The James Beard Awards are off this year—or, at least, the regularly scheduled programming has been canned. Today the James Beard Foundation announced that it will not move forward with handing out its prestigious awards for 2020 or 2021, citing the negative effects of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry as a deciding factor. "The Awards’ usual positive impact on restaurants and chefs’ businesses will likely not be fully realized due to the current state of the industry, with many restaurants closed permanently or temporarily or operating at minimal capacity," notes the press release.
Instead, the foundation will go live on Twitter on Friday, September 25 to celebrate previously announced honorees and nominees and tell stories of how the industry is reopening and rebuilding despite the challenges it's been served in 2020.
And yes, you read that correctly: The black-tie gala won't return next year either. Because the James Beard Foundation recognizes work from the previous calendar year, it believes that "any intent to hold a ceremony in 2021 based on 2020 work would be unfair and misguided, taking into account the unprecedented hardships which restaurants and potential nominees faced this year." In its place, viewers can expect programming that uplifts the independent restaurant community and celebrates the leaders who have blazed a new path forward.
"We did not come to this decision lightly," says James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach. "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. As we strive to provide an Awards program with the highest ethical standards, one that is fair, equitable, and reflective of the industry which we serve, we know that the right move is to step back and take stock of the nominees and honorees achievements. We hope to focus our collective energy on helping our community get through this crisis and on addressing the inequities in the industry going forward. We look forward to bringing the Awards back when the industry is once again ready for them."
Perhaps more importantly, the James Beard Foundation is simultaneously conducting an internal and external audit of its process to "address any bias and align the Awards with the Foundation’s mission of promoting sustainability, equity, and diversity in the restaurant industry," according to the release. The awards committee will work with an outside social justice agency to overhaul its policies and procedures in an effort to ensure the awards are accessible to all and more accurately reflect the country's diverse culinary landscape.
Stay tuned: The James Beard Foundation hopes to showcase its work when it returns in 2022.
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