The James Beard Awards Foundation announced its official 2026 slate of award nominees on Tuesday, March 31, and two Atlanta names and places are among them.

J. Trent Harris of lauded Midtown restaurant Mujō is nominated in the Best Chef: Southeast category. Additionally, wine-focused Aria (also a finalist last year) was recognized in the Outstanding Hospitality category.

The news comes after eight Atlanta restaurants and bars were originally under consideration when the long list of semifinalists was revealed back in January. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, June 15.

Considered one of the restaurant industry’s most coveted awards, the honors span categories such as Restaurant and Chef Awards, Media Awards (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism), and Achievement Awards. Last year, the foundation introduced the new category of Impact Awards, which it describes as recognizing “achievement by individuals and/or organizations who are actively working to push for standards that create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry.”

The full list of nominations can be found here.

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards.

The Celtics dropped a tough one in Atlanta, falling behind by 21 in the fourth quarter of a game that was tied at halftime. 

The Celtics were missing Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta, but they had Jaylen Brown, who missed his last two games with left Achilles tendinitis. The Atlanta native finished with an impressive stat line, falling one assist shy of a triple double. But his 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists don’t tell the whole story of the game. 

“That was probably one of my worst games of the season,” he told reporters in Atlanta after the loss. “This game was on me. I gotta be better. Probably one of my worst performances in a while, and that cost us.” 

Brown scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to help cut the 21-point Hawks lead down to 11, but they could get no closer than eight. Brown had his chances to make this a monster night, but he shot 9-29 from the field and 8-14 from the free throw line. 

“I missed a lot of easy shots,” he said. “Very physical game. Playoff-like atmosphere, and I don’t think we adjusted quickly enough. They came to play, the refs let a lot of stuff go, and we didn’t adjust to the physicality.” 

Easy shots for Jaylen Brown are tough shots for a lot of people, and there were definitely some tough ones in the mix in this game as well. That’s a credit to the Atlanta Hawks defense, which used speed and length to bother Brown, knowing that without Tatum, they were more free to do so. Maybe they also felt they could exploit his recent bout with tendinitis in his left leg. 

“I felt fine,” he said. “ I’m just trying to get my feet up under me and just maintain my balance and stuff like that.”

He later added, “Everybody’s dealing with something.” 

Luckily for the Celtics, the loss did little damage in the standings. Boston has a two-game edge on New York with seven games to play (including one against each other in New York on April 9). It’s not an impossible gap to close, but it’s not an easy one, either. Especially once Brown gets back on level footing. 

Brown has had bad games before, and he’s never shied away from admitting so afterwards. 

“You can’t throw in the towel if you’re not feeling up to your best. Still got to do what you need to do,” he siad. “You just got to work your way through it, rely on your teammates. But if you’re getting good shots and getting good looks, you got to trust that and keep playing aggressive basketball. Tonight wasn’t the greatest night for my team or myself, but you learn from it and move forward.”

ATLANTA – Special guests and segments for Good Day Atlanta on March 30:

New museum exhibit in metro Atlanta explores 50 years of Apple: Exactly 50 years ago this week, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded a little company called Apple Inc. And considering the fact that you’re probably reading this article on an Apple product right now, it’s safe to say the company has made quite an impact of the past half-century. In honor of this major milestone, Roswell’s Mimms Museum of Technology and Art is unveiling a massive new exhibit called “iNSPIRE: 50 Years of Innovation from Apple.” 
 

Keith Sweat and Michael Jai White discuss the release of The Secret Between Us: The film will hit theaters on Friday, April 3. Keith Sweat serves as EP on the film and Jai White is the lead actor. A man admired for his integrity watches his perfect life unravel when a son from a long-buried affair resurfaces — forcing him to confront the painful consequences of betrayal as both father and son seek reconciliation and redemption.
 

The Unmasked Contestant from Fox’s The Masked Singer: The Masked Singer Semi-Finals aired last Wednesday on FOX 5.  Singer and songwriter Rachel Plattan was unveiled as the Pangolin. See what she said to Natalie, about her experience on the show.  

Atlanta-based Chef Suzanne Vizethann, shows viewers an easy recipe from her cookbook: The famed Southern chef whose new cookbook Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen is redefining how families gather during the holidays. Click here to order your copy. 

April B & Shenelle Simone of The Flew Here Grew Here Podcast: The ladies talk about the latest in entertainment headlines. Howie Mandel apologizes to Kelly Ripa after heated on-air exchange. And Tiger Woods’ girlfriend has her hands full after his DUI arrest. 

Pet of the day: Cami

Brave Heart Bulliez Rescue brings in Cami for adoption. For more information visit braveheartbulliezrescue.org

Pet of the Day: Braveheart Bulliez Rescuee brings in Cami for adoption. For more information, click here.