The film industry has the Oscars, the music industry has the Grammy Awards. If you're a chef or restaurateur, you want a James Beard Award medal around your neck.

Since 1990, the not-for-profit James Beard Foundation named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry.

There is no cash reward, but a win – or even a nomination – can substantially increase the buzz for business, according to foundation President Susan Ungaro.

Monday night, the winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception hosted by actor Oliver Platt at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

See all the winners below, or explore the gallery above for pictures and color from the star-studded night.
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Some days are better than others. Nominees for the James Beard Awards (a.k.a. the "Oscars of the food world") were announced today and we were delighted to find some of our work on it.

This collection of Eatocracy and CNN videos (along with host Tom Foreman and producers Jeremy Harlan, Kat Kinsman, Eric Marrapodi and Dan Lothian) is in the finals for the Television Segment award. Please enjoy.
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The 85th Academy Awards may have come and gone, but the James Beard Awards, better known as the "Oscars of the Food World," are just getting started.

Since 1990, the not-for-profit James Beard Foundation named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry.

There is no cash reward, but a win – or even a nomination – can substantially increase the buzz for business, according to foundation President Susan Ungaro.

The nominations for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards were live-tweeted (@BeardFoundation) and streamed from Lowndes Grove Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. The winners will be announced May 6 at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception hosted by actor Stanley Tucci at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

Here are the finalists:
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Since 1990, the not-for-profit James Beard Foundation named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry.

There is no cash reward, but a win – or even a nomination – can substantially increase the buzz for business, according to foundation President Susan Ungaro.

The nominations for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards were announced Monday night at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception by James Beard Award–winning author and television personality Alton Brown.

See all the winners below, or explore our Twitter feed for pictures and color from the star-studded night.

AMERICA'S CLASSICS AWARDS (pictured above)
Locally owned restaurants "beloved in their regions for quality food that reflects the character of their community," according to the Foundation.
The Fry Bread House (Phoenix, Arizona)
Nora's Fish Creek Inn (Wilson, Wyoming)
St Elmo Steak House (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Jones Bar-B-Q Diner (Marianna, Arkansas)
Shady Glen (Manchester, Connecticut)
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The 84th Academy Awards may have come and gone, but the James Beard Awards, better known as the "Oscars of the Food World," are just getting started.

Since 1990, the not-for-profit James Beard Foundation named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry.

There is no cash reward, but a win – or even a nomination – can substantially increase the buzz for business, according to foundation President Susan Ungaro.

The nominations for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards were live-tweeted (@BeardFoundation) and live-streamed on restaurant, bar, and nightlife blog Eater.com Monday morning from The Azure Pool at The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas. The winners will be announced on May 7 at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception by James Beard Award–winning author and television personality Alton Brown.

Here are the finalists:
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"My dish is about changing the paradigm...Eating a veggie burger can be just as celebrated as a bacon cheeseburger.”

Unfortunately for Top Chef Masters contestant Suvir Saran, said burger, prepared for a meat-loving lass from the cast of The Biggest Loser, changed only his status in the competition. The judging panel sent Saran packing after a few harsh comments about his "mashed potato patty wedged into a slice of pita," but he made a graceful exit.

"I made a dish that was about living better rather than tasting close to what one craves," said the chef, himself a vegetarian.

Still there was a hint of nervous anticipation in the air last night, when Saran and fellow contestant Mary Sue Milliken - who won the main challenge in the most recently aired episode - encountered the show's most outspoken judge, Saveur's editor-in-chief James Oseland near the red carpet at the James Beard Awards Gala.

Watch what happened when the trio met up.

Gail Simmons may be the busiest woman in the food world right now. Not only is she about to jet off to Los Angeles to film the next season of Top Chef Just Desserts - she's got a memoir in the works, sits on the board at City Harvest, and hosted last Friday's James Beard Broadcast, Books and Journalism Awards.

We chatted with Gail in the press room at last night's James Beard Restaurant Awards and asked her about her favorite food city and the issue that's sickening our nation.

On Monday night, food and drink professionals swapped out their toques for tuxes to honor and celebrate the talent of their peers at the James Beard Awards, regularly referred to as the "Oscars of the food world."

Celebrity chefs and past James Beard Award-winners Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai and Traci Des Jardins announced the winners of the 2011 James Beard Foundation Chef and Restaurant Awards at New York City's Lincoln Center.

Since 1990, the not-for-profit organization named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry.

There is no cash reward, but a win - or even a nomination - can substantially increase the buzz for business, according to foundation President Susan Ungaro.

Below are this year's winners in bold:
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Yesterday, author and No Reservations host Anthony Bourdain took to his Travel Channel blog to criticize the James Beard Foundation. Most days, that'd be akin to announcing that there was a slight chill in the air at the Vostok Station, but this time, I think the shot was cheap and the intended mark was missed. It hit elsewhere, and messily.

Bourdain has a longstanding beef with the James Beard Foundation. He asserts that the group - which among other functions, doles out prestigious annual awards to chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant designers, cookbook authors, television and radio producers and journalists in the food world - is an insular, elitist organization more interested in an ego-stroke than the well-being of the people it purports to honor. He has been, in his own words, "loudly peeing on this organization at every opportunity for years," and he's more than entitled to his opinion.

But did he really have to splash it all over the whole food writing community?
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Twitter star, Ruth Reichl / Anthony Bourdain mash-up and former 5@5 subject Ruth Bourdain responds to the nomination as a finalist for the inaugural James Beard Journalism Award for Humor Writing telling Eatocracy exclusively:

"I'm incredibly flattered. James Beard and I smoked a sh*tload of tarragon back in the day, so this means a great deal to me. What a great day for journalism."

Previously – 5@5: 5 Favorite Food Films: Ruth Bourdain