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The Oscars of food is canceled this year as the restaurant industry and its chefs continue to face devastation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual James Beard Awards, which celebrates the best chefs in America, as well the nation's restaurants and bars, will not be declaring winners at events scheduled for 2020 and 2021 due to restaurant closures and industry-wide job losses, the James Beard Foundation announced Thursday.
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The foundation will instead host a live virtual ceremony on Twitter on Sept. 25 to honor its previously announced chefs and restaurants across categories like Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian of the Year. It’s the first time in 30 years that the awards will be on hold.
The James Beard Foundation is suspending its annual awards as a result of the coronavirus. (Kent Miller Studios)
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“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," she said. "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. We look forward to bringing the Awards back when the industry is once again ready for them.”
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The Foundation decided to also forgo its 2021 awards presentations, which recognize work accomplished in the previous calendar year, with honors like “Best New Restaurant,” “Outstanding Wine Program” and “Outstanding Chef,” on the basis that it would “be unfair and misguided” with nationwide closings and shutdowns during COVID-19 this year. Instead, the Chicago ceremony in 2021 will honor leadership during the crisis and those who helped feed their communities.
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Indeed, the restaurant industry has been reeling in recent months. Consulting firm Aaron Allen & Associates estimates that out of an estimated 22 million restaurants in the world, nearly 2.2 million, or 10 percent, could close, according to data reported by Bloomberg in June shows. More, up to 20 percent, are expected to have to restructure or pivot business models entirely.
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