‘It’s a bummer.’ Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar weighs in on canceled James Beard awards.
The James Beard awards will not be held this year in the usual way. The same goes for 2021.
The largest annual celebration of chefs and restaurants in the nation has put a COVID-related pause on the champagne and confetti. The James Beard Foundation announced last month that there won’t be any chef awards, but will instead hold a virtual ceremony Friday, Sept. 25.
Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar of Garland, who highlights Southern ingredients through Indian and Asian dishes, had twice been a semifinalist for the Best Chef: Southeast award and this year was a finalist for the first time. She said the canceled awards let a little more air out of an already deflated year.
“It’s a bummer,” Kumar said. “There’s not really anything to look forward to.”
First postponed, then canceled
The James Beard Foundation typically holds its award ceremony in May as a black-tie gala. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the awards were pushed to Sept. 25 as a virtual ceremony. Then in August, the foundation announced there would be no awards at all, beyond a few that had already been announced.
In normal years, the impact of a James Beard win, or even a nomination, is profound. The national mention can act as a guide for out-of-towners for where to eat in a city, and signals to locals that a restaurant has been declared something special.
In this pandemic-stricken year, with all restaurants struggling, it could be the difference between making it to the other side or closing for good.
“It doesn’t feel right to compete right now,” Kumar said. “But these awards could save at least 23 businesses, if not everyone (nominated).”
In May, when the James Beard Foundation’s annual chef awards were going to be held by video chat, Raleigh’s Cheetie Kumar recorded a 30-second just-in-case acceptance speech in the event her name was called. She said she had no expectations for winning, but still, recording the video forced her to imagine the what-if.
In its announcement, the James Beard Foundation said this uncertain time for restaurants seemed like the wrong moment for a celebration.
“We did not come to this decision lightly,” said James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach in a release. “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,” Reichenbach said. “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.”
‘An emotional and high energy event’
Kumar traveled to Chicago last year to watch Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen win the James Beard for Outstanding Chef in the country.
“As problematic as awards are, and they are problematic, it’s also a really meaningful, recharging event,” Kumar said. “It’s one night where everyone celebrates the industry. I’ve only gone to two, the last couple years and they celebrated amazing people of all colors. It’s always been an emotional and high energy event.”
In the nearly 30 year history of the James Beard awards, most have gone to white, male chefs. Awards in the past three years have made strides to better represent the makeup of the restaurant industry, with more Black, female and LGBTQ chefs taking home awards
But in the New York Times, Pete Wells reported that the 2020 awards included no Black winners and that a revote was suggested.
Kumar called for changes to be made, but also criticized the James Beard Foundation, saying the decision to cancel the awards failed to find responsibility and instead punished nominees.
“I get the need, the absolute need to make things more equitable,” Kumar said. “The way they handled the whole situation, though, was really unempathetic and lacks transparency. It snuffed out the voices of a lot of women. The role of women in the kitchen is finally being recognized and they made it seem like we were a problem as nominees.”
