cocktails or other offerings such as low- and nonalcoholic beverages. Candidate has set high standards; demonstrates creativity and consistency in excellence, innovation, hospitality; is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture; and has served as an exceptional example or mentor for other beverage professionals.

• McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
• Ignacio Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
• Dave Newman, Pint + Jigger, Honolulu, HI
• Tobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles, CA
• Mike Stankovich, Longfellow, Cincinnati, OH

Best Chefs (by region)

Chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions.

Best Chef: California

• Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbeque, San Juan Capistrano, CA
• Richard Lee, Saison, San Francisco, CA
• Tara Monsod, ANIMAE, San Diego, CA
• Kosuke Tada, Mijote, San Francisco, CA
• Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, CA

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

• Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, The Cooks’ House, Traverse City, MI
• Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago, IL
• David Jackman, Wildweed, Cincinnati, OH
• Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading, Chicago, IL
• Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago, IL

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

• Henji Cheung, Queen’s English, Washington, D.C.
• Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C.
• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Dan Richer, Razza, Jersey City, NJ
• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado no Mise, Minneapolis, MN
• Diane Moua, Diane’s Place, Minneapolis, MN
• Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
• Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN
• David Utterback, Ota and Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

• Joshua Adams, Campione, Livingston, MT
• Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
• Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus, Greenough, MT
• David Wells, The Tasting Room at Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, Pray, MT
• Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO

Best Chef: New York State

• Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
• Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction, Buffalo, NY
• Eiji Ichimura, Ichimura, New York, NY
• Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York, NY
• Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

• Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, VT
• Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI
• Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT
• Erin Miller, Urban Hearth, Cambridge, MA
• Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

• Jay Blackinton, Houlme, Orcas Island, WA
• Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR
• Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
• Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
• Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra, Amity, OR

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

• Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami, FL
• Matthew Cooper, Conifer, Bentonville, AR
• Kevin Garcia, La Faena AgroCocina, Guaynabo, PR
• Angel David Moreno Zayas, El Gallo Pinto, Guayama, PR
• Rafael Rios, Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico, Bentonville, AR

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

• Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, Louisville, KY
• Sara Bradley, Freight House, Paducah, KY
• Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, TN
• Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.’s, Asheville, NC
• Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, West Columbia, SC

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

• Olivier Bouzerand, Fait Maison, Edmond, OK
• Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ
• Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
• Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV
• Zack Walters, Sedalia’s, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Texas

• Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX
• Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó, Houston, TX
• Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio, TX
• Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas, TX
• Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa, TX

2025 James Beard Foundation Book Award Nominees

The Book Awards are open to cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2024. Books from foreign publishers must bear a 2024 U.S. copyright date and/or must have been distributed in the U.S. during 2024. More information about the Book Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

Baking and Desserts

Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond
Clarice Lam
(Chronicle Books)

The Elements of Baking: Making any recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan
Katarina Cermelj
(Mobius Books)

Sift: The Elements of Great Baking
Nicola Lamb
(Clarkson Potter)

Beverage with Recipes

A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails For Any Mood
Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix with Megan Krigbaum
(Abrams)

The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar
Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso with Emma Janzen
(Ten Speed Press)

The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home
Nicola Nice
(Countryman Press)

Beverage without Recipes

Rebel School of Wine: A Visual Guide to Drinking with Confidence
Tyler Balliet
(Harvest)

Sake: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink
Yoshiko Ueno-Müller
(Prestel)

The World Atlas of Whisky 3rd Edition: More than 500 distilleries profiled and 480 expressions tasted
Dave Broom
(Mitchell Beazley)

Bread

Modernist Bread at Home
Francisco Migoya and Nathan Myhrvold
(The Cooking Lab, LLC)

Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking
Richard Hart and Laurie Woolever with Henrietta Lovell
(Clarkson Potter)

The King Arthur Baking Company Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes for Every Baker
King Arthur Baking Company
(S&S/Simon Element)

Food Issues and Advocacy

The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos
Mark J. Easter
(Patagonia)

The Painful Truth about Hunger in America: Why We Must Unlearn Everything We Think We Know—and Start Again
Mariana Chilton
(MIT Press)

Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, from the Trail of Tears to School Lunch
Andrea Freeman
(Metropolitan Books)

General

Ottolenghi Comfort: A Cookbook
Yotam Ottolenghi with Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley
(Ten Speed Press)

Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook
Carolina Gelen
(Clarkson Potter)

Soups, Salads, Sandwiches: A Cookbook
Matty Matheson
(Ten Speed Press)

International

The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans
Irina Janakievska
(Quadrille)

The Chinese Way: Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors (A Cookbook)
Betty Liu
(Voracious)

The Salvi Soul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them
Karla Tatiana Vasquez
(Ten Speed Press)

Literary Writing

The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America
Sara B. Franklin
(Simon & Schuster)

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves
Nicola Twilley
(Penguin Press)

Wild Chocolate: Across the Americas in Search of Cacao’s Soul
Rowan Jacobsen
(Bloomsbury Publishing)

Professional and Restaurant

Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California’s Wine Country
Rogelio Garcia and Andréa Lawson Gray
(Abrams)

Eleven Madison Park: The Plant-Based Chapter: A Cookbook
Daniel Humm
(Voracious)

Tipo 00: The Pasta Cookbook
Andreas Papadaki
(Murdoch Books)

Reference, History, and Scholarship

Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor
Arielle Johnson
(Harvest)

Insatiable City: Food and Race in New Orleans
Theresa McCulla
(University of Chicago Press)

McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches
Gary He
(Parla Publishing)

Single Subject

The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen [A Cookbook]
Steve Sando with Julia Newberry
(Ten Speed Press)

Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking (More than 60 Recipes Featuring Gochujang, Doenjang, and Ganjang)
Mingoo Kang with Nadia Cho and Joshua David Stein
(Artisan)

The Turkey Book: A Chef’s Journal of Hunting and Cooking America’s Bird
Jesse Griffiths
(St. John Press)

U.S. Foodways

Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life
Melissa M. Martin
(Artisan)

Chinese Enough: Homestyle Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Stir-Fries, and More
Kristina Cho
(Artisan)

Our South: Black Food Through My Lens
Ashleigh Shanti
(Union Square & Co.)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking

Big Vegan Flavor: Techniques and 150 Recipes to Master Vegan Cooking
Nisha Vora
(Avery)

Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking:Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques [A Cookbook]
Joe Yonan
(Ten Speed Press)

The Vibrant Hong Kong Table: 88 Iconic Vegan Recipes from Dim Sum to Late-Night Snacks
Christine Wong
(Chronicle Books)

Visuals

I Love You: Recipes from the Heart
Ditte Isager with Pamela Anderson, Maria Zizka, and Matthew Axe
(Voracious)

Koreaworld: A Cookbook
Alex Lau
(Clarkson Potter)

McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches
Gary He
(Parla Publishing)

2025 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award Nominees

The Broadcast Media Awards are given to nonfiction works in English exemplifying excellence and in keeping with the mission and values of the James Beard Foundation from digital and terrestrial media—radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, social media—covering food and beverage topics appearing widely for the first time in the U.S. in 2024. More information about Broadcast Media Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

Audio Programming

Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry
“Cream Pie with Telly Justice”
Airs on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms

Progressive Hedonist with Dana Cowin
“Collective Possibilities for a Better Future: Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson”
Airs on: Heritage Radio Network

SOMM TV Podcast
“Escape From Iran”
Airs on: SOMM TV and all podcast platforms

Audio Reporting

A People’s History of Kansas City
“Hydrox, The Original Oreo”
Airs on: KCUR.org and all podcast platforms

Chasing The Watermelon Man
Airs on: KCRW
Post Reports

“Bacon: The Best-Kept Secret in Washington”
Airs on: Post Reports

Commercial Media

DIRT Colorado
Airs on: YouTube and Outside TV

Inside the Dangerous Dive for Sea Urchins: The Life of a Haenyeo
Airs on: YouTube

