Top Chef

For the most recent season, see Top Chef: Destination Canada. For international versions, see Top Chef (franchise).

Top Chef
Genre	Reality competition Cooking show
Presented by	Katie Lee Padma Lakshmi Kristen Kish
Starring	Top Chef contestants
Judges	Tom Colicchio Gail Simmons Ted Allen Toby Young Eric Ripert Anthony Bourdain Hugh Acheson Emeril Lagasse Wolfgang Puck Richard Blais Graham Elliot Nilou Motamed
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	22
No. of episodes	330 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Dan Cutforth Jane Lipsitz Casey Kriley
Running time	42 minutes
Production company	Magical Elves Productions
Original release
Network	Bravo
Release	March 8, 2006 (2006-03-08) – present

Top Chef is an American reality competition television series which premiered on Bravo in March 2006. The show features chefs competing against each other in culinary challenges. The contestants are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry, with one or more contestants eliminated in each episode. The show is produced by Magical Elves Productions, the company that created Project Runway . ^[1]

The success of the show has resulted in multiple spin-offs, such as Top Chef Masters , Top Chef: Just Desserts , Top Chef Junior , Top Chef Amateurs , and Top Chef Family Style , as well as Spanish-language spin-offs, including Top Chef Estrellas and Top Chef VIP . Numerous international adaptations of the show have also been produced.

The series has been renewed for a twenty-third season, which will be filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina. ^{[2] [3]}

Show format

Basic format

Top Chef is a cooking show that uses a progressive elimination format. The beginning of each season starts with twelve to nineteen professional chefs selected through auditions. The chefs are brought to the season's host city or state, which typically inspires themes throughout the season. The chefs live in a provided apartment, house, or hotel during the season, with limited access to outside communication. In each episode, the chefs participate in a Quickfire Challenge and an Elimination Challenge (described below). The winner of the Quickfire Challenge is typically granted immunity from elimination, a prize, or another benefit for the following Elimination Challenge. As the name suggests, the loser of the Elimination Challenge is eliminated from the competition. This format continues until two or three chefs remain. Each finalist is then challenged to create a full-course meal; the chef with the best meal, as determined by the judges, is declared the "Top Chef". Towards the end of the season, when only four or five chefs remain, the show moves to another location to finish out the competition.

In the Quickfire Challenge, chefs must cook a dish that meets certain requirements (for example, using specific ingredients or inspiring a particular taste) or participate in a culinary-related challenge (for example, a mise en place relay race or a taste testing contest). They are usually given an hour or less to complete these tasks. The Quickfire Challenge traditionally begins with the host saying, "Your time starts now," and ends with the host saying, "Hands up, utensils down." ^[4] A guest judge selects one or more chefs as the best in the challenge. Early in the season, the winning chef(s) are granted immunity from the episode's Elimination Challenge. As the number of contestants dwindles, immunity is withdrawn, and instead, the winner receives an advantage (such as being the team leader for a team challenge or getting the first pick of ingredients) or a prize (such as chef's knives, wine, or cash). To emphasize the culture and environment of Season 6's Las Vegas setting, the show introduced "High-stakes Quickfire Challenges," which feature extravagant rewards, usually a large cash prize upwards of US$10,000. High-stakes Quickfire Challenges continued onward in further seasons. Season 12 of Top Chef introduced the "Sudden Death Quickfire Challenge," where the chef with the least successful dish faces immediate elimination unless they win a cook-off against another competitor.

In the Elimination Challenge, the chefs prepare one or more dishes to meet the challenge requirements, often including a specific theme, and are usually more complex and require more time to execute than a Quickfire Challenge. Elimination Challenges may be individual challenges or require chefs to work in teams; some may require the contestants to produce several courses. Teams may be selected by the remaining chefs, but are more often determined by a random process such as "drawing knives" from a knife block. The time limit for an Elimination Challenge may range from a few hours to a few days, typically including preparation and planning time. Ingredients for Elimination Challenges generally allow chefs access to the Top Chef pantry and the ingredients they previously purchased at a grocery store within a specified budget and shopping time limit. However, certain challenges may provide specific ingredients or limit the type or number of ingredients used, while others require non-traditional methods for obtaining ingredients (such as asking people door-to-door or fishing). After shopping, the contestants will cook for up to four judges, usually including at least one guest judge. In most cases, the contestants also cook for a group of guest diners.

