The long list of James Beard Awards for chef and restaurant semifinalists was announced last week, and the finalist nominations will be revealed on March 27 along with the remaining finalists in the other award categories. Charlotte made the long list three times this year, but how are the semifinalists and finalist nominees selected? It is a multi-step process that involves public suggestions and an elite committee of restaurant critics, magazine editors, culinary journalists, and cookbook authors across the country. When you hear someone say it’s James Beard season, they really do mean season because it is a lengthy process.

The Judges
There is an Awards Committee made up of chairs who oversee subcategory award committees. Those committees are self-selecting but receive approval from the chair. The terms of committee members stagger between one to three years. When there is an available spot, committees scout within the food world of restaurant critics, culinary journalists, cookbook authors, and etc. for the next person. They approach people of interest and inquire whether they are willing to serve. The committee then votes on new members and is ratified by the Awards Committee.

The Committees
The Awards Committee oversees six committees: Restaurant and Chefs Awards, Restaurant Design Awards, Book Awards, Broadcast Media Awards, Journalism Awards, and Leadership Awards. The James Beard Awards are more than just chef and restaurant achievements, they run the gamut within the culinary and hospitality industries. There are 21 sub categories for Restaurant and Chef Awards, 17 sub categories for Journalism Awards, 14 sub categories for Book Awards, 11 sub categories for Broadcast Media Awards, three sub categories for Restaurant Design Awards, and a Lifetime Achievement recipient and Humanitarian Award if the Awards Committee finds a candidate that warrants the recognition. Lastly, the James Beard Foundation honors a small selection of restaurants that have been in existence for at least 10 years, that are informal and moderately priced, and have timeless appeal, naming them America’s Classics. There are 75-plus possible awards to be given out yearly.

The Process
The committees are always looking for deserving recipients. That is their core task, to find names that deserve the award. The process to gather all possible names for all categories, with the exception of the restaurant design category, officially starts in October. Restaurant design has a separate process independant to the other committees. It is at this time that the Foundation opens a national call for entries, which roughly amount to 40,000 (give or take) entries. I should note that anyone can be nominated, which adds a lot of bulk to the list to be weeded through. This includes all media awards where authors, editors, and publications can nominate their work for consideration. Once open calls are closed, the committees get to work. Each category has specific criteria for eligibility.

During this time, the Restaurant and Chef Awards committee selects 20 semifinalists for each category. The remaining committees get to work making their list of finalist nominees. In February, the Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists are revealed, an honor in itself. The next step is distributing the list of semifinalists to a panel of over 300 previous James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award winners. The past winners are divided by 10 regions and vote within that region; the top five semifinalist of each category become the nominees. Now, a very important thing to know is they cannot vote for a chef and/or restaurant if they have not dined there. You can see how places like Charlotte can make the long list but have a harder time making the short list.

In March, the finalist for all awards are revealed via a live broadcast. Then the committees get back together and a second ballot of the finalist nominees is then distributed to the same voting body for the winners to be selected.

The Awards
The ceremony to honor all recipients is split between two events. The Media Awards dinner is in April in New York City and the Leadership Awards Dinner and Awards Gala are in Chicago over a two-day period in May. Winners earn a bronze James Beard Foundation medallion, a certificate, a year membership to the James Beard Foundation, and the accolades that follow from winning what has been coined “the Oscars of the food world” by Time magazine.

Is it worth it?
The process of earning a James Beard Award is grueling, there are a lot of steps and procedures. It would be easier to earn an award if the rule that the voting body could only vote for places they have dined at was removed, but frankly, in my opinion that rule is critical to ensure the committee is only giving awards to worthy recipients. That rule also makes committee members and previous winners obligated to travel and try new food and explore new areas of the country untapped. It helps grow food landscapes for newly emerging cities and gives the stoplight to new talent and types of cuisine.

Charlotte is on the long list three times this year, and has been consistently for the past four years. If we get at least one finalist nomination, that is a national indication Charlotte is a city worth visiting with a rich and rising culinary landscape. Hand out an award and boom, Charlotte is on the map and more awards will follow. The James Beard Awards is a marathon, as cliché as that is, and should be taken seriously in a collaborative manner. As a whole, the Charlotte culinary community should be rallying for everyone and anyone to earn the attention and recognition by the James Beard Foundation.

We will see on March 27 if this was Charlotte’s year for a finalist nomination. —Justin Burke-Samson  

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