The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday announced its James Beard Awards book and media nominees, which include Chicago native Ashok Selvam, regional editor for Eater Midwest.
The nominees for its book, broadcast media and journalism awards celebrate digital and traditional media — radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, social media — covering food and beverage topics published or self-published in 2024.
Selvam was nominated for the Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award for his work published in 2024, including an article titled “Namasteak, USA.”
Selvam said that story in particular was a significant one for him, highlighting the growing South Asian food scene in Chicago.
“I’ve been quietly doing stories about South Asian food for some time, and it’s kind of my mile mark, and for that particular story, I think it was kind of about time,” Selvam told the Tribune. “(As we saw) so many Chicago restaurants and chefs that were popping up, becoming the epicenter. And not a lot of people consider Chicago when they think of South Asian 一 and there are (South Asian chefs) who have contributed to the cultural fabric of the city for years, but have not necessarily gotten the recognition for whatever reasons.”
The James Beard nomination was a first for Selvam, who joked about the early days of working for Eater, when they were paid a flat rate of $25 per story, regardless of the complexity or sources involved.
Winners will be honored at a ceremony June 14 at the Columbia College Chicago Student Center.
The Tribune counts two nominees and one James Beard Award winner on its Dining staff. Reporter Ahmed Ali Akbar received a James Beard Award in 2022 for Feature Reporting. Last year, Tribune food critic Louisa Kung Liu Chu was one of three James Beard Foundation finalists for the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award.
A few days before the foundation announced the media awards, it revealed the 2025-2026 lineup of TasteTwenty chefs, its annual selection of “ones to watch” in the industry.
The cohort includes Jacqueline Hernandez of Bar Sótano, the Rick Bayless-owned lounge in River North.
Hernandez will represent Chicago throughout the national Taste America series. Other cities being represented include: Asheville, North Carolina, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami Nashville, Tennessee, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sante Fe, New Mexico, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
“Each chef of the TasteTwenty cohort is chosen not only for their exceptional culinary talent but also for their meaningful contributions beyond the kitchen. They’re champions of positive change — from investing in their teams, supporting sustainable agriculture, advocating for a more resilient food system, and more,” the foundation said in a release. “These chefs represent the future of American dining.”
The cohort is part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to identifying and elevating the outstanding chefs who are at the forefront of American food culture, said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation.
In February, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its America’s Classics award, which recognizes six “locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal” across the country. Among this year’s honorees is the oldest Black-owned barbecue restaurant in Chicago, Lem’s Bar-B-Q.
The foundation also released its annual list of semifinalists from across the United States. The winners in the restaurant and chef categories will be announced June 16 during a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The April 2 announcement included nominees for Outstanding Restaurateur, Best New Restaurant and the regional Best Chef awards, as well as finalists for three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
Among the finalists vying for its coveted Restaurant and Chef awards are five Chicago chefs and restaurants, including first-time nominees Galit and Kumiko.
Kumiko was nominated for Outstanding Bar, Galit for Outstanding Restaurant, and there are three Chicago finalists in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category: Thai Dang of HaiSous; Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower of Maxwells Trading and Noah Sandoval of Oriole.
The James Beard Awards are considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors for the culinary industry. This year will also commemorate the 35th anniversary of the awards and celebrate what the foundation calls the “transformative role the awards have played in honoring culinary excellence and shaping the evolution of American food culture.”
Last year, Chicago saw just one local winner at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, with Lula Cafe winning for Outstanding Hospitality.
