When there's conversation around the James Beard Awards, it's usually referring to top chefs, restaurants and others in the hospitality industry. But this week, the James Beard Foundation announced the also lauded 2025 Media Awards nominees, and four Minnesotans made the list.

Andrew Zimmern

"Hope in the Water," produced by Andrew Zimmern's production company Intuitive Content, was nominated in the docuseries visual media category, which recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related docuseries.

The three-part documentary, which aired on PBS, centers around Zimmern's advocacy and belief that the food and fishing industries need to embrace new technology and use creative solutions to meet the rising seafood demand while protecting overfished oceans that also are threatened by pollution and climate change. Episodes tell the stories of the innovators, fishing professionals and aqua farmers who are working to create a sustainable future for the planet.

Zimmern brought A-list talent to the project, filmed over multiple years. In addition to collaborating with David E. Kelley behind the scenes, famous environmental advocates including Shailene Woodley, Martha Stewart, José Andrés and Baratunde Thurston also were on board, traveling across five continents to find success stories. And they found one right in Minnesota, too. The series is streaming on PBS.

Yia Vang

The TPT original series "Relish," starring chef Yia Vang, was nominated in the lifestyle visual media category. The category encompasses food-centric talk shows and lifestyle programs that "explore food or beverage alongside broader societal and cultural themes."

The series about the diverse Minnesota cuisine was launched in 2019 by co-producers Brittany Shrimpton and Amy Melin as a bite-sized show (only 5 minutes) that only streamed online. Fast-forward five seasons and the show has now expanded to 30-minute episodes that air on traditional television as well as streaming platforms.

Uche Iroegbu
Chef Yia Vang tries lutefisk with Nels Thompson, who shared the Scandinavian tradition at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapolis during the show's fifth season.

Each episode focuses on two foods from different cultures that have common ground — one episode linked lutefisk dinners and Kramarczuk's sausage — and are filled with energy, conversation and humor, thanks to Vang's outgoing personality. Find past episodes and recipes at tpt.org/relish, and get ready for the sixth season, which debuts June 23.

Also nominated in the category: "Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers," the special PBS series from Lidia Bastianich, which filmed an episode in Minnesota last fall.

Steve Hoffman

Local tax preparer and bestselling author Steve Hoffman was nominated in the personal essay with recipe category for "A Fat Affair," an article he wrote for Food & Wine magazine.

Those familiar with his book "A Season for That," which chronicles the six months Hoffman and his family spent immersed in a small winemaking village in southern France more than a decade ago, might feel like they're catching up with old friends in this article.

The essay is set in France, where Hoffman visits the annual Foire au Gras (it does translate to fat fair). He takes us through the holiday market in Sauvian, where he's immersed in capons, foie gras, duck confit and more. Peppered with photos from fellow author and spouse Mary Jo Hoffman, it's a peek into the rich holiday traditions of the area.

Jesse Roesler

Minneapolis filmmaker Jesse Roesler is behind the camera of "America the Bountiful," the PBS series nominated in the travel visual media category, which celebrates food- or beverage-focused travel shows.

Hosted by cookbook author and television personality Capri Cafaro, the series tells the food stories of rural and small-town America. Farmers, artisans, restaurateurs and home cooks are all part of the storytelling equations; 30-minute episodes range from wild rice in Minnesota (where Zimmern and Owamni's Sean Sherman make an appearance) to honey in North Dakota.

Roesler is principal and creative director at Credo Nonfiction, and has produced work for the Travel Channel, Discovery, Magnolia Network in addition to feature films. "America the Bountiful" airs on TPT; find the schedule and episodes at tpt.org.

The winners will be announced on June 14 in Chicago. Find the full list, which encompasses book, broadcast media and journalism categories, at jamesbeard.org.