After the Elimination Challenge, the chefs report to the Judges' Table, where the judges deliberate on their choices for the best and worst dishes. The judges may also consider guests' comments, if available. The top individuals or teams are called in and may be asked questions about their dishes or preparation before they are notified of their placement. One or more chefs are named the winner of the challenge and may be awarded an additional prize by the guest judge. The same procedure is repeated with the poorest performing chefs or teams, after which a similar discussion occurs. From this group, one or more chefs are chosen for elimination, with the host asking the chef(s) to leave by saying, "Please pack your knives and go." This is usually followed by a knife-packing sequence for the eliminated chef(s), with a voice-over of their final thoughts about their performance, at the close of the episode. Contestants are judged strictly on a challenge-by-challenge basis and cumulative performance is not considered. According to the credits, some elimination decisions are made in consultation with the show's producers.

The season winner is awarded a cash prize, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and an appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. The prize money was $100,000 for Seasons 1-5. It was increased to $125,000 for Seasons 6-7 and 9-16, with a temporary $200,000 prize for Season 8. It was then permanently increased again to $250,000, beginning with Season 17. ^[5] Furthermore, a fan vote is held each season to determine the Fan Favorite, which features an additional $10,000 reward.

Special formats

Midway through each season, the contestants participate in a "Restaurant Wars" (or similarly named) Elimination Challenge. They are split into two teams, created by the previous Quickfire Challenge winner or by drawing knives. In these teams, the chefs must transform an empty space into a functioning pop-up restaurant within a set time limit and budget, selecting and creating the name, theme, décor, and menu. Typically, one team member is designated the role of executive chef, who is responsible for managing the kitchen and expediting food, while another team member is designated as front of house, who is responsible for training the waitstaff and managing the dining room. Various seasons have introduced twists to the standard Restaurant Wars formula. For example, Season 4 featured not only Restaurant Wars, but a "Wedding Wars" challenge as well. Season 16 introduced the challenge much earlier in the season, during its fourth episode, and utilized three teams instead of the usual two. Season 6 and Season 20 allowed chefs to work in an existing restaurant infrastructure, with the latter removing the front of house position in favor of multiple trained servers and a professional maître d' .

In the final Elimination Challenge, the two or three remaining chefs must prepare a multiple-course dinner with the assistance of sous chefs. These sous chefs could be previously eliminated contestants, members of the contestants' families, or celebrity chefs. The winner is selected based on the overall quality of their meal. There is typically no Quickfire Challenge during this episode.

Last Chance Kitchen

The Last Chance Kitchen is a web series, first introduced in Season 9, featuring challenges in which the contestants compete for a chance to re-enter the main competition. Each week, two or more previously eliminated chefs compete against each other in the Top Chef kitchen, with the results typically judged alone by Tom Colicchio. Each week's winner(s) moves on to face the next eliminated Top Chef contestant(s), while the loser is eliminated from the competition for good. Initially, only the winner of the final episode of Last Chance Kitchen returned to compete. However, beginning with Season 15, the format was changed to allow two chances to re-enter.

