The James Beard Awards Foundation announced its official 2026 slate of award nominees on Tuesday, March 31, and two Seattle names are among them.
Johnny Courtney of the classic-feeling Atoma and Aaron Tekulve of the celebratory Surrell were among the whittled-down names of nominees, each in the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category.
The news comes after 15 Seattle restaurants and bars were originally under consideration when the long list of semifinalists was revealed back in January. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, June 15.
Considered one of the restaurant industry’s most coveted awards, the honors span categories such as Restaurant and Chef Awards, Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism), and Achievement Awards. Last year, the foundation introduced the new category of Impact Awards, which it describes as recognizing “achievement by individuals and/or organizations who are actively working to push for standards that create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry.”
The full list of nominations can be found here.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards.