Often referred to as the Academy Awards of food, each year, the prestigious James Beard Awards seek to honor some of the best chefs, restaurants, food authors, and journalists in America chosen by some 400 judges.

In 2009, the James Beard Foundation added a new award category for food blogs.

(You can see a list of 2009 James Beard Award Chef and Restaurant Finalists and Semifinalists organized by state here.)

The list of James Beard Award Finalists for the 2009 James Beard Award New Media Winners has just been released which you can see below:

• Ruth Reichl of Gourmet.com was nominated in the Multimedia Food Journalism Category for Gourmet Cookbook Club

• Ruth Reichl of Gourmet.com was nominated in the Multimedia Food Journalism Category for The Test Kitchen

• Mike Sula of Chicagoreader.com was nominated in the Multimedia Food Journalism Category for The Whole Hog Project

• Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit’s The BA Foodist was nominated in the Blog Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants or Nutrition Category

• Hank Shaw of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook was nominated in the Blog Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants or Nutrition Category

• Erika Ehmsen, Elizabeth Jardina, Rick LaFrentz, Amy Machnak, Johanna Silver, Margaret Sloan, and Margo True of Our One-Block Diet were nominated in the Blog Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants or Nutrition Category

• Jane Goldman of Chow.com was nominated in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants or Nutrition Category

• Tanya Steel of Epicurious.com was nominated in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants or Nutrition Category

• Ruth Reichl of Gourmet.com was nominated in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants or Nutrition Category

• Obsessives: School Lunch Revolutionary by Chow.Com was nominated in the Video Webcast Category. You can enjoy the James Beard Award nominated show here.

• The Art of Blending (hosts: Brian Clark, Eric Anderson, and Jay Selman) by GrapeRadio.Com was nominated in the Video Webcast Category. You can enjoy the James Beard Award nominated show here.

• Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume III: Vietnam and the Island of Sicily (host: Jonathan Coleman) by Ciaprochef.com was nominated in the Video Webcast Category.

• Living Today: José Andrés (host: Mario Bosquez) by Martha Stewart Living Radio was nominated in the Audio Webcast or Radio Show Category.

• Thomas Jefferson and Wine (hosts: Brian Clark, Eric Anderson, and Jay Selman) by GrapeRadio.Com was nominated in the Audio Webcast or Radio Show Category. You can enjoy the James Beard Award nominated show here. (Unfortunately, Grape Radio webcast co-host Brian Clark was recently injured in a car accident. Blood donations are greatly appreciated while he recovers.)

• The Leonard Lopate Show: 3-Ingredient Challenge (hosts: Leonard Lopate and Rozanne Gold) by WNYC was nominated in the Audio Webcast or Radio Show Category.

Here’s the list of 2008 and 2007 James Beard Award winning websites, blogs, and webcasts (as well as their fellow JBA nominees / finalists):

The 2008 James Beard Award New Media Winners

• Josh Ozersky and Daniel Maurer of NYmag.com’s Grub Street Blog won a 2008 James Beard Award in the Multimedia Writing on Food Category

• Tanya Steel of Epicurious.com won a 2008 James Beard Award in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant or Nutrition Category

• Stewards of the Land (hosts: Jay Selman, Brian Clark, Eric Anderson) by Grape Radio won a 2008 James Beard Award in the Webcast Category. You can watch the James Beard Award winning webcast here.

• Jane Goldman of Chow.com was nominated in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant or Nutrition Category

• Antoinette F. Bruno of Starchefs.com was nominated in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant or Nutrition Category

• Sara Dickerman of Slate Magazine was nominated in the Multimedia Writing on Food Category for A Chef’s So-Called Life: What Movies Get Right-and Wrong-About Life in the Kitchen

• Natalie MacLean of NatalieMacLean.com was nominated in the Multimedia Writing on Food Category for When Food Fights with Wine. (You can listen to the podcast here.)

• Obsessives: Innard Workings by Chow.com was nominated in the Webcast Category. (You can watch the video here.)

• Spatulatta.com (hosts: Olivia Gerasole & Isabella Gerasole) was nominated in the Webcast Category

• David Leite and Linda Avery of Leite’s Culinaria won a 2007 James Beard Award in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant, or Nutrition Category

• Edward Deitch of MSNBC.com/NBC Mobile won a 2007 James Beard Award in the Multimedia Writing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants, or Nutrition Category for his article, On the Trail of Great California Syrah

• Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume One: India, Spain, Mexico and Thailand (host Bill Briwa) by C.I.A. Pro Chef.Com won a 2007 James Beard Award in the Webcast Category. (You can download a .PDF file of the recipes featured in the video here.)

• Tyler Colman of Dr. Vino’s Wine Blog was nominated in the Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant or Nutrition Category

• William H. Daley of the Chicago Tribune was nominated in the Multimedia Writing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants, or Nutrition Category for his article, Winter’s Kiss (no longer available online)

• Monica Eng With Chris Brown and Geng of the Chicago Tribune were nominated in the Multimedia Writing on Food, Beverage, Restaurants, or Nutrition Category for their article, Mastering Ethiopia’s Injera (no longer available online)

• Winery Profile: Staglin Family Vineyards (hosts: Jay Selman, Eric Anderson) by GrapeRadio.Com was nominated in the Webcast Category. You can watch the James Beard Award nominated webcast here.

Enjoy!

Please join us tomorrow to read our newest food feature about corn dogs, kebabs, and other foods on sticks!

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