2025 James Beard Foundation Awards: Call for entries open

The James Beard Foundation® announced today that the entry and recommendation period for the 2025 James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One is officially open until November 29, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The annual James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent in the culinary arts, hospitality, food media, and the broader food system. The Awards also recognize a demonstrated commitment to equity, community, sustainability, and creating a culture where all can thrive. 

The 2025 James Beard Awards will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Awards – commemorating the transformative role it has played in recognizing culinary excellence and shaping the evolution of American food culture, while reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to leading and supporting the industry for years to come.

The James Beard Awards consists of four separate recognition programs—Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism) and Restaurant and Chef Awards—as well as three achievement awards including Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, and a newly launched Impact Awards. This post will cover important information for the book awards only, for information on awards not related to cookbooks, please see the James Beard website.

Media Awards program category changes and new categories (as related to cookbooks): 

• Book:
  • Restaurant and Professional has been changed to Professional and Restaurant to underscore that this category is designated for books that include more advanced culinary techniques and are instructional in nature. The category is also open to books that focus on recipes from restaurant settings.  
  • The definitions of General and International have been tweaked slightly to provide more clarity to entrants. Criteria and category descriptions can be found here.

AWARDS SUBMISSION PROCESS

Deadlines: 

Open Call for Entry begins at 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, October 1 and closes Friday, November 29 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To begin an open call submission, follow the link here. Physical book copies (eight copies of each book submitted) for Book Awards entries must arrive at the warehouse for review by Friday, December 6, 2024. Eligibility criteria for book awards can be found here.

Awards Submission “How-To” Videos: 

Visit our YouTube page to watch our James Beard Awards explainer videos including how to submit recommendations to the Restaurant and Chef Awards, entries to the Media Awards, and advice on crafting your impact statement.  

Recommendation and Entry Overview:

Costs:

• Submitting a recommendation for the Impact or Restaurant and Chef Awards is free. 
• The Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism) require an entry fee of $85 per entry. Entrants may request a fee waiver due to financial constraints. Entries will not be penalized if this option is selected.

Eligibility Documents: 

• Information regarding the 2025 Awards programs, including eligibility and criteria guidelines, can be found within the submissions portal. 

Impact Statement:

As part of all Awards submissions, the Foundation requires a short statement, written (150-300 words) or recorded (audio or video, 1-2 minutes) by the entrant or recommender. The statement offers a chance to tell the committees and judges a little more about the candidate and their work and how their work expresses aspects of the mission and the Foundation’s values: equity, transparency, respect, integrity, and community. The statement is reviewed for content and not for language fluency, video quality, or production value. More information about the impact statement requirements for each program can be found within the submissions portal.

2025 AWARDS WEEKEND CEREMONIES

The 2025 James Beard Awards dates are:

• Media Awards: Saturday, June 14, 2025
• Impact Awards (new program): Sunday, June 15, 2025
• Restaurant and Chef Awards: Monday, June 16, 2025

For more information regarding the James Beard Awards, the policies and procedures of each program, and the Awards vetting and ethics process, please visit the James Beard Awards page.