2025 James Beard Awards Winners: The List So Far

Tonight, in a star-studded ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the James Beard Foundation is announcing the winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards, considered the highest accolade for chefs and restaurateurs in America. Eater is hosting the livestream here, and as the night unfolds, we'll update this post with winners as they're announced live and those culinary professionals accept their shiny JBF medals.
This evening's Restaurant and Chef Awards follow Saturday's Media Awards hosted by Padma Lakshmi, which celebrated food media working in cookbooks, journalism, and television and audio. For this 35th-annual Restaurant and Chef Awards, Nyesha Harrington and Andrew Zimmern act as the ceremony hosts.
Tonight's award winners, selected from a finalists list announced on April 2, follow previously announced 2025 Beard Award recipients: journalist and historian Toni Tipton-Martin (who earned the Lifetime Achievement Award), Cafe Momentum founder Chad Houser (who received the Humanitarian of the Year Award), and Impact Award winners U.S.-Representative Angie Craig (the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture), Brandon Edwin Chrostowski (CEO of Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute), Anthony Edwards, Jr., (co-founder of Black-owned restaurants guide EatOkra), Seanicaa Edwards Herron (founder and executive director of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation), and Dune Lankard (president and founder of Native Conservancy).
As the night unfolds, the winners will be updated live here:
Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA
The following wins were previously announced:
• Lucky Wishbone, Anchorage, AK
• Dooky Chase, New Orleans, LA
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
Additional photo illustration credits: Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation

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This year's winning chefs set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions. Here are the Best Chef Winners for the 2025 James Beard Awards: Chef Jon Yao (C) and team at Kato Kato Restaurant Interior Kato Restaurant Kato Restaurant (One Michelin Star) Located in an industrial space in Downtown Los Angeles, Chef Jon Yao crafts contemporary cuisine rooted in the Taiwanese flavors of his childhood. At the heart of his kitchen is a wood-fired stove, where he choreographs a 12-course tasting menu over three hours. The high-end experience is complemented by a remarkable wine list featuring over 3,000 selections and a cocktail service that showcases signature drinks, including their own private-label Kavalan whisky. Chef Noah Sandoval in the kitchen of Oriole Oriole Interior Oriole Restaurant in Chicago Oriole (Two Michelin Stars) Located in a former warehouse, guests enter through a converted freight elevator, where Chef Noah Sandoval serves up a unique blend of French and Japanese cuisine. According to Michelin Guide, 'Chef Noah Sandoval and team execute a thoughtful tasting menu that blends French and Japanese elements. Begin with an aperitif and small bites in the impressive bar area, with the likes of a maitake mushroom and ricotta tartlet. Move to the dining room with a luscious canapé of foie gras mousse, then the meal begins in earnest. A composition of lightly cooked beets with sake lees, sea buckthorn, and puffed wild rice shows a delicate balance of flavors and textures, while a dish of skate wing and Dungeness crab with a toasted kombu butter is pure indulgence.' Chef Carlos Delgado at Causa Causa Interior Causa Restaurant Causa / Rey Lopez (One Michelin Star) Causa seats 20 people for a tasting menu that takes diners on a journey inspired by Peru. Michelin Guide says, "It all begins in Lima with coastal seafood, then progresses into the Andes and the Amazon. Chicha morada kombucha, made from purple corn, is a perfect partner for the Peruvian classic and namesake dish, causa, with its mashed potatoes hit with aji amarillo paste, then topped with cucumber, avocado and tuna tartare. Next, the humble bomba rice is given a luxe glow-up courtesy of uni, caviar, and a criolla sauce. Dessert doesn't disappoint, as in the passion fruit and mint gelato scoops piped with macambo mousse." Chef Karyn Tomlinson (c) and team at Myriel Restaurant Myriel Myriel is a unique, minimalist farm-to-table dining experience that highlights locally sourced ingredients. Swedish native Chef Tomlinson combines provincial French-inspired cuisine. There is a 12-course tasting menu option here, focusing on foraged ingredients and whole-animal butchery. Chef Salvador Alamilla at Amano Restaurant Radion Photography & Cinema Chef Alamilla was born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico. He was inspired by his mother's cooking and used to make the salsas and tortillas he enjoyed every day. With his mind set on opening a restaurant one day, he started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to Executive Chef within three years. He spent many months carefully crafting a menu for his place that takes into account his influences from SoCal, Michoacán, and Oaxacán-style Mexican food. Amano is a craft Mexican kitchen situated in a modern setting, where they source authentic Mexican ingredients, handcraft their tortillas, and provide meals that highlight locally sourced products. They also have an extensive, handcrafted cocktail menu featuring premium tequilas. Chef Vijay Kumar with Semma Restaurant Semma Interior Semma Restaurant Semma / Will Ellis (One Michelin star) Chef Vijay Kumar runs an authentic Indian dining experience. With the freedom to cook the food he knows best, he replicated his grandmother's recipes at Semma. Michelin Guide says, "This is authentic Indian cooking that doesn't pander to American expectations, and if some of the dishes are unfamiliar, lean on the staff who know their stuff and are eager to share. One bite in, and you'll quickly learn that this cooking is all heart. Dishes are spicy, but the heat is used as elegantly as it is liberally. Start with the mulaikattiya thaniyam, the chef's childhood snack that bursts with flavor. The gunpowder dosa, a classic rice and lentil crepe filled with potato masala, is on every table for a reason. Attu Kari sukkah is a falling-apart tender lamb in a dark brown curry redolent of warm spices." 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Chef Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast Thuy An Photography Unafraid to mix and match the cuisines that inspire him, Chef Bille draws inspiration from global flavors while staying rooted in the traditions of Mexican cuisine. His menu is a mix of creativity, featuring dishes like Short Rib with Mole Negro, Potato Gnocchi with Scallops and Black Truffles, and Tandoori-spiced carrots. Born into a Mexican household as a first-generation American, Bille grew up with food at the center of his daily life. With a chef for a father and a mother known for her extraordinary home cooking, he discovered his passion early, often learning alongside them in the kitchen. After honing his craft at top restaurants in Los Angeles, Chef Bille relocated to Spring, Texas, where he turned a lifelong dream into reality by opening his restaurant. The Outstanding Chef award is presented to the chef who sets high culinary standards and serves as a positive example for other food professionals. The winner was Jungsik Yim from Jungsik Restaurant in New York. The Emerging Chef Award was presented to a chef who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come. The award went to Phila Lorn from Mawn Restaurant in Philadelphia. The Outstanding Pastry Chef award honors exceptional skills, can be affiliated with any food business, and does not need a brick-and-mortar presence. The award went to Cat Cox with Country Bird Bakery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. best chefs in america

