Helen Goh, Yoko Nakazawa win 2026 James Beard Awards

Local titles Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes by Helen Goh (Murdoch Books) and The Japanese Art of Pickling & Fermenting: Preserving Vegetables and Family Traditions by Yoko Nakazawa (Smith Street Books) are among the winners of the 2026 James Beard Awards.

Goh’s book won this year’s Baking and Desserts category, while Nakazawa’s book, which previously won the award for best designed cookbook at the 2026 Australian Book Design Awards, won the Single Subject category at the James Beard Awards.

Accepting the award, Goh said the title of her book was “admittedly a little grandiose”, reported the Guardian. “Baking is in the end a small thing … But at a time when the world can feel so atomised and alienating, and if sharing something that you’ve made, if that can offer a moment of joy or comfort, of care or connection, of community and belonging – then I think that’s worth celebrating,” said Goh.

The Guardian reported that “a visibly shocked Nakazawa thanked her ancestors and parents for the award” in her acceptance speech. Nakazawa said, “The main purpose of this book was to preserve the techniques and knowledge of the past, and pass to the next generation.”

The James Beard Media Awards were presented at the Art Institute of Chicago on 13 June. The awards are open to cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the US in 2025.

The full list of winners is available on the website.

Category: International awards Local news