Asian Food Storytellers Win 2025 James Beard Media Awards

The James Beard Foundation® has officially revealed the winners of the 2025 James Beard Media Awards, presented by Capital One. These awards spotlight the most outstanding talent in food media—from authors and journalists to podcast hosts, social media creators, and broadcast producers. This year is especially significant as it marks the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards. The milestone celebrates the Awards’ legacy in honoring excellence and their ongoing influence on the evolution of American food culture.

The awards ceremony took place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Columbia College Chicago and was hosted by James Beard Award winner®, Emmy-nominated producer, TV host, and New York Times best-selling author Padma Lakshmi. She was joined by a stellar lineup of presenters, including food media figures Nyesha Arrington, Molly Baz, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Francis Lam, and many more.

Among this year’s honorees are several Asian creatives whose work continues to elevate and diversify the conversation around food. From deeply reported features to joyful cultural explorations, these winners reflect the depth, talent, and influence of Asian voices in today’s food media landscape. Check out the list of this year’s winners below.

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2025 James Beard Foundation Book Award Winners

The Book Awards recognize cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2024. Books from foreign publishers must bear a 2024 U.S. copyright date and/or must have been distributed in the U.S. during 2024.

Reference, History, and Scholarship

‍McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches
Gary He
(Self-published)

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Visuals

‍McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches
Gary He
(Self-published)

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Single Subject

‍Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking (More than 60 Recipes Featuring Gochujang, Doenjang, and Ganjang)
Nadia Cho, Mingoo Kang, and Joshua David Stein
(Artisan)

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2025 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Award Winners

The Broadcast Media Awards recognize nonfiction works in English from digital and terrestrial media—radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, social media—covering food and beverage topics appearing widely for the first time in the U.S. in 2024.‍

Audio Programming

‍Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry
“Cream Pie with Telly Justice”
Airs on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms

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Social Media Account

Little Fat Boy
Airs on: Instagram, TikTok, Substack and YouTube

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2025 James Beard Foundation Journalism Award Winners

The Journalism Awards recognize works in English and cover food- or drink-related content which were published—or self-published—in 2024 in any medium.

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Etta’s Five Bankruptcies Have Left a Collective Mess”; “White Sox Fans Came for the Losses, Stayed for the Milkshakes”; “Namasteak, USA”
Ashok Selvam
Eater Chicago

Emerging Voice

‍MacKenzie Chung Fegan
Restaurant Critic
San Francisco Chronicle

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As the James Beard Foundation celebrates 35 years of honoring excellence in food media, this year’s winners remind us of the power of storytelling to inspire, connect, and transform. Their work not only enriches our culinary knowledge but also deepens our appreciation for the diverse voices shaping what we eat and how we talk about it. Congratulations to all the 2025 honorees—your stories feed more than just our appetites.

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Source: The 2025 James Beard Media Award Winners | James Beard Foundation