Seasons

Main article: List of Top Chef episodes

Season	Subtitle	Winner	Runner(s)-up		Fan Favorite	Original air dates
1	San Francisco	Harold Dieterle	Tiffani Faison		N/A	March 8 – May 24, 2006
2	Los Angeles	Ilan Hall	Marcel Vigneron		Sam Talbot	October 18, 2006 – January 31, 2007
3	Miami	Hung Huynh	Dale Levitski	Casey Thompson	Casey Thompson	June 13 – October 13, 2007
4	Chicago	Stephanie Izard	Lisa Fernandes	Richard Blais	Stephanie Izard	March 12 – June 11, 2008
5	New York	Hosea Rosenberg	Stefan Richter	Carla Hall	Fabio Viviani	November 12, 2008 – March 4, 2009
6	Las Vegas	Michael Voltaggio	Bryan Voltaggio	Kevin Gillespie	Kevin Gillespie	August 19 – December 16, 2009
7	D.C.	Kevin Sbraga	Ed Cotton	Angelo Sosa	Tiffany Derry	June 16 – September 15, 2010
8	All-Stars	Richard Blais	Mike Isabella		Carla Hall	December 1, 2010 – April 6, 2011
9	Texas	Paul Qui	Sarah Grueneberg		Chris Crary	November 2, 2011 – March 7, 2012
10	Seattle	Kristen Kish	Brooke Williamson		Sheldon Simeon	November 7, 2012 – February 27, 2013
11	New Orleans	Nicholas Elmi	Nina Compton		Nina Compton	October 2, 2013 – February 5, 2014
12	Boston	Mei Lin	Gregory Gourdet		N/A	October 15, 2014 – February 11, 2015
13	California	Jeremy Ford	Amar Santana		Isaac Toups	December 2, 2015 – March 17, 2016
14	Charleston	Brooke Williamson	Shirley Chung		Sheldon Simeon	December 1, 2016 – March 2, 2017
15	Colorado	Joe Flamm	Adrienne Cheatham		Fatima Ali	December 7, 2017 – March 8, 2018
16	Kentucky	Kelsey Barnard Clark	Sara Bradley		Kelsey Barnard Clark	December 6, 2018 – March 14, 2019
17	All-Stars L.A.	Melissa King	Bryan Voltaggio	Stephanie Cmar	Melissa King	March 19 – June 18, 2020
18	Portland	Gabe Erales	Shota Nakajima	Dawn Burrell	Shota Nakajima	April 1 – July 1, 2021
19	Houston	Buddha Lo	Evelyn Garcia	Sarah Welch	Damarr Brown	March 3 – June 2, 2022
20	World All-Stars	Buddha Lo	Sara Bradley	Gabri Rodriguez	Amar Santana	March 9 – June 8, 2023
21	Wisconsin	Danny Garcia	Dan Jacobs	Savannah Miller	Michelle Wallace	March 20 – June 19, 2024
22	Destination Canada	Tristen Epps-Long	Shuai Wang	Bailey Sullivan	N/A	March 13 – June 12, 2025
23	Carolinas [3]	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	2026 [3]

Spin-offs

Top Chef Masters (2009–13)

Main article: Top Chef Masters

Top Chef Masters features established, award-winning chefs, in contrast to Top Chef, which typically features younger, up-and-coming chefs. The series debuted on June 10, 2009, with contestants including Rick Bayless, John Besh, Michael Chiarello, Wylie Dufresne, Jonathan Waxman and Hubert Keller. As of 2013, five seasons have been produced and aired. During its first two seasons, food journalist Kelly Choi hosted the show, while restaurant critic Gael Greene, culinary expert and Saveur editor-in-chief James Oseland, and food critic Jay Rayner served as judges. ^[6] Beginning with the third season, celebrity chef Curtis Stone replaced Choi as host. ^[7]

Top Chef: Just Desserts (2010–11)

Main article: Top Chef: Just Desserts

Top Chef: Just Desserts is a spin-off of the Top Chef format featuring pastry chefs. Bravo announced the series on October 25, 2009. ^[8] The show was hosted by Top Chef regular Gail Simmons. The judging panel included pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini, Top Chef Masters finalist Hubert Keller, and DailyCandy's "editor-at-large" Dannielle Kyrillos. ^[9] The show debuted on Bravo on September 15, 2010, following the seventh season finale of Top Chef. The series was cancelled after two seasons. ^[10]

Top Chef Healthy Showdown (2011)

Top Chef Healthy Showdown is a special webisode series aired in 2011 sponsored by Healthy Choice. It featured former Top Chef contestants Sara Nguyen (Season 3), Ryan Scott (Season 4), Casey Thompson (Season 3, Season 8), and Tre Wilcox (Season 3, Season 8) competing in a series of Quickfire Challenges to win $25,000 and inspire a Top Chef line of Healthy Choice entrées. ^[11] The series was hosted by Curtis Stone; Ryan was declared the winner of the competition.