La Mera Mera Tamalera
Airs on: YouTube

Documentary Visual Media

The Donn of Tiki
Airs on: Various film festivals

The Man Who Feeds Gaza’s Children
Airs on: YouTube and Business Insider

MARCELLA
Airs on: PBS American Masters

Docuseries Visual Media

Hope in the Water
Airs on: PBS

Omnivore
Airs on: Apple TV+

World Eats Bread
Airs on: National Geographic Channel

Instructional Visual Media

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television
Airs on: Amazon Prime, PBS and YouTube

G.O.A.T.
Airs on: MasterClass

Jamie Oliver: Cooking for Less
Airs on: Prime Video, BBC, YouTube, Tastemade

Lifestyle Visual Media

Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers
Airs on: PBS

Relish
Airs on: PBS, Passport, TPT, TPT-2 and YouTube

Top Chef
Airs on: Bravo

Social Media Account

Day With Mei
Airs on: Instagram, Substack, and TikTok

Little Fat Boy Frankie
Airs on: Instagram, TikTok, Substack and YouTube

Metemgee
Airs on: Instagram

Travel Visual Media

America The Bountiful
Airs on: PBS

Drink: A Look Inside the Glass
Airs on: Apple TV+, Prime Video, Tubi, Roku

Field Trip with Curtis Stone
Airs on: PBS

2025 James Beard Foundation Journalism Award Nominees

The Journalism Awards recognize works in English and cover food- or drink-related content which were published—or self-published—in 2024 in any medium. More information about Journalism Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

Beverage

“The best coffee for the planet might not be coffee at all”
L.V. Anderson
Grist and Slate

“Detroit’s Third-Shift Bars Were a Lifeline. Now They’re a Dying Breed.”
Mickey Lyons
Punch

“Want to Make Spirits in Thailand? Good Luck.”
Craig Sauers
Punch

Columns and Newsletters

“The farm bill hall of shame”; “The essential workers missing from the farm bill”; “Tribal nations want more control over their food supply”
Teresa Cotsirilos, Bridget Huber, and Claire Kelloway
Food & Environment Reporting Network and Mother Jones

“Chinese Skewers Are the Last Bastion of Late-Night Dining in the Bay”; “Sunnyvale’s Hottest Late-Night Food Spot Is the 24-Hour Indian Grocery Store”; “Taquerias Come and Go, but La Vic’s Orange Sauce Is Forever”
Thien Pham and Luke Tsai
KQED

“The Deep Dish: Indigenous Foodways”; “The Deep Dish: Revitalizing Home Cooking”; “The Deep Dish: Food on the Ballot”
The Civil Eats Editors
Civil Eats

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award

“Trump said Democrats Would Take Away Your Hamburgers. He’s the One Who Might.”; “Time to Bust the Meat Trust”; “Technology Can Help Reduce Food Waste on The Farm, But It’s Only Part of the Problem”
Ted Genoways
Food & Environment Reporting Network and The New York Times

“I’ll take the beef jerky at Sophy’s over your Wagyu steak anyplace else”; “So many mysteries at Star Leaf. But mainly, where’s the spice?”; “Momofuku responds to chili crunch backlash: ‘We wanted a name we could own’”
Jenn Harris
Los Angeles Times

“New tasting menu dinners at Honeysuckle Provisions are provocative and delicious”; “The enduring, confusing, and always delicious Octopus Cart is still puffing along after 34 years”; “Loch Bar, a new high-end seafood spot on Broad, swings big and misses”
Craig LaBan
Philadelphia Inquirer

Dining and Travel

“Our L.A. food critic’s highly specific guide to San Francisco dining”
Bill Addison
Los Angeles Times

“Best New Chefs”
Raphael Brion
Food & Wine

“Gastro Obscura’s Feast”
Samantha O’Brien
Gastro Obscura

Feature Reporting

“How a grocery store fight fractured a Maryland town along racial lines”
Tim Carman
The Washington Post

“Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation”
Adam Iscoe
The New Yorker

“We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s”
Adam Reiner
TASTE

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication

The Bitter Southerner

The New Yorker

Texas Monthly

Foodways

“As Detroit sees a future in urban agriculture, some pushback harkens to a dark past”
Lyndsay C. Green
Detroit Free Press

“Transforming the Delta: Climate change is creating opportunities to turn America’s poorest region into a fruit- and vegetable-growing hub”
Robert Kunzig
Food & Environment Reporting Network and Switchyard

