2025 James Beard Awards Announced in Chicago Celebrating Nationwide Culinary Excellence

The 2025 James Beard Awards, regarded as the highest honors in the American culinary world, were held at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, celebrating chefs, restaurateurs, and food media professionals nationwide. Minnesota featured prominently with nominees including the French restaurant Bûcheron, wine bar Bar Brava, and three chefs competing for Best Chef: Midwest, highlighting the region's diverse culinary offerings. Chicago had five finalists across categories such as Outstanding Bar and Best Chef: Great Lakes, with notable nominations for Kumiko, Maxwell's Trading, Haisous, Oriole, and Galit. New York also had strong representation with finalists for Outstanding Restauranteur and Best New Restaurant, alongside new beverage and Impact Awards categories introduced to recognize contributions toward equity and sustainability in the industry. The event was hosted by Nyesha Harrington and Andrew Zimmern and included honors such as Chad Houser receiving the Humanitarian of the Year Award and Toni Tipton-Martin being named Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. The awards ceremony was livestreamed on Eater and covered extensively by regional and national media outlets.