Atlanta restaurants, chefs shut out at 2026 James Beard Awards

Atlanta won’t see any new James Beard medallions around the necks of its chefs and restaurateurs this year.

There were three finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards with Atlanta connections at the ceremony in Chicago on Monday night. None won the ultimate prize.

J. Trent Harris, the executive chef behind Mujo and Koshu Club, was the first Atlanta representative to learn his fate. Harris did not win the medallion, which went instead to chef Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester, North Carolina.

Next was Aria, which missed out for a second year in a row in the Outstanding Hospitality category. The award was taken home by Providence in Los Angeles.

Finally, Meherwan and Molly Irani of the Chai Pani Restaurant Group were nominated in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. The award went to the team behind Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co. and others in Portland, Maine.

The original Chai Pani in Asheville, North Carolina, won the prestigious Outstanding Restaurant category in 2022.

What happened at the 2026 James Beard Awards?

The 2026 James Beard Awards kicked off with a jam-packed red carpet procession as chefs, beverage professionals, celebrities and dignitaries entered the nearly 100-year-old Civic Opera House in Chicago.

The red carpet held a few surprises. Atlanta rapper Killer Mike and Brooklyn DJ El-P, the duo that makes up Run the Jewels, showed up as award presenters for a couple of beverage categories. Run the Jewels became beverage professionals in their own right in 2025 when they released their own line of canned cocktails last year called Juice Runners.

El-P (left) and Killer Mike, the duo that make up Run the Jewels, on the red carpet at the 2026 James Beard Awards. (Henri Hollis / AJC)

Killer Mike told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was looking forward to making connections with other restaurateurs at Monday night’s event. The versatile rapper and business owner runs Bankhead Seafood with another Atlanta hip hop legend, T.I.

Chef Mashama Bailey of the Grey in Savannah was at the ceremony as a presenter, as well. A former winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2022, Bailey has won even more accolades this year. In April, she was named to the Time100 list of the world’s most influential people, and a month later, she earned the Best Female Chef Award from North America’s 50 Best.

A view from the press room of chef Mashama Bailey presenting a beverage award at 2026 James Beard Awards. (Henri Hollis / AJC)

Bailey told the AJC she was appreciative of the recognition and looked forward to sharing the spotlight with members of her team at The Grey in Savannah and L’Arret by The Grey in Paris.

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker both addressed the crowd with messages about the strength and diversity of Chicago’s restaurant scene, though Pritzker skipped the red carpet.

This year, the James Beard Foundation announced a new, tangible gift for award winners. Dawn Padmore, vice president of awards for the foundation, introduced the additional prize: a plaque meant for public display in the winning restaurants. The plaque will be given in addition to the iconic James Beard medallions that traditionally represent the award.

Aria was a James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Hospitality in both 2025 and 2026. Remy Loet, the restaurant's sommelier, sets out wine glasses on a table before the start of dinner service at Aria on June 5, 2026. (Cameren Rogers for the AJC)

Who were the 2026 James Beard Award finalists from Atlanta?

Aria, the Buckhead fine dining institution, was one of five national finalists for Outstanding Hospitality.

J. Trent Harris, executive chef of Mujo and Koshu Club, was a finalist for Best Chef — Southeast.

Meherwan and Molly Irani, the married couple behind the Chai Pani Restaurant Group, were finalists in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. The group owns Chai Pani in Decatur and Botiwalla in Ponce City Market, along with other locations of both restaurants in North Carolina and Washington, D.C.

Chef J. Trent Harris, James Beard finalist and Executive Chef at Mujō, begins the process of descaling and deboning fish before service at the restaurant on June 5, 2026. (Cameren Rogers for the AJC)

Atlanta’s other James Beard Award nominees

These Atlanta chefs, restaurants and beverage professionals were named semifinalists earlier in 2026 but did not advance to the awards ceremony:

Best New Bar

• Madeira Park, Atlanta
• Lucky Star, Atlanta