The 9th Annual
Black Women in Food Awards
The Black Women in Food Awards honor the leadership and impact of Black women shaping the food, beverage, and hospitality industry - work that is too often overlooked despite its profound influence. The Awards help close long-standing visibility gaps while affirming the critical role Black women play across our global food system.
Honorees are nominated by the public and selected by a distinguished panel of industry experts. The 2026 honorees will be announced at the Black Women in Food Summit, April 23–25, 2026.
Nominations Open: January 5, 2026
Awards Categories
Game Changer
Uses their influence for positive change (e.g. activist, policymaker, and/or venture capitalist, etc.)
Creator
Connects people through content or products (e.g. food blogger, food stylist, curator, content creator, consumer packaged goods entrepreneur, etc.)
Innovator
Uses tools or tech to solve challenges (e.g. inventor, researcher, product developer, intrapreneur, etc.)
Culinarian
Demonstrates
cooking artistry
(e.g. chef, home cook, caterer, etc.)
Hospitality Maven
Architect of professionalism and excellence in guest experience (e.g., front-of-house operations, general managers, food and beverage managers, and guest relations experts)
Trailblazer
Pioneers through groundbreaking contributions (e.g. pioneer, vanguard, etc.)
Amplifier
Elevates food system stories (e.g. journalist, author, photographer, podcaster, filmmaker, etc.)
Beverage Master
Advances spirits, wine, and beer industry (e.g. sommelier, mixologist, bar owner, beer maker/brewer, wine and spirit maker, vineyard manager, etc.)
Corporate Champion
Shapes inclusive food opportunities (e.g. branding and marketing professional, buyer, research and development professional, diversity & inclusion professional, sustainability strategist, etc.)
Restaurateur
Launches impactful restaurants (e.g. Owner-operators of restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks, cloud kitchens or mobile food services)
Frequently Asked Questions
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Anyone who self-identifies as a Black woman in any country around the world and demonstrates significant accomplishment(s) in one of the award categories.
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All nominations must be submitted by 11:59pm EST on January 31, 2026.
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You can ONLY nominate a person through our nomination form.
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Yes. Nobody has your back like you do! Go ahead and nominate yourself.
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Honorees are submitted through a nomination process that is open to the public and then shortlisted by a judges panel of cross-sector industry leaders. A review is conducted for representation in each category with consideration for geographic diversity.
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A: There are ten (10) categories - Amplifier, Beverage Master, Corporate Champion, Creator, Culinarian, Game Changer, Innovator, Restaurateur, Hospitality Maven and Trailblazer.
Learn more about them here.
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No. All nominations are final once you submit the nomination form.
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The number of times a person is nominated does not factor into how honorees are selected. Selection is based on quality of the nomination.
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All countries and regions around the world are eligible.
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Most nominees could fall under a number of categories. Try to identify which category your nominee is most prominently impacting at the moment. For example, though a Chef could qualify for a number of categories, you should select Culinarian if their major accomplishments revolve around the art of cooking.
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No problem! Check out this sample nomination form for an idea of what information a successful application has included.
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Judges are selected by our team based on their experience in one or more of the nine (9) categories.
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Definitely! A past honoree can be nominated and selected for recognition. If nominating a past honoree, ensure that you can justify how the person has built on their past accomplishments since they were last selected.