The James Beard Foundation on Tuesday announced their 2024 Media Award Nominees and one Charlestonian was included. The media awards recognize outstanding achievements in Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism.
North Charleston native KJ Kearney (right) was nominated in the “Social Media Account” category for his Black Food Fridays project, which he created during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to encourage the world to support Black-owned restaurants, chefs, caterers, and producers every Friday. It has since grown to an account where Kearney shares Black food history and the best dishes, desserts, drinks, and people in Black-owned businesses. Since its debut, Black Food Fridays has grown organically to reach an audience of over 500,000 people across social media. You can learn more about Black Food Fridays at blackfoodfridays.com, on TikTok, and on Instagram.
Kearney, who was also a nominee in 2022, is a Black food historian, content creator, and food & beverage influencer. He has been featured and quoted in numerous publications including (but not limited to) The Washington Post, Forbes, The Today Show, Business Insider, Eater and Ebony Magazine. You may also have seen him on shows like “Ms. Delicious Brown” (Food Network) or “High On the Hog” (Netflix). He’s currently the host for a PBS Digital Series called “Citizen Better."
The 2024 James Beard Media Award winner will be announced on Saturday, June 8th in Chicago.
You can view the entire list of nominees here.