“Grief, Solidarity, and Molokhia”
Nylah Iqbal Muhammad
Eater

Health and Wellness

“Your Gut Health Affects Almost Every System in Your Body—Are You Doing Enough to Care for It?”; I Took Long-Term Antibiotics for a Year—Here’s What I’m Eating to Help My Gut Health Bounce Back”; “We Asked a Gastroenterologist the Biggest Myths About Gut Health—This Is What He Said”
Jessica Ball, Danielle DeAngelis, and Shaun Dreisbach
Eating Well

“Florida Banned Farmworker Heat Protections. A Groundbreaking Partnership Offers a Solution.”
Grey Moran
Civil Eats

“The U.S.-Mexico Tortilla War”
Alexander Zaitchik
Food & Environment Reporting Network and The Nation

Home Cooking

“The warmth of Black traditions around the Thanksgiving table”
Danielle Dorsey
Los Angeles Times

“The Art and Science of Kimchi”
Andrea Geary
Cook’s Illustrated

“Biryanis Build Flavor by the Layer”
JM Hirsch
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Magazine

Investigative Reporting

“Exposed: Latino farmworkers risk their health working under threat of pesticide exposure”
Patricia Clarembaux, Federica Narancio, and Esther Poveda
Univision News Digital and Investigate Midwest

“Deadly Work for High-end: Poultry Pitman Farms, maker of ‘humane’ Mary’s Chicken brand, among most dangerous for workers”; “Family, friends grieve man who died at Sanger poultry plant. ‘A place for you in heaven’”; “How did Mary’s Chicken poultry worker drown in waste pit? Report reveals ‘infuriating’ details”
Melissa Montalvo
The Fresno Bee

“The North Koreans behind global seafood”; “The Whistleblower”
Ian Urbina and the Staff of The Outlaw Ocean Project
The Outlaw Ocean Project

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Etta’s Five Bankruptcies Have Left a Collective Mess”; “White Sox Fans Came for the Losses, Stayed for the Milkshakes”; “Namasteak, USA”
Ashok Selvam
Eater

“Coming of Age”; “US farms are forcing workers to buy inedible, expensive meals: ‘It makes you feel enslaved’” (The Assembly and The Food Section); “A nimble New York grocery store follows Latino immigration to the south” (The Guardian)
Tina Vasquez
The Assembly and The Food Section; The Guardian

“Salmon’s New Symbolism”; “The Sports Bra and Rough and Tumble Are Just the Beginning”; “At Sophon, Cambodian Culture Meets Craft Cocktails”
Allecia Vermillion
Seattle Met

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

“The City that Rice Built”
Jeff Gordinier and George McCalman
Food & Wine

“Clam South”
Caroline Hatchett
The Bitter Southerner

“The Food That Makes You Gay”
Jaya Saxena
Eater

Narrative Photography

“How 9 families cope when they can’t afford 3 healthy meals a day for the kids”
Benedict De La Cruz, The Everyday Projects, and Emily Sohn
NPR.org

“The Only Constant is Chucks”
Rory Doyle
Self-Published

“A Brooklyn Gas Station with Serious Grub”
Amy Lombard
The New Yorker

Personal Essay

“Our Gluten Rumspringa”
Luke Pyenson
TASTE

“The Hidden Hospitality Hazards When You’re Too Big for the Bar”
Brad Thomas Parsons
VinePair

“My Family’s Daily Struggle to Find Food in Gaza”
Mosab Abu Toha
The New Yorker

Personal Essay with Recipes

“A Cuisine Under Siege”
Laila El-Haddad
SAVEUR

“A Fat Affair”
Steve Hoffman
Food & Wine

“My Bourak, My Self”
Renee Eliah
Above the Fold

Profile

“Black Earth”
Christina Cooke
The Bitter Southerner

“The Expanding Table: Honoring Palestinian Culinary Tradition in Arkansas”
Jordan P. Hickey
Longreads

“Padma Lakshmi Walks Into a Bar”
Helen Rosner
The New Yorker

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.

Additional photo illustration credits: Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation