James Beard Foundation Award facts for kids
The James Beard Foundation Awards are special prizes given out every year. They are presented by the James Beard Foundation. These awards celebrate amazing chefs, restaurant owners, writers, and journalists. All of these talented people are from the United States. The awards are usually held around May 5th. This date is important because it's the birthday of James Beard himself.
Awards for media (like TV shows or articles) are given out in New York City. The awards for chefs and restaurants used to be in New York too. But since 2015, the main awards show has moved to Chicago. Chicago will host these big events until the year 2027.
History of the Awards
The James Beard Foundation Awards started in 1990. Before that, there were other awards for chefs and food writers. The foundation decided to bring them all together. In 1993, they added awards for food journalism. Then, in 1994, they included awards for broadcast media (like TV and radio). In 1995, awards for restaurant design were added.
In 2018, the James Beard Foundation made some big changes. They wanted the awards to be more fair and welcoming to everyone. This was to help with fairness for different races and genders in the food world. For example, the judges now represent all kinds of people in the U.S. Also, they stopped an old award called "Who's Who." They also added new awards that focus on social justice. Plus, some fees for media entries were removed.
More than 600 food experts vote on the awards. Many of these voters are past award winners. Winners receive a special medallion. It has a picture of James Beard on it. They also get a certificate from the foundation.
America's Classics Awards
The James Beard Awards often celebrate fancy restaurants in big cities. But since 1998, there's been a special category called "America's Classics." This award honors amazing family-owned restaurants across the country. These classic places are often the most popular winners at the awards show.
To win an "America's Classics" award, a restaurant must have been open for at least ten years. It also needs to be owned by local people. The restaurant should have a "timeless appeal." This means it's always been loved. Most importantly, it must serve "quality food." This food should show the true spirit of its community.
Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America
The "Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America" was an award given to leaders in the food world. It honored people who showed amazing talent and achievements. Other experts in the food industry voted for these winners.
This award first started in 1984 by Cook's Magazine. The James Beard Foundation took over the award in 1990. They presented it at their yearly awards show. However, the foundation decided to stop this award after 2018. They wanted to focus on being more inclusive and fair. In total, nearly 300 people were part of the "Who's Who" list.
