The James Beard Foundation on Tuesday announced that U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) has been named a 2026 James Beard Foundation Impact Award honoree in recognition for his work protecting the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and supporting other aspects of food production in the U.S.
The James Beard Awards recognize culinary excellence each year, as well as people or organizations making a positive impact on the food industry. Luján was named one of five Impact Award honorees this year, given to “changemakers actively working to push for standards that create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system for producers, workers, and consumers alike,” according to a news release.
The Impact Awards program began last year. This year’s other honorees include the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in California; the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation; nonprofit organization ReFED; and Southern Smoke Foundation.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from the James Beard Foundation,” Luján said in a written statement. “My work to protect and improve federal nutrition programs is driven by the folks back home in New Mexico working tirelessly to fight hunger in our communities every day. To these advocates in New Mexico and across the country—thank you for informing the work I do.”
Luján is the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research. He worked in late 2025 to protect SNAP benefits and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from Trump Administration cuts and during the federal government shutdown. Along with the Senate Democratic Caucus, he introduced the Restoring Food Security for American Farmers and Families Act to return federal funding to the food assistance programs.
“In a country as abundant as the United States, allowing our friends, family, and neighbors to go hungry is a policy decision, not an inevitability,” Luján said. “SNAP is our best tool in the fight against hunger, helping millions of Americans — including one in five New Mexicans — put food on the table. I look forward to continuing the work to fight hunger and ensure no family in America goes hungry.”
The James Beard Foundation also pointed out Luján’s work protecting land, water and air in New Mexico, particularly his advocacy for acequias and traditional lands.
The Foundation also announced nominees in the restaurant categories, which includes Albuquerque’s Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. in the bar category, and Steve Riley of Albuquerque’s Mesa Provisions in the best chef Southwest division.
Luján and his fellow awardees will be honored in a ceremony on June 14 in Chicago.
