James Beard finalists for best chef announced. Did South MS chef make the list?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- James Beard finalists announced; winner to be revealed in June..
- Biloxi chef Austin Sumrall was one of two MS semi-finalists
- Sumrall and his wife also own Siren Social Club in Gulfport.
It’s been a year of honors for Chef Austin Sumrall, who was one of the semifinalists vying for the James Beard award for best chef in the South. When the list of finalists was announced Tuesday, though, the owner/chef at White Pillars Restaurant and Lounge in Biloxi wasn’t among the top 5.
In January, Sumrall was nominated as one of 20 semifinalists for Best Chef South. This second stage narrowed the list to the top 5 finalists and the winner will be announced at the 2026 James Beard Awards Ceremonies June 13-15 in Chicago.
Two New Orleans chefs who are among the finalists are Ana Castro at Acamaya and Serigne Mbaye at Dakar NOLA.
Sumrall and Hunter Evans, chef at Elvie’s in Jackson, were the two Mississippi nominees for 2026 James Beard Foundation awards and were named in the same category, which also includes the best chefs from Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and Puerto Rico.
This is the third time Sumrall, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, was a semifinalist for Best Chef South. He first was nominated in 2020, just three years after opening White Pillars at the Biloxi beach. He and his wife, Tresse Sumrall, were named together in 2025.
They also are the owners of Siren Social Club in Gulfport, which along with White Pillars in Biloxi and Vestige in Ocean Springs, made the “recommended” list in last year’s inaugural Michelin Guide American South.
In 2025, Siren Social Club also was named to Southern Living’s top 20 best restaurants in the South and was one of only 33 places on Esquire’s list of top new restaurants in the country.
