At a red-carpet event tonight at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the James Beard Awards honored restaurants and chefs in categories like best new restaurant, emerging chef, and regional best chef categories. The awards are among the highest honors in the American restaurant industry. The ceremony was co-hosted by Eric Adjepong, Esther Choi, Gail Simmons, and Andrew Zimmern.

Some highlights from the national categories: Gregory Gourdet’s Kann in Portland won Best New Restaurant and Chad Williams’ Friday Saturday Sunday in Philadelphia won outstanding restaurant. It was a good night for Philly in the national categories; Ellen Yin was named outstanding restaurateur for her work leading High Street Hospitality Group. Damarr Brown of Virtue in Chicago took home the win for emerging chef and Rob Rubba of Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C. won outstanding chef. After five nominations, Margarita Manzke of acclaimed LA restaurant République won outstanding pastry chef or baker. Yoli Tortilleria in Kansas City, MO won the first ever outstanding bakery award. On the beverage side, Ototo in Los Angeles took home the newly expanded award for outstanding wine and other beverages program for its sake list, while Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu won for outstanding bar.

In the regional categories, Natalia Vallejo, of Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, became the first James Beard Award winner from Puerto Rico with her win in the best chef: South category and Sherry Pocknett of Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown, RI became the first Indigenous woman to win a James Beard with her win in the best chef: Northeast category. Kris Komori of Kin won in the best chef: Mountain category, a first for Idaho, and best chef: Southwest winner Andrew Black of Oklahoma City’s Grey Sweater took home the first medal for his state, too.

There’s been drama in the weeks leading up to tonight’s events: At least one chef has been disqualified this year (Timothy Hontzas from the best chef: South category), and in the wake of his revealing his disqualification, at least one committee member and one voting judge have resigned over how the Foundation handled the communication around that. The Foundation’s overall approach to addressing the ongoing conversation around the awards was mostly to address it obliquely. “Tonight is not about the negative,” said co-host Gail Simmons at the top of the show. “It’s about celebrating chefs and the industry we love so much.” Foundation ceo Clare Reichenbach kicked off the festivities noting: “Given the scale and influence of this industry, positive change that you make can truly have a profound ripple effect...The James Beard Awards are the Foundation’s most powerful change lever and we’re committed to making them a force for good, one that recognizes excellence both on and beyond the plate.” Then, echoing the statements she gave to kick of this year’s Media Awards, she added: “We’re about raising people up, not calling them out.”

Then, before announcing the nominees for best chef: South, presenter and television host Monti Carlo said, “This category has brought more drama than a Mariah Carey concert.” Hontzas’ name was read in with every other nominee. The challenges around addressing allegedly bad behavior from nominees and winners have dogged the Foundation since #MeToo allegations of sexual misconduct rocked the restaurant industry beginning in 2017, with extensive reporting on Beard Award winners John Besh, Mario Batali, and Johnny Iuzzini. Last year’s awards were the first to take place after an internal audit and new policies were implemented, including a vetting process.

Here now, the full list of winners.

2023 James Beard Award Chef and Restaurant Winners

Outstanding Chef

Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant

Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA

Best New Restaurant

Kann, Portland, OR

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street Philly, and others), Philadelphia, PA

Outstanding Hospitality

The Quarry, Monson, ME

Emerging Chef

Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago, IL

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles, CA

Outstanding Bakery

Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, MO

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Ototo, Los Angeles, CA

Outstanding Bar

Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Madison, WI

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, ID

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA

Best Chef: New York State

Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY

Best Chef: California

Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks, CA

Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, OR

Best Chef: Texas

Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL

The following wins were previously announced:

America’s Classics

• Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop, Austin, Texas
• La Casita Blanca, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Manago Hotel, Captain Cook, Hawai‘i
• Nezinscot Farm, Turner, Maine
• Pekin Noodle Parlor, Butte, Montana
• Wagner’s Village Inn, Oldenburg, Indiana

2023 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Madhur Jaffrey CBE

2023 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

Olivia Watkins and Karen Washington

2023 Leadership Awards

• Jim Embry (Sustainable Communities Network, Slow Food USA, and Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance)
• Valerie Horn (CANE Kitchen, Cowan Community Center, and City of Whitesburg Farmers Market)
• Savonala “Savi” Horne (Land Loss Prevention Project)
• Ira Wallace (Southern Exposure Seed Exchange)
• Rowen White (Sierra Seeds)
• Emerging Leadership: The Burgerville Workers Union

The Media Awards took place on June 3 — read the full winners list here.

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2023. All editorial content, including this post, is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.