Life After Top Chef (2012)

Main article: Life After Top Chef

Life After Top Chef is a spin-off featuring former Top Chef contestants Richard Blais, Jennifer Carroll, Spike Mendelsohn, and Fabio Viviani, which focuses on various aspects of their lives, from managing and opening a restaurant to dealing with family dynamics and personal issues. The series premiered on October 3, 2012. ^[12]

Top Chef Estrellas (2014)

Main article: Top Chef Estrellas

Top Chef Estrellas is a Spanish-language spin-off featuring Hispanic celebrities competing to win $100,000 for their charity of choice. ^[13] It was hosted by actress Aylín Mújica and judged by chefs Lorena Garcia, Jaime Martín Del Campo, and Ramiro Arvizu. ^[13] As part of the adaptation, eliminated celebrities were not sent home, but rather became sous-chefs for the remaining contestants. ^[13] The series premiered on Telemundo on February 16, 2014. ^[13]

Top Chef Duels (2014)

Main article: Top Chef Duels

Top Chef Duels brings back contestants from past seasons of Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, pitting them against each other in head-to-head challenges. ^[14] The winner of each match-up advanced to the season finale, where one chef received $100,000. ^[14] The series premiered on August 6, 2014. ^[15]

Top Chef Junior (2017–18)

Main article: Top Chef Junior

Top Chef Junior is a spin-off series originally ordered in 2008 for an eight-episode run on Bravo. ^{[16] [17]} The show had never aired, nor is it known if any episodes were produced at that time. However, nine years later, Top Chef Junior was mentioned as part of the initial lineup for Universal Kids, an NBCUniversal-owned children's channel launched on September 9, 2017. ^[18] The series features young chefs between the ages of 9–14. ^[19] It was hosted by actress Vanessa Lachey, with Top Chef Masters and Top Chef Duels host Curtis Stone serving as its head judge. ^[19] The first season of Top Chef Junior premiered on October 13, 2017, and its second season premiered on September 8, 2018. ^{[20] [21]}

Top Chef Amateurs (2021)

Main article: Top Chef Amateurs

Top Chef Amateurs is a spin-off featuring home cooks competing in head-to-head challenges drawn from past seasons of Top Chef. ^[22] Production of the show began in October 2020 in Portland, Oregon, following the filming of Top Chef: Portland . ^[22] The series was hosted by Gail Simmons and premiered on July 1, 2021. ^{[22] [23]}

Top Chef Family Style (2021)

Main article: Top Chef Family Style

Top Chef Family Style is a spin-off featuring young chefs teaming up with adult family members to compete for $100,000. ^[24] The series was ordered in May 2021 by streaming service Peacock. ^[24] It is hosted by singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor with Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson serving as head judge. ^[24] The series premiered on September 9, 2021, and episodes from the series made their linear premiere on Bravo in 2022. ^[25]

Top Chef VIP (2022–present)

Main article: Top Chef VIP

Similar to Top Chef Estrellas, Top Chef VIP is a Spanish-language spin-off featuring Hispanic celebrities competing for $100,000. ^[26] It is hosted by actress Carmen Villalobos and judged by chefs Antonio de Livier, Adria Marina Montaño and Juan Manuel Barrientos. ^[26] The series premiered on Telemundo on August 9, 2022. ^[26]

International adaptations

Main article: Top Chef (franchise)

Other media

Top Chef University

Top Chef University is a comprehensive online culinary school involving 12 courses and over 200 in-depth video lessons. The program takes participants through a structured program of the basics (knife skills, kitchen set-up, ingredients) to advanced culinary techniques (sous-vide, molecular gastronomy). The instructors at Top Chef University consist of the series' most successful and popular former contestants. Enrollment costs $25 for a monthly membership and $200 for an annual membership. ^[27]

Top Chef: The Game

Top Chef: The Game is a computer game released by Brighter Minds for PCs. It challenges players to create the best dish from items in a virtual pantry. Games magazine gave the game an unfavorable review, calling it a "quick cash-in... for an undiscriminating audience." ^[28]

TV dinners

To make certain dishes available to viewers who watch Top Chef but do not have time to prepare them, Schwan's Home Service started offering Top Chef—branded frozen meals in late 2009. ^[29]

Cookbooks

On March 20, 2008, Chronicle Books released Top Chef: The Cookbook, with a foreword by Tom Colicchio. ^[30] On September 30, 2009, Chronicle Books released Top Chef: The Quickfire Cookbook, with a foreword by Padma Lakshmi. ^[31] On July 14, 2010, Chronicle Books released How to Cook Like a Top Chef, with a foreword by Rick Bayless. ^[32]

