The Call for Entries and Recommendations for the 2023 James Beard Awards is officially open!
Chefs, bartenders, food lovers, food advocates, and more: anyone (yes, really, anyone!) can make a recommendation for the Restaurant and Chef Awards and Leadership Awards. That means we’re asking you tell us the best new restaurant you’ve tried this year, the sustainability leader in your community the world needs to know about, and the neighborhood spot you think should be an America’s Classic.
Recommendations are welcomed and it’s free to submit a nomination!
Writers, journalists, producers, social media influencers, and more: we invite you to submit your entries to the Media Awards in the categories for Books, Broadcast Media, and Journalism). The entry fee is $75, but fee waivers are available upon request.
For more than 30 years, the James Beard Awards have provided national acclaim and recognition of restaurants, food and beverage professionals, authors, journalists, broadcast media, and others in the food ecosystem.
The James Beard Foundation Awards consist of five separate recognition programs and two achievement awards: Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism); Restaurant and Chef Awards; Leadership Awards; Lifetime Achievement Award; and Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Every year, the Award subcommittees may make changes or additions to categories, in order to reflect and capture current trends in the industry. Here are some of the changes to the 2023 James Beard Awards categories:
Book Awards
- The Writing category is now Literary Writing, and includes narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary tourism, investigative journalism, food advocacy, and critical analysis of food and foodways for a general audience—with no more than 20 percent recipes.
- A Food Issues and Advocacy category has been added and includes investigative journalism, food policy, deep dives, and critical analysis of the changing social landscape.
- Baking and Desserts has been redefined as books with recipes focused on the art and craft of baking, pastries, and desserts—both sweet and savory items—including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.
- A Bread category has been added to include books with recipes focused on the art and craft of making bread, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.
Journalism
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The Personal Essay, Long Form and Personal Essay, Short Form have been updated to:
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Personal Essay with Recipes that recognizes excellence in an essay on any food and/or drink-related topic with recipes.
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Personal Essay without Recipes that recognizes excellence in an essay on any food and/or drink-related topic without recipes.
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The Beverage category has been added and recognizes distinctive style, thorough knowledge, plainspoken prose, and innovative approach in a single article on alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
Leadership Awards
For the first time, the Leadership Awards will feature four categories with one winner per category. In an effort to focus on areas of advocacy work, the following new categories will be presented:
- Sustainable Foodways
- Food Security and Access
- Education and Awareness
- Labor and Worker Equity
Restaurant and Chef Awards
- A new category, Outstanding Bakery, has been added, recognizing a baker of breads, pastries, or desserts that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to its broader community.
- Outstanding Pastry Chef and Outstanding Baker categories have been combined into Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.
- Outstanding Wine Program, has been expanded to Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. This award is presented to a restaurant that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the pairing of wine and other beverages with food while contributing positively to its broader community.
- Outstanding Bar has been expanded to include wines and other beverages. This award is presented to 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 while contributing positively to its broader community.
As of the 2023 Awards cycle, the Restaurant and Chef Awards defines the annual eligibility timeframe as October through September (formerly January through December), to allow the voting body more time to consider businesses opening later in the calendar year. For the June 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards, the eligibility time frame will be January 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. Businesses opening after September 30, 2022 will be under consideration for the June 2024 Awards. For all awards that require years in service, one year is counted October through September. For categories where restaurants or chefs have to be open or in the region for a minimum number of years, the years will be counted back from September 30, not including any time closed during the pandemic. For example, to be eligible for the Outstanding Restaurateur category for the 2023 Awards, restaurateurs will need to have been in the business since September 30, 2017 (five years in business).
As part of the Call for Entry or Recommendation process, all entrants are required to provide a short write-up or audio/visual recording reflecting on the James Beard Awards Mission and the James Beard Foundation's values, and how the entrant expresses them in their work. It is an opportunity for entrants (or those recommending entrants) to tell their story and purpose. The alignment statements will be reviewed for content, and not fluency or production value.
For more information and to view the full list of 2023 Awards programs, criteria, and deadlines, please visit the James Beard Awards page. Entries for all categories can be submitted via the online portal through November 30.
