Photo: Galdones Photography
The 2026 Impact Award honorees will be acknowledged at a ceremony in Chicago on Sunday, June 14, as well as on stage at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This esteemed honor recognizes leaders and organizations making a significant difference in the food industry through initiatives focused on creating business, staffing, and operational practices that set the standard for our industry, nurturing inclusion in the workforce, creating systemic support for immigrant food system workers, strengthening the farm-to-restaurant supply chain, and mitigating extreme weather impact.
Impact Awards Open Call for Recommendations from the public are reviewed and considered by the Foundation’s Impact Committee.
The James Beard Awards consist of the following recognition programs: Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism), Restaurant and Chef Awards, and Achievement Awards which include: Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year and the Impact Awards. The Leadership Awards were retired after the 2024 Awards cycle.
The Restaurant and Chef and Media Awards are administered by independent volunteer members of the media, culinary, beverage, hospitality, and the broader culinary ecosystem.
The James Beard Foundation is introducing beverage awards categories with the goal of acknowledging the beverage industry in a more holistic way.
GOVERNANCE
Awards Committee
Together and in consultation with the Foundation and its staff, the Awards Committee has oversight of and administers the James Beard Awards. The Awards Committee reviews and approves all prospective subcommittee members and judges; votes on the Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian of the Year Award; and reviews and approves all policy, eligibility and criteria changes put forth by the Subcommittees. Members include chairpersons of each Awards program, Board of Trustees members and at-large food, beverage, media and related industries.
Awards Subcommittees + Judges
Each Awards program is administered by an independent volunteer subcommittee, together and in consultation with the Foundation and its representatives. Each subcommittee administers their respective programs; they recommend and select new subcommittee members and judges. Subcommittees’ names are published on this website. Judges are invited to apply annually. Judges’ names are published on the website at the end of each cycle. Assigned categories are not revealed.
The James Beard Foundation and its Board of Trustees has jurisdiction over all Awards programs. Members of the Board of Trustees do not vote, except where indicated. Foundation staff do not vote. As appropriate and based on strategy alignment, the Board may direct the Awards Committee and the subcommittees to include or exclude any Awards category, or to modify, amend or replace the criteria applicable to any Awards category.
Click here to see the Awards structure and governance.
