Awards Season News

The latest awards season stories, each synthesized from multiple sources with added background and context.

Winners of 2026 James Beard Awards Highlight Kalaya and Lei in Chicago

The James Beard Foundation announced the 2026 Restaurant and Chef winners at a Chicago ceremony hosted by Gail Simmons, with Kalaya named Outstanding Restaurant and Lei as Best New Restaurant; other top honors went to Michael Tusk (Outstanding Chef), Adrian Torres (Emerging Chef), Wild Crumb (Outstanding Bakery), and Loma (Best New Bar), among many category winners, while humanitarian and lifetime achievement awards were given to No Us Without You founders and Nancy Silverton respectively, underscoring immigrant contributions to American dining.

3 months ago•Source: Eater

James Beard Awards 2026: Winners Crowned in Chicago Ceremony

awards-season

18.07 min•4 months ago

James Beard Awards 2026: Winners Crowned in Chicago Ceremony

Chicago’s Lyric Opera hosted the 2026 James Beard Awards, where the Restaurant and Chef winners were announced after a season that also revealed America’s Classics winners and the finalists; media, cookbook, journalism and other categories were recognized in the lead‑up, with Eater providing live updates and Gail Simmons as host.

via Eater