Oscars of the food world: 2026 James Beard Awards winners announced, best moments that defined the night

The American restaurant industry gathered at Chicago's Lyric Opera House on Monday night for the 2026 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. Often described as the "Oscars of the food world", the annual ceremony celebrated the country's top chefs, restaurants and hospitality professionals. But this year's event was about more than food.

Hosted by cookbook author and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons, the ceremony recognised excellence across restaurants, bars, bakeries and hospitality businesses. Philadelphia restaurant Kalaya won Outstanding Restaurant, San Francisco chef Michael Tusk took home Outstanding Chef, and New York City's Lei was named Best New Restaurant.

Beyond the awards themselves, the evening was marked by speeches on immigration, labour and the future of the food industry.

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The night's defining moments

Some of the evening's most memorable moments came from winners who used their acceptance speeches to highlight the immigrant roots of the restaurant industry.

Adrian Torres, who took home the Emerging Chef title for his work at Maximo in Texas, delivered his acceptance speech entirely in Spanish. In a poignant moment for the room, he stated, "I am proud to be the son of immigrants. I am proud to be a DACA recipient."

That sentiment was echoed later by Damián Diaz as he accepted the Humanitarian of the Year award on behalf of No Us Without You LA, a non-profit supporting undocumented back-of-house workers and their families. "Our industry is an industry of immigrants," Diaz told the audience. "The system, as broken as it is, is carried by immigrant arms."

Local political figures did not shy away from national policy issues. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker openly criticised federal immigration pressures, stating that many culinary communities have been "under siege by the president of the United States." Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson doubled down, declaring that the city would "never bend, never bow" to authoritarian power.

Looking beyond the dining room

The ceremony also highlighted growing conversations about food production and sustainability.

Taylor Montgomery, winner of Best Chef: Southeast for Montgomery Sky Farm in North Carolina, brought 15 farm employees onstage with him rather than accepting the award alone. He used the moment to emphasise the importance of agriculture and warned that modern food systems were losing touch with flavour and farming.

The night also honoured one of the industry's most influential figures. Legendary Los Angeles chef Nancy Silverton received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The moment marked a full circle for the foundation's history, coming exactly 35 years after Silverton won the very first Best Pastry Chef award at the inaugural James Beard ceremony in 1991.

Why the Beard medallion still matters at 40

The James Beard Foundation, which marks its 40th anniversary this year, was established in 1986 to honour the legacy of the celebrated cookbook author often called America’s first food celebrity.

The foundation has presented these awards since 1991, maintaining a strong emphasis on discovery and regional identity. Winning triggers what insiders call the "Beard bump"—an immediate wave of media coverage and locked-out reservation books that can provide a small dining room or a remote bakery with the financial runway to survive a notoriously brutal industry.

Over the years, the foundation has recognised figures who later became some of the most influential names in American food, including Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay.

This year's ceremony also marked a new chapter for the foundation, which announced a partnership with American Express and Resy. Winners will now receive a black plaque featuring James Beard's likeness, designed for display at award-winning establishments across the country.

The 2026 James Beard Awards: Major winners

Outstanding Chef

Michael Tusk, Quince (San Francisco, California)

Outstanding Restaurant

Kalaya (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Best New Restaurant

Lei (New York, New York)

Emerging Chef

Adrian Torres, Maximo (West University Place, Texas)

Outstanding Restaurateur

Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales and Standard Baking Company (Portland, Maine)

Outstanding Bakery

Wild Crumb (Bozeman, Montana)

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit (Washington, D.C.)

Outstanding Hospitality

Providence (Los Angeles, California)

Outstanding Bar

Scotch Lodge (Portland, Oregon)

Best New Bar

Loma (Providence, Rhode Island)

Humanitarian of the Year

No Us Without You LA

Lifetime Achievement Award

Nancy Silverton

While the awards recognised some of the biggest names in American dining, the strongest message of the evening came from the people behind the kitchens. From immigrant workers and farmers to restaurateurs and chefs, many winners used their moment on stage to highlight the communities that sustain the country's food industry.