Reception

Time magazine's James Poniewozik named Top Chef one of the Top 10 Returning Series of 2007, ranking it at #10. ^[33] In December 2023, Variety ranked Top Chef #97 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time. ^[34]

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

Main article: Primetime Emmy Awards

Year	Category	Nominee(s)	Result [35] [36] [37]
2007	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Craig Spirko, Gus Dominguez (for "Seven")	Nominated
2008	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Paul Starkman (for "Finale, Part 1")	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming	Kevin Leffler, Vikash Patel, Marc Clark, Annie Tighe, Steve Lichtenstein, Sue Hoover, Katherine Griffin (for "First Impressions")	Won
2009	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Tim Spellman (for "The Last Supper")	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming	Annie Tighe, Alan Hoang, Adrienne Salisbury, Kevin Leffler, Katherine Griffin, Sue Hoover, LaRonda Morris (for "The Last Supper")	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming	Steve Hrynewicz (for "The Last Supper")	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program	Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio	Nominated
2010	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Won
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Tim Spellman (for "Vivre Las Vegas")	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming	Adrienne Salisbury, Matt Reynolds, Jamie Pedroza, LaRonda Morris, Steve Lichtenstein, Kevin Kearney, Katherine Griffin (for "Vivre Las Vegas")	Nominated
2011	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Tim Spellman (for "Give Me Your Huddled Masses")	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming	Kevin Kearney, LaRonda Morris, Bri Dellinger, Michael Lynn Deis, Chris Colombel, Tom Danon, Jeff Nemetz (for "Give Me Your Huddled Masses")	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming	Paul Starkman (for "Give Me Your Huddled Masses")	Nominated
2012	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Ari Boles (for "Fit For An Evil Queen")	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming	Tony Rivard, Chris Colombel, Jeannie Gilgenberg, Hans van Riet, Tony Fisher, Kent Bassett, Matt Reynolds (for "Fit For An Evil Queen")	Nominated
	Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media - Enhancement To A Television Program Or Series	Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen	Nominated
	Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Nonfiction Programs		Nominated
2013	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming	Ari Boles (for "Glacial Gourmand")	Nominated
	Outstanding Special Class - Short-Format Nonfiction Programs	Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen	Nominated
	Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media - Multiplatform Storytelling		Won
2014	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
2015	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
2016	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
2017	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
2018	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series	Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen	Nominated
2019	Outstanding Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
2020	Outstanding Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program	Matt Reynolds, David Chalfin, Mike Abitz, Eric Lambert, Jose Rodriguez, Dan Williams (for "The Jonathan Gold Standard")	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program	Ariel Boles (for "The Jonathan Gold Standard")	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program	Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio	Nominated
2021	Outstanding Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program	Steve Lichtenstein, Mike Abitz, Ericka Concha, Tim Daniel, George Dybas, Eric Lambert, Matt Reynolds, Daniel Ruiz, Dan Williams (for "Restaurant Wars")	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program	Ari Boles (for "Pan African Portland")	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program	Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons	Nominated
	Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program	Ron Mare	Nominated
	Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series	Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen	Nominated
2022	Outstanding Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program	Steve Lichtenstein, Ericka Concha, Tim Daniel, George Dybas, Eric Lambert, Anthony Rivard, Jay Rogers, Sarah Goff, Matt Reynolds, Clark Vogeler (for "Restaurant Wars")	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program	Ari Boles (for "Freedmen's Town")	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program	Padma Lakshmi	Nominated
	Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program	Samantha Hanks, Ron Mare	Nominated
	Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series	Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen	Nominated
2023	Outstanding Reality Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program	Steve Lichtenstein, Ericka Concha, Blanka Kovacs, Eric Lambert, Matt Reynolds, Jay M. Rogers, Brian Freundlich, Brian Giberson, Malia Jurick, Brian Kane, Daniel Ruiz, Anthony J. Rivard, Annie Tighe, Tony West (for Body of Work)	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program	Ariel Boles (for "London Calling")	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program	Padma Lakshmi	Nominated
	Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program	Ron Mare, Sena Rich, Erinlee Skilton	Nominated
2024	Outstanding Reality Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program	Steve Lichtenstein, Ericka Concha, George Dybas, Malia Jurick, Brian Kane, Chris King, Eric Lambert, Joon Hee Lim, Matt Reynolds, Jay M. Rogers, Daniel Ruiz, Reggie Spangler, Annie Tighe (for Body of Work)	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program	Kristen Kish	Nominated
2025	Outstanding Reality Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated
	Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program	Ariel Boles (for "Foraged in Fire")	Nominated
	Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program	Kristen Kish	Nominated

