Click here to create an account if you are a new user.
If you have already registered, sign in here:
Open Call for Entry and Recommendations is open for the 2023 Awards
The 2023 James Beard Awards Open Call for Entries and Recommendations will be open from Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 9 A.M. EST until Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at 11:59 P.M. EST.
Please note, the awards@jamesbeard.org email will be monitored until 9:00 P.M. ET on November 30, 2022. Any questions after the closure will be responded to within the next two business days.
Enter the Awards
Click the specific program below to enter: |
Program-specific eligibility criteria and categories: |
| 2023 Leadership Awards | Leadership Criteria and Categories |
| 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards | Restaurant and Chef Criteria and Categories |
Application Fee
The Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism) conduct Open Call for Entries that require an entry fee of $75.00 per entry. At any time during the entire call for entry, Media Awards entrants who state a financial need may have the fee waived.
There is no fee to give a recommendation for the Restaurant and Chef Awards and Leadership Awards.
Alignment Statement
Note, some of this section is divided into Media and Leadership/Restaurant and Chef information.
As part of the Call for Recommendations 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 Foundations’ Values (see Below), and how the entrant expresses them in their work. The goal of this statement is to offer the members of the voting body more context around the entrant and their work.
For Media Awards entries (Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism): New this year for the Book and Journalism programs, we require the entrant (author/writer that is being considered for an award) to submit an alignment statement. We will not accept alignment statements from publishers or publications that are not specific to the work being submitted.
For Restaurant and Chef and Leadership Awards recommendations: We strongly encourage entrants (and those recommending entrants) to write or speak in their own words.
What do we mean by a “statement of alignment”?
This is a moment to reflect on your work. It offers you the opportunity to tell your story and your purpose. If you are submitting a recommendation for the Restaurant and Chef or Leadership Awards, you can reflect on the work of the candidate who you are recommending.
Alignment Statement Instructions and Guidelines:
Please review the Awards mission and the shared values of the James Beard Foundation below.
The mission of the James Beard Awards is to recognize 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.
The Values of the James Beard Foundation are:
Equity. We acknowledge inequities; we work to ensure that everyone—regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—has the opportunity to thrive.
Transparency. We are open and honest about the ever-evolving nature of creating a more equitable industry and invite others into the process.
Respect. We recognize and honor the dignity that each person (business owners, workers, and consumers) brings to the industry. All people deserve to feel respected, safe, and supported in the workplace and have the same access to opportunities as anyone else in the industry.
Integrity. We strive to do the right thing and stand boldly in our convictions.
Community. We recognize that people flourish when resources and opportunities are accessible and supported by meaningful networks and collaborations.
Passion. We care deeply and authentically about our industry, about the craft and culture of “Good Food,” and about America’s food culture and leadership.
After you have reviewed both the mission statement and values, please provide a short statement, written or recorded, that shows how your work (or that of the person you are recommending) is reflective of one or more of the Awards mission elements and the values of the Foundation.
Examples for Restaurant and Chef and Leadership Awards:
What does it mean to you to be a member of the culinary industry?
How in your work are you expressing or demonstrating equity, respect, community, and/or passion, and how are you creating a culture where all can thrive?
What inspires you about food culture; why do you do what you do?
Examples for Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism):
What does it mean to you to write and/or create content focused on the world of food?
How do the values of equity, respect, community, and/or passion show up in the work that you do?
What inspires you about food culture; why do you do what you do?
You are encouraged to write or speak in your own authentic words as thoughtfully as possible. The statement will be reviewed for content and alignment and not for fluency, video quality, or production value.
Statements can be submitted in the following formats:
Written (150 to 300 words suggested)
Audio (1-2 minutes)
Video (1-2 minutes)
Candidates’ alignment statements will be reviewed and scored when committees and judges are voting on all the Awards categories.
Next steps after submission:
Committees meet after the call for entry period closes to review the entries and recommendations, and confirm eligibility.
The voting body, including judges chosen for their expertise per program, reviews and votes on the entries to determine the nominees and winners, as applicable to each program.
For more information on the policies and procedures of the Awards, click here, and for Awards FAQs click here.
Awards announcements will be made throughout the cycle. Please sign up for the Awards newsletter for Awards news.
**Open call closes on November 30, 2022. For restaurants that will open or book, broadcast media, or journalism work that will be released, between December 1-31, 2022, please send us an email at awards@jamesbeard.org to enter.**
If you have any questions after reviewing the FAQs, Policies page, and eligibility and criteria documents, contact the Awards team at awards@jamesbeard.org, with the subject line: Questions: Call for Entry/Recommendations.
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) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that 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®. JBF brings its mission to life through the annual Awards, industry and community-focused programs, advocacy, partnerships, and events across the country. For the first time in the Foundation’s history, thousands of visitors and food and beverage professionals will be able to reimagine James Beard’s legacy and experience unforgettable culinary programming at the Pier 57 food hall—coming soon—that will inspire food-lovers for decades to come. Learn more at jamesbeard.org, sign up for our newsletter, and follow @beardfoundation on social media for the latest information.