James Beard 2022 Award Winners Announced
Chris Bianco of Tratto, Pane Bianco and Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix wins the JBF Outstanding Restaurateur Award (photos by James Vitullo)
JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION® ANNOUNCES HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2022 AWARDS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO
NEW YORK, NY (PRESS RELEASE) – The James Beard Foundation® announced today highlights from the 2022 James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One. For the first time, all award ceremonies were held in Chicago for an exciting weekend of festivities, which took place from Saturday, June 11 through Monday, June 13. The 2022 Awards theme was “Gather for Good,” building on the Foundation’s mantra of Good Food for Good®.
The celebratory weekend kicked off on Saturday, June 11, with the James Beard Foundation Media Awards ceremony hosted by Lisa Ling, journalist, author, and host and executive producer of the new series Take Out on HBO Max. The Media Awards honored the nation’s top cookbook authors, food and beverage broadcast producers, hosts, podcasters, and food journalists. The ceremony took place on the campus of Columbia College Chicago. More information on this year’s Media Awards and winners can be found here.
Festivities continued Sunday, June 12, with the Leadership Awards ceremony and luncheon hosted by author and activist Bryant Terry. Taking place at The Dalcy in Chicago’s Fulton Market District, Terry, a 2015 James Beard Leadership Award Winner, chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, and publisher at 4 Color Books/Penguin Random House, helped recognize honorees who are creating a healthier, safer, more equitable, and sustainable food system. This year’s Leadership Award winners can be found here.
The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony, hosted by Kwame Onwuachi, actor, chef, author, and executive producer at Food & Wine Magazine, was held on Monday, June 13, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. During the event, which was open to the public, awards were presented for the Restaurant and Chef categories, along with the Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards. The 2022 Restaurant and Chef Award winners can be found here. A post-Awards celebration immediately followed the ceremony at Chicago’s Union Station, featuring tastings and beverages from chefs around the country.
In addition to the three main Awards ceremonies, this year’s Awards weekend included a bevy of additional activities, from special events and parties hosted by Chicago’s culinary community; James Beard Awards session panels; volunteer opportunities with the Greater Chicago Depository and Urban Farmers Collective; a James Beard Foundation Greens x Dove’s Luncheonette reception for foodies under 40; amongst others. The free panels—open to industry attendees, students, and the public—featured a variety of speakers, including 2022 James Beard Award nominees Mashama Bailey, Angel Barreto, JJ Johnson, Marcus Samuelsson, Jason Vincent, Crystal Wahpehpah, and many others, with topics ranging from building a career in the hospitality industry to food media and content creation, equity and food justice, parenthood in hospitality, a chef’s retrospective, and more.
Don Guerra of Tucson’s Barrio Bread won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Baker Award
“The 2022 Awards marks a momentous turning point for the Foundation. It is the first since major changes were made to better align the Awards with the Foundation’s mission and values—to ensure we are a force for good in our country’s food culture, and more representative of the communities we serve,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “In the spirit of Gather for Good, this weekend was a true celebration of our industry, as we recognize outstanding leaders making our country's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for all.”
“After a very challenging few years for our industry, we are so thrilled to have gathered as a community to celebrate and recognize some of our country’s greatest culinary and food media talent,” said Kris Moon, President and chief operating officer, James Beard Foundation. “Congratulations to all of our 2022 James Beard Award winners, and thank you to our outstanding partners, including our presenting partner Capital One and our proud hosts at Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Assocation, for making this past weekend’s ceremonies possible.”
“Thank you to each and every person involved in this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards weekend,” said Dawn Padmore, vice president of Awards, James Beard Foundation and Tanya Holland, chef, trustee, and Awards Committee Chair. “We are immensely grateful for our committee members, judges, consultants, staff, and audit partners for collaborating in developing and implementing the audit changes, with a goal of creating a more robust, equitable, and accessible Awards program. We are already looking forward to next year’s Awards, with the 2023 Awards cycle open call for entries and recommendations beginning in early fall.”
“We are thrilled that, for the first time since the Foundation’s inception, the full slate of Awards were held in Chicago,” said Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Choose Chicago. “As we come back from the pandemic, having all the Awards ceremonies and supporting events take place in Chicago was incredibly important to our city’s hospitality and restaurant industries. We are honored to be an ongoing partner to the Foundation and look forward to next year’s Awards.”
“We are honored to present the 2022 James Beard Awards, which allow us to come together and recognize the achievements of these talented culinary professionals,” said Monica Weaver, head of branded partnerships and experiences at Capital One. “We are so proud of our partnership with the James Beard Foundation and share in its mission to elevate and celebrate all the diverse stories and perspectives within the food industry.”
On August 13, CBS will bring the James Beard Awards to a national audience in a 60-minute program on television. Please check your local listings for more information.
The James Beard Awards, considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.
Martin Yan received the James Beard Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award
The 2022 James Beard Awards are the first in two years, after a hiatus during which the Awards underwent a full audit of its policies and procedures, continuing the work to remove bias, increase transparency and accessibility, and make the program more aligned with the Foundation’s mission and values. James Beard Awards policies and procedures can be viewed at jamesbeard.org/awards/policies.
The 2022 James Beard Awards are presented by Capital One, the official credit card and banking partner of the James Beard Foundation. The James Beard Awards are proudly hosted by Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Association and presented in association with Chicago O’Hare and Midway International Airports, as well as with the following partners: Premier Sponsors: Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water, American Airlines, the official airline of the James Beard Foundation, BentoBox, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water; Supporting Sponsors: All-Clad Metalcrafters, Moët & Chandon, Skuna Bay Salmon, Valrhona; Reception Sponsors: Ecolab, Kendall College at National Louis University, Lavazza, Windstar Cruises, the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation; Additional Support: Château d’Esclans, Cristaux International, HMSHost, National Restaurant Association, The Spire Collection, VerTerra Dinnerware. Intersport is the Official Broadcast Partner of the 2022 James Beard Awards.
For more information about the James Beard Foundation Awards, visit jamesbeard.org/awards. For up-to-the-minute news about the Awards follow @beardfoundation on Twitter and Instagram and keep an eye out for posts using #jbfa.
About the James Beard Awards: The James Beard Awards recognizes exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries. The Awards are overseen by the Awards Committee. Each Awards program (Books, Broadcast Media, Journalism, Leadership, and Restaurant and Chef) has its own subcommittee members who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective program. All James Beard Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. For more information, subscribe to the Awards digital newsletter.
About the James Beard Foundation: The James Beard Foundation (JBF) celebrates and supports the people behind America’s food culture, while pushing for new standards in the restaurant industry to create a future where all have the opportunity to thrive. Established over 30 years ago, the Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives and is committed to supporting a resilient and flourishing industry that honors its diverse communities. By amplifying new voices, celebrating those leading the way, and supporting those on the path to do so, the Foundation is working to create a more equitable and sustainable future—what we call Good Food for Good®.
As a 501c3 non-profit organization, JBF brings its mission to life through annual Awards, industry and community-focused initiatives and programs, advocacy, and events. Current programs include the Open for Good Campaign, Chef’s Bootcamp for Policy and Change, Beard House Fellows, Legacy Network, Scholarship Programs, Smart Catch, and Women’s Leadership Programs. In addition, JBF celebrates the chefs and local independent restaurants at the heart of our communities with numerous events and partnerships nationwide throughout the year—including the Taste America culinary tour, JBF Greens events for foodies under 40, the soon-to-open Pier 57 Market Hall, food festivals, and more. For more information, subscribe to the digital newsletter Beard Bites and follow @beardfoundation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. ”
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