Penguin Random House gets 16 nominations

Penguin Random House said 16 of its titles were nominated for the 2026 James Beard Media Awards, according to a May 11 post from the publisher and the James Beard Foundation’s nominee list published May 6. The nominations sit in the foundation’s Book Awards, part of its broader Media Awards program covering books, broadcast media and journalism. The foundation said the 2026 Media Awards will be presented by American Express and Resy. It also said the winners will be announced on June 13 at the Art Institute of Chicago. ### Where does the number 16 come from? Penguin Random House said “sixteen” of its books made this year’s nominee list, and its post grouped them across multiple imprints and territories, including Alfred A. Knopf, Ten Speed Press, Clarkson Potter, DK and Penguin Random House Canada. The company’s announcement framed the tally as a count of nominated titles rather than a count of individual authors or category slots. (global.penguinrandomhouse.com) The James Beard Foundation’s nominee page supports that count by listing Penguin Random House titles across several Book Award categories. Those categories include beverage, food issues and advocacy, general cooking, international, literary writing and other nonfiction food and beverage fields. ### Which books are on the list? (global.penguinrandomhouse.com) The James Beard Foundation list includes several Penguin Random House titles named in beverage categories, among them *Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean* by Irene Yoo from Alfred A. Knopf, *Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways: Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips* by Kaitlyn Stewart from Ten Speed Press, and *Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings* by Aldo Sohm with Christine Muhlke from Clarkson Potter. (jamesbeard.org) Penguin Random House also highlighted *The Lobster Trap: The Global Fight for a Seafood on the Brink* by Greg Mercer from McClelland & Stewart, *Something from Nothing* by Alison Roman from Clarkson Potter, *Flavour Heroes* by Gurdeep Loyal from Quadrille, *By Heart* by Hailee Catalano from DK, and *Ghana to the World* by Eric Adjepong with Korsha Wilson from Clarkson Potter. Those titles show the range of the nominations, from recipe-driven books to reported nonfiction and literary food writing. (jamesbeard.org) ### Are these all cookbook nominations? The James Beard Foundation says the Book Awards cover “cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books” published in the United States in 2025. The category list extends beyond recipe collections to literary writing, food issues and advocacy, reference and scholarship, and U.S. foodways. (global.penguinrandomhouse.com) That matters for Penguin Random House’s total because the 16 nominations are not limited to traditional cookbooks. The publisher’s own post says the awards honor food storytelling, and the foundation’s rules allow books from foreign publishers if they carried a 2025 U.S. copyright date or were distributed in the United States during 2025. (jamesbeard.org) ### What is new about the 2026 ceremony? The James Beard Foundation said this year’s Media Awards will be held at the Art Institute of Chicago, and it described that venue as a first for the program. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, followed by a reception featuring Chicago chefs. The foundation said the 2026 awards are being presented by American Express and Resy. (global.penguinrandomhouse.com) Its nominee announcement was published on May 6, about five weeks before the ceremony. ### What happens next? June 13 is the next key date for Penguin Random House and the nominated authors. The James Beard Foundation said winners in the Media Awards will be announced that day at the Art Institute of Chicago, where the Book Awards are scheduled to take place as part of the foundation’s 2026 awards weekend. (jamesbeard.org)