Miami restaurants and chefs are shut out of the 2026 James Beard Award nominees list, despite years of national acclaim.
Acclaimed chef Michael Beltran of Michelin-starred Ariete was a semifinalist for Best Chef: South, but was not considered as a final nominee
Ariete Hospitality Group photo
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The Northern Focus
While Miami was sidelined, other parts of the state managed to secure a presence.
In the Best Chef: South category, which covers Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico, the only two Florida spots went to chefs located hours from South Florida. Bryce Bonsack of Tampa’s Rocca and Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer of Jacksonville’s Chancho King both were named finalists for the awards.
The rest of the South region nominations were dominated by restaurants in New Orleans and Arkansas.
Chef Valerie Chang of the former Maty’s restaurant in Midtown, Miami, accepting the 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef: South
National Omissions
The snub continued across the major national categories. Miami was absent from the Best New Restaurant list. Instead, the category featured spots in cities like Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. The Outstanding Restaurant and Outstanding Chef categories were also dominated by the usual suspects in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
The 2026 awards also include the second year of the Impact Awards. The program launched in 2025 to recognize chefs and owners pushing for sustainability and economic equity in the industry. Those honorees will be recognized in Chicago on June 14. The main Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
This shutout from the final ballot marks a rare setback for Miami’s dining scene. Especially at a time when it is otherwise defined by its Michelin stars and rising global rankings.
Miami must now wait until 2027 to see if it can reclaim its place on the James Beard stage.
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A fourth-generation Miamian, Olee Fowler knows every corner of the city. She spent a decade as the editor of Eater Miami, and now as a freelance writer, she captures the stories that make Miami unique. When she’s not exploring Miami’s newest restaurants and bars, you can find her at home with her dogs, Foster and Peanut, or cheering on her beloved Florida Gators. And yes, that’s probably a Coke Zero on her desk.
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