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What I ate and saw at the 2025 James Beard Awards

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Where James Beard Nominees Ate and Drank in Chicago

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We also were at Asador Bastian and had one of their steaks, which is also surreal.' — Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez, Superbueno , New York City, ( 2025 winner, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service ) 'We had dinner at Alinea. That was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we were looking forward to the whole trip here. That was beautiful.' — Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon , Las Vegas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest) 'Monteverde is an amazing restaurant. We were just recapping again for the fourth time all the pastas, especially that eggplant that [chef Sarah Grueneberg] does. It's unreal.' — Stuart Brioza, Atomic Workshop , San Francisco, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Restaurateur) 'Every time I go to Chicago, going back all the way to 2005, I stop at Avec. I always have to stop at Avec. It's old, it's classic, but it reminds me of a long time ago. We did a really great dinner at HaiSous. We had a wonderful time. We did a wonderful event at Bar Sótano. It's Chicago. You always find good food.' — Zack Walters, Sedalia's Oyster & Seafood , Oklahoma City, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest) 'I'm a sucker for Avec. I love Avec so much. The vibe, especially the one in the West Loop, is so close and intimate you always end up sharing food with someone random next to you. The sight of the kitchen and all of the flavors are great.' — Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean , Louisville, Kentucky, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southeast) 'We went to an all-you-can-eat wagyu Japanese barbecue spot, Wagyu House, that was like from the future. I love seeing different forms of dining and that's something that I could just enjoy — just pure product on a plate. I haven't had a bad meal here. We did a sandwich crawl yesterday. I have a sandwich shop and we tried about nine to 10 different sandwiches. The [best was the] dip from Bari. I could have just had a gravy bread from there. It's too hot in West Texas for me to do that there, but there's nothing better than broth and bread.' — Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo , Marfa, Texas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) 'We had dim sum at MingHin and it was amazing. The shumai was incredible. Then we went to Loba for pastries and there was a mole strawberry croissant that was amazing.' — Jake Howell, Peninsula , Nashville, Tennessee, ( 2025 winner, Best Chef: Southeast ) Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025 . All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. See More: