The James Beard Foundation Thursday said it would not present awards to the country’s best chefs and restaurants this year or next, saying such awards “will do little to further the industry in its current uphill battle” amid the pandemic.
The announcement, a first in the 30-year-history of the awards, comes as restaurants around the country—particularly independent operators traditionally honored by the Foundation—face unprecedented challenges navigating the coronavirus crisis.
“We did not come to this decision lightly,” James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach said in a statement. “The uncertainty of this time for our industry is already a hard reality and considering anyone to have won or lost within the current tumultuous hospitality ecosystem does not in fact feel like the right thing to do. In short, an honor which we know is held in high regard, at the moment, feels minor when compared to the dire situation we are in.”
The organization will not present its traditional awards in 2021 since they would recognize work from the prior year.
“Instead, the 2021 ceremony will be a celebration of the independent restaurant community who have shown leadership during this crisis and honoring those who have made a significant impact on the industry and in their communities,” the Foundation said.
That event will be held in Chicago and broadcast nationwide next May.
The JBFA had already announced winners of several awards categories, including Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, America’s Classics and more. Those previously announced winners will be honored during a virtual ceremony on Sept. 25.
Winners in all other categories, including Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Chef and many others, will not be announced.
Going forward, the organization's awards committee plans to “overhaul the policies and procedures” for the awards to remove systemic bias, increase the diversity of the pool of honorees and align the awards with the Foundation’s values of “equity, equality, sustainability and excellence for the restaurant industry,” the group said.
The James Beard Foundation’s announcement comes at a time of never-before-seen challenge for restaurant operators, with independents around the country announcing permanent closures due to the pandemic. One-third of independent operators said they would not be able to remain in business through October, according to a recent survey from the Foundation and the Independent Restaurant Coalition.
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