NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Among the recipients of this year’s James Beard Award winners is one Nashville chef. Jake Howell, executive chef of Peninsula in East Nashville, was named best chef in the southeast at the 2025 James Beard Awards.

An East Nashville favorite has earned top recognition from the James Beard Foundation, one of the highest honors in American cuisine. Peninsula’s Jake Howell claimed the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast.

While accepting the honor, among the most prestigious in the culinary industry, Chef Jon Yao celebrating his city noting that it "is built by immigrants"