Held at Union Station, the James Beard Awards honored culinary excellence by showcasing top talents in the food media and restaurant industry. Embracing the theme “Good Food for Good,” the event highlighted the James Beard Foundation’s dedication to creating an equitable and sustainable food and restaurant system.
The event was led by committee chairs Tanya Holland, Lauren Saria, and Allecia Vermillion, alongside James Beard Foundation leadership Clare Reichenbach, Kris Moon and Dawn Padmore. Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, co-hosts of FOX’s Next Level Chef; Marcus Samuelsson, James Beard Award-winning chef; and Amanda Freitag, a judge on Food Network’s Chopped, served as hosts for the restaurant and chef awards ceremony.
The evening drew its largest crowd in recent years, with 2,500 top food industry professionals in attendance. The afterparty featured a shoe check sponsored by Capital One, allowing guests to swap formal footwear for flip-flops on the dance floor. A total of 30 awards were presented, honoring the nation’s top chefs, restaurants, and humanitarians.
Following the restaurant and chef awards ceremony, Christina Nguyen celebrated her victory in the Best Chef: Midwest category.
Tahiirah Habibi and Gregory Gourdet
Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Chef Serigne Mbaye
A-list attendees gathered at Union Station for the foodie evening.
Chef Lord Maynard Llera
Chef Loryn Nalic of Balkan Treat Box served up assorted Turkish pides.
Photography by: PHOTO 1 BY ELIESA JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY; 2, 3, 5 BY CLAY WILLIAMS; 4,6 BY DANIEL BOCZARSKI/GETTY IMAGES FOR JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
