The Broadcast Media Awards were established in 1993, and recognize nonfiction works in English covering food and beverage topics.
Photo: Galdones Photography
The 2025 James Beard Broadcast Media Awards will take place on Saturday, June 14th, at the Columbia College Chicago Student Center, and will honor the most compelling and innovative storytelling in food-related television, podcasts, and digital media. Recognizing the producers, hosts, and creators who bring the culinary world to life through sight and sound, these awards celebrate excellence in visual and audio storytelling. From thought-provoking documentaries to engaging series and podcasts, the ceremony highlights the voices and visions that shape the way we experience food in the modern media landscape.
Broadcast Media Awards Categories
This award recognizes excellence in a food-related radio or podcast program. Enter one complete episode (audio file only) up to 60 minutes in length. More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs. Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application. Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This award recognizes excellence in reporting and narratives about food and/or food issues in radio or podcasts. This work is issue or deadline-driven, investigative, topical, or timely in nature. Enter a single piece as one entry. The single piece (audio file only) should be up to 60 minutes in length. More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs. Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application. Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This award recognizes a visionary individual who has revolutionized the way food is presented and discussed on television, radio, or streaming platforms. Embodying the Foundation's core values of Good Good for Good®, they use their platform to both entertain and educate and inspire viewers about the vast world of food.
The Broadcast Subcommittee selects the honoree for this category. No entries will be accepted.
This award recognizes excellence in food-related media including video production, audio programming, or other media that media, that is clearly developed and marketed with prominent visual branding, is commercially funded, and/or contains paid advertising. It may be broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.
The video should be entered in its entirety if it is a singular program or production. If the program is a series, enter the episode in its entirety that best represents the series.
More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs. Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application.
Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This category recognizes creativity and innovation in competitive cooking shows. Entries can be professional chef competitions, home cook challenges, or programs focusing on specific culinary disciplines (baking, grilling, etc.).
- Enter the episode in its entirety that best represents the series.
- More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs. Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application.
- Judging criteria for this category includes the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related documentary production (15 minutes or greater in length). The production must have been made available to the public via broadcast, stream (SVOD), download (TVOD), YouTube/Vimeo (AVOD or free view), and/or exhibition at a North American film festival. The documentary should be entered in its entirety. More than one entry per filmmaker/production company may be submitted. Each submission requires a separate entry fee and application. Judging criteria for this category includes the entry’s content, originality, execution and impact.
This award recognizes excellence in a food-or beverage-related docuseries production (at least 3 episodes) each of which is longer than 10 minutes. All episodes of the production must have been made available to the public via broadcast, stream (SVOD), download (TVOD), YouTube/Vimeo (AVOD or free view), and/or exhibition at a North American film festival. Enter the episode in its entirety that best represents the series. Judging criteria for this category includes the entry’s content, originality, execution and impact.
The Broadcast Media Subcommittee selects the honoree for this category. No entries are accepted for this category. This award recognizes excellence in a body of work that could include food or beverage-related video, audio, or social media production whether broadcast, streamed, accessed online or through an app, produced by a new voice in the medium.
A new voice is an individual that is early in their career or has not been recognized by an awards program or other formal recognition instrument.
This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related video production with instruction and/or education as its primary intent, whether broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app. Enter the episode in its entirety that best represents the series. More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs. Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application. Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This category honors excellence in food-centric talk shows and lifestyle programs that explore food or beverage alongside broader societal and cultural themes. Entries can range from interview-based shows featuring chefs and food personalities to those that delve into food history, science, and culture.
Enter a single piece as one entry. The single piece (video file only) should be up to 60 minutes in length.
More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs.
Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application.
Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related social media account or platform.
Enter up to 5 posts from the same platform – More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different accounts. Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application. – Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact.
This category celebrates excellence in food- or beverage-focused travel shows. Entries should showcase the unique culinary culture and traditions of a specific region or country, highlighting the connection between people, food, regions, and communities.
Enter a single piece as one entry. The single piece (video file only) should be up to 60 minutes in length.
More than one entry may be submitted, provided they are for different programs.
Each entry requires a separate entry fee and application.
Judging criteria for this category include the entry’s content, originality, execution, and impact
Awards Structure
Media Awards Open Call for Entries are conducted and require a fee of $85.00 per entry (waivers provided upon request). Winners and Nominees are selected from the entries.
Click here for information on the Media Awards Voting Process.
Chair, Cynthia Graubart, James Beard Award-Winning Cookbook Author, Culinary Television Producer
Vice-Chair, Matthew McIntyre, Owner, Walkup Studio
Monti Carlo, Puerto Rican Chef and Food Media Personality
Alan Montecillo, Senior Editor, KQED Public Radio
Joanna Pleta, Marketing Consultant
Pervaiz Shallwani, Journalist and Trained Chef, Associate Director of Dining and Food Culture, Bon Appetit
Amy Vogler, Freelance Cookbook Author and Writer, Consultant, Recipe Developer and Taster, Producer of Food Programming for Public-Television, and Contributor, Wooden Spoon Kitchen
Mia Warren, Managing Director, Feet in 2 Worlds
Afi Yellow-Duke, Labor Representative, New York Professional Nurses Union; Formerly Associate Producer, WNYC
The James Beard Awards consist of the following recognition programs: Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism), Restaurant and Chef Awards, and Achievement Awards which include: Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year and the Impact Awards. The Leadership Awards were retired after the 2024 Awards cycle.
The Restaurant and Chef and Media awards are administered by independent volunteer members of the media, culinary, beverage, hospitality, and the broader culinary ecosystem.
The James Beard Foundation is introducing Beverage Awards categories over the next few years, with the goal of acknowledging the beverage industry in a more holistic way. For the 2025 Awards cycle, the Foundation is rolling out three new beverage categories under the Restaurant and Chef Awards: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
GOVERNANCE
Awards Committee
Together and in consultation with the Foundation and its staff, the Awards Committee has oversight of and administers the James Beard Awards. The Awards Committee reviews and approves all prospective subcommittee members and judges; votes on the Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian of the Year Award; and reviews and approves all policy, eligibility and criteria changes put forth by the Subcommittees. Members include chairpersons of each Awards program, Board of Trustees members and at-large food, beverage, media and related industries.
Awards Subcommittees + Judges
Each Awards program is administered by an independent volunteer subcommittee, together and in consultation with the Foundation and its representatives. Each subcommittee administers their respective programs; they recommend and select new subcommittee members and judges. Subcommittees’ names are published on this website. Judges are invited to apply annually. Judges’ names are published on the website at the end of each cycle. Assigned categories are not revealed.
The James Beard Foundation and its Board of Trustees has jurisdiction over all Awards programs. Members of the Board of Trustees do not vote, except where indicated. Foundation staff do not vote. As appropriate and based on strategy alignment, the Board may direct the Awards Committee and the subcommittees to include or exclude any Awards category, or to modify, amend or replace the criteria applicable to any Awards category.
Click here to see the Awards structure and governance.
