James Beard Foundation Announces 2026 Media Award Winners
11 reported
On Saturday, June 13, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of the 2026 James Beard Media Awards during a ceremony at the Art Institute of Chicago, according to a report from Eater. The Media Awards recognize cookbooks, food- or beverage-related books, radio productions, podcasts, documentaries, social media, and more. Sallie Ann Robinson, author of books including Cooking the Gullah Way, was inducted into the Book Awards Hall of Fame. The Restaurant and Chef Awards are scheduled to take place in Chicago on Monday, June 15. The awards cover works published or appearing in the U.S. in 2025, with winners selected across Book, Broadcast, and Journalism categories.
What’s reported
The ceremony was held on June 13, 2026, at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Sallie Ann Robinson was inducted into the Book Awards Hall of Fame.
The Restaurant and Chef Awards will take place in Chicago on June 15.
Book Awards are open to cookbooks and nonfiction food- or beverage-related books published in the U.S. in 2025.
Broadcast Media Awards honor digital and terrestrial media covering food and beverage topics appearing in the U.S. in 2025.
Journalism Awards recognize works in English covering food- or drink-related content published in 2025.
Winners include Helen Goh (Baking and Desserts), Irene Yoo (Beverage with Recipes), and Cha McCoy with Layla Schlack (Beverage without Recipes).
Other winners include Alex Busansky, Leslie Soble, and Aishatu Yusuf (Food Issues and Advocacy), Hailee Catalano (General), and Marie Mitchell (International).
Broadcast winners include Heard Podcast: Become a Better Chef (Audio Programming), Buzzkill (Audio Reporting), and Chef’s Table: Legends (Docuseries Visual Media).
Journalism winners include Craig Sauers (Beverage), Ellen Cushing (Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award), and Boyce Upholt (Feature Reporting).
Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.
Key figures
Sallie Ann Robinson (author, inducted into Book Awards Hall of Fame)
Helen Goh (Baking and Desserts winner)
Irene Yoo (Beverage with Recipes winner)
Cha McCoy with Layla Schlack (Beverage without Recipes winner)
Alex Busansky, Leslie Soble, Aishatu Yusuf (Food Issues and Advocacy winners)
Hailee Catalano (General winner)
Marie Mitchell (International winner)
Michael Shaikh (Literary Writing winner)
Melissa King with JJ Goode (Professional and Restaurant winner)
Anny Gaul (Reference, History, and Scholarship winner)
Yoko Nakazawa with Rochelle Eagle (Single Subject winner)
Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn (U.S. Foodways winners)
Dora Ramírez (Vegetable-Focused Cooking winner)
Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, Bhavya Pansari, Nandini Thirani (Visuals winners)
Ozoz Sokoh (Emerging Voice in Books winner)
Nasim Lahbichi (Emerging Voice in Broadcast Media winner)
Craig Sauers (Beverage journalism winner)
Ryan Sutton (Beverage journalism winner)
Ellen Cushing (Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award winner)
Francis Lam (Dining and Travel winner)
Boyce Upholt (Feature Reporting winner)
Ahmed Ali Akbar (Foodways winner)
Yasmin Tayag (Health and Wellness winner)
Elizabeth Mervosh (Home Cooking winner)
Robert Lopez (Investigative Reporting winner)
Stephanie Breijo (Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award winner)
Lauren Collins (MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award winner)
Monica Herndon (Narrative Photography winner)
Erica Berry (Personal Essay winner)
Hali Bey Ramdene (Personal Essay with Recipes winner)
Sithara Ranasinghe (Profile winner)
Jasmine Michel (Emerging Voice in Journalism winner)
Sources: eater.com
