The 8th Annual
Black Women in Food Awards

The BWIF Awards pay homage to the unyielding efforts of Black women who have left an indelible mark across the food and beverage industry. Honorees are nominated by the public, evaluated by a panel of expert judges, and ceremoniously announced in March during Women’s History Month. The 2025 honorees will be announced in March 2025.

Deadline: December 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST

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.)

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

  • 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.

  • All nominations must be submitted by 11:59pm EST on December 18, 2024.

  • You can ONLY nominate a person through our nomination form.

  • Yes. Nobody has your back like you do! Go ahead and nominate yourself.

  • 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.

  • A: There are nine (9) categories - Amplifier, Beverage Master, Corporate Champion, Creator, Culinarian, Game Changer, Innovator, Restaurateur, and Trailblazer.

    Learn more about them here.

  • No. All nominations are final once you submit the nomination form.

  • The number of times a person is nominated does not factor into how honorees are selected. Selection is based on quality of the nomination.

  • All countries and regions around the world are eligible.

  • 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.

  • No problem! Check out this sample nomination form for an idea of what information a successful application has included.

  • Judges are selected by our team based on their experience in one or more of the nine (9) categories.

  • 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.