The James Beard Foundation Awards, now in its 36th year, unveiled its 2026 nominees on March 31st. Winners will be celebrated at the awards ceremony on June 15th at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

In the meantime, explore career opportunities with this year's nominees and/or discover openings with past years' winners.

Outstanding Restaurateur
Outstanding Chef
Outstanding Restaurant
Emerging Chef
  • Fátima Juárez - Komal (Los Angeles, CA)
  • E.J. Lagasse - Emeril's (New Orleans, LA)
  • Rasheeda Purdie - Ramen by Rā (New York, NY)
  • Bailey Sullivan - Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio (Chicago, IL)
  • Adrian Torres - Maximo (West University Place, TX)
Best New Restaurant
Outstanding Bakery
  • Cultured (Sister Bay, WI)
  • Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop (Anchorage, AK)
  • Super Secret Ice Cream (Bethlehem, NH)
  • Weltons Tiny Bakeshop (Charleston, SC)
  • Wild Crumb (Bozeman, MT)
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
  • Neale Asato - Asato Family Shop (Honolulu, HI)
  • Susan Bae - Moon Rabbit (Washington, D.C.)
  • Tavel Bristol-Joseph - Nicosi (San Antonio, TX)
  • Maggie Huff - Lucia (Dallas, TX)
  • Justine MacNeil - Fiore (Philadelphia, PA)
Outstanding Hospitality
  • Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering (Boise, ID)
  • Aria (Atlanta, GA)
  • Bottega (Birmingham, AL)
  • Louie (Clayton, MO)
  • Providence (Los Angeles, CA)
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
  • Chambers (New York, NY)
  • Field & Main (Marshall, VA)
  • Kato (Los Angeles, CA)
  • The Port of Call (Mystic, CT)
  • Sway Brewing & Blending (Baileys Harbor, WI)
Outstanding Bar
Best New Bar
  • Bar Chenin (Detroit, MI)
  • Bar Please! (Boise, ID)
  • Clemente Bar (New York, NY)
  • Later Bye (Oklahoma City, OK)
  • Loma (Providence, RI)
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
  • Jack Benchakul - Endorffeine (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Lee Campbell - Borgo (New York, NY)
  • Ryan Fletter - Barolo Grill (Denver, CO)
  • Brent Kroll - Maxwell Park (Washington, D.C.)
  • June Rodil - March (Houston, TX)
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
  • Hastings Cameron - Imaginary Factory (Madison, WI)
  • Kevin Diedrich - Pacific Cocktail Haven (San Francisco, CA)
  • Nicky Fas - Pantera (Caguas, PR)
  • McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright - Yacht Club (Denver, CO)
  • Ivy Mix - Whoopsie Daisy (Brooklyn, NY)
Best Chef: California
  • Dave Beran - Seline (Santa Monica, CA)
  • Harrison Cheney - Sons & Daughters (San Francisco, CA)
  • Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu - Sun Moon Studio (Oakland, CA)
  • Daisy Ryan - Bell's (Los Alamos, CA)
  • Kwang Uh - Baroo (Los Angeles, CA)
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
  • Vinnie Cimino - Cordelia (Cleveland, OH)
  • Sarah Dworak - Sudova (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Norman Fenton - Cariño (Chicago, IL)
  • Jeffrey Harris - Nolia Kitchen (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Jacob Potashnick - Feld (Chicago, IL)
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
  • Zak Baker - Ca’Lucchenzo (Wauwatosa, WI)
  • Nick Bognar - Sado, Pavilion (St. Louis, MO)
  • Shigeyuki Furukawa - Kado No Mise (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Loryn Nalic - Balkan Treat Box (Webster Groves, MO)
  • David Utterback - Yoshitomo, Ota (Omaha, NE)
Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
  • Johnny Curiel - Alma Fonda Fina (Denver, CO)
  • Travis Herbert - Felt Bar & Eatery (Salt Lake City, UT)
  • Earl James Reynolds - Herb and Omni (Whitefish, MT)
  • Penelope Wong - Yuan Wonton (Denver, CO)
  • Nick Zocco - Urban Hill (Salt Lake City, UT)
Best Chef: New York State
  • Fidel Caballero - Corima (New York, NY)
  • Giovanni Cervantes - Carnitas Ramirez (New York, NY)
  • Hooni Kim - Meju (Queens, NY)
  • Ayesha Nurdjaja - Shukette (New York, NY)
  • Joshua Pinsky - Claud (New York, NY)
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
  • David DiStasi - Materia Ristorante (Bantam, CT)
  • Evan Hennessey - Stages (Dover, NH)
  • Thomas Takashi Cooke - Izakaya Minato (Portland, ME)
  • Paul Trombly - Fancy's (Burlington, VT)
  • Derek Wagner - Nicks on Broadway (Providence, RI)
Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
  • Nathan Bentley - Altura Bistro (Anchorage, AK)
  • Johnny Courtney - Atoma (Seattle, WA)
  • Thomas Pisha-Duffly - Gado Gado (Portland, OR)
  • Ryan Roadhouse - Nodoguro (Portland, OR)
  • Aaron Tekulve - Surrell (Seattle, WA)
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
  • Bryce Bonsack - Rocca (Tampa, FL)
  • Ana Castro - Acamaya (New Orleans, LA)
  • Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer - Chancho King (Jacksonville, FL)
  • Serigne Mbaye - Dakar NOLA (New Orleans, LA)
  • Jason Paul - Heirloom at 1907 (Rogers, AR)
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
  • Joe Cash - Scoundrel (Greenville, SC)
  • Mary Ellen Diaz - Alma Bea (Shepherdstown, WV)
  • J. Trent Harris - Mujō (Atlanta, GA)
  • Taylor Montgomery - Montgomery Sky Farm (Leicester, NC)
  • David Willocks - The Baker's Table (Newport, KY)
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
  • Jeff Chanchaleune - Bar Sen (Oklahoma City, OK)
  • Brian Howard - Sparrow + Wolf (Las Vegas, NV)
  • Steve Riley - Mesa Provisions (Albuquerque, NM)
  • Sarah Thompson - Casa Playa (Las Vegas, NV)
  • Zack Walters - Sedalia's (Oklahoma City, OK)
Best Chef: Texas
  • Ope Amosu - ChòpnBlọk (Houston, TX)
  • Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu - JŪN (Houston, TX)
  • Scott Girling - Osteria Il Muro (Denton, TX)
  • Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla - Café Piro (Socorro, TX)
  • Finney Walter - The Nicolett (Lubbock, TX)