For the food nerd set, the James Beard Awards are akin to the Oscars. Sunday night, media awards were handed out, and The Washington Post was the winner of the best newspaper food section this year. Tonight, the winners of the restaurant industry portion will be announced. You can follow the announcements as they happen on The James Beard Foundation’s Twitter feed starting at 6 p.m.

Look out for local nominees:
Outstanding Chef Award – Jose Andres, Minibar
Rising Star Chef of the Year – Johnny Monis, Komi
Best New Restaurant – Jose Andres, Bazaar (in Los Angeles)
Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic – Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve; Peter Pastan, Obelisk; Vikram Sunderam, Rasika