Other awards

Year	Association	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2008	James Beard Foundation Media Awards	Best Television Food Special	"Top Chef Holiday Special"	Won	[38]
2011	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Top Chef: All-Stars	Nominated	[39]
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Reality Series - Competition	Top Chef	Nominated	[40]
2014	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Reality Series - Competition	Top Chef	Nominated	[41]
2020	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.	Nominated	[42]
2021	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Top Chef: Portland	Nominated	[43]
	Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Cable or Streaming Reality Series, Competition Series, or Game Show	Top Chef	Nominated	[44]
2022	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Top Chef: Houston	Nominated	[45]
	Critics' Choice Real TV Awards	Best Competition Series	Top Chef	Won	[46]
		Best Culinary Show		Won	[46]
		Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series		Nominated	[46]
		Best Show Host	Padma Lakshmi	Won	[46]
		Female Star of the Year		Nominated	[46]
	Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Cable Reality Show or Competition Series	Top Chef	Nominated	[47]
2023	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Top Chef	Nominated	[48]
	Critics' Choice Real TV Awards	Best Culinary Show	Top Chef	Won	[49]
		Best Show Host	Padma Lakshmi	Won	[49]
		Star of the Year		Nominated	[49]
	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Reality Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated	[50]
2024	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming	Top Chef	Nominated	[51]
	Critics' Choice Real TV Awards	Best Competition Series	Top Chef	Nominated	[52]
		Best Culinary Show		Won	[52]
		Best Show Host	Kristen Kish	Nominated	[52]
	People's Choice Awards	Host of the Year	Padma Lakshmi	Nominated	[53]
2025	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Reality	Top Chef	Nominated	[54]
	Critics' Choice Real TV Awards	Best Competition Series	Top Chef	Nominated	[55]
		Best Culinary Show		Nominated	[55]
		Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series		Nominated	[55]
		Best Show Host	Kristen Kish	Nominated	[55]
	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Reality Competition Program	Top Chef	Nominated	[56]

U.S. television ratings

Season	Season premiere		Season finale
	Date	US viewers (millions)	Date	US viewers (millions)
1	March 8, 2006 (2006-03-08)	1.30 [57]	May 24, 2006 (2006-05-24)	1.50 [58]
2	October 18, 2006 (2006-10-18)	1.87 [59]	January 31, 2007 (2007-01-31)	3.89 [60]
3	June 13, 2007 (2007-06-13)	2.02 [59]	October 3, 2007 (2007-10-03)	3.08 [61]
4	March 12, 2008 (2008-03-12)	2.26 [62]	June 11, 2008 (2008-06-11)	3.51 [63]
5	November 12, 2008 (2008-11-12)	2.70 [64]	February 25, 2009 (2009-02-25)	3.74 [65]
6	August 19, 2009 (2009-08-19)	2.60 [66]	December 9, 2009 (2009-12-09)	3.40 [67]
7	June 16, 2010 (2010-06-16)	1.80 [68]	September 15, 2010 (2010-09-15)	2.70 [69]
8	December 1, 2010 (2010-12-01)	1.70 [70]	March 30, 2011 (2011-03-30)	2.77 [69]
9	November 2, 2011 (2011-11-02)	1.59 [71]	February 29, 2012 (2012-02-29)	1.85 [72]
10	November 7, 2012 (2012-11-07)	—	February 27, 2013 (2013-02-27)	1.85 [73]
11	October 2, 2013 (2013-10-02)	—	February 5, 2014 (2014-02-05)	1.70 [74]
12	October 15, 2014 (2014-10-15)	1.09 [75]	February 11, 2015 (2015-02-11)	0.96 [76]
13	December 2, 2015 (2015-12-02)	0.80 [77]	March 17, 2016 (2016-03-17)	1.17 [78]
14	December 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)	0.80 [79]	March 2, 2017 (2017-03-02)	1.29 [80]
15	December 7, 2017 (2017-12-07)	0.88 [81]	March 8, 2018 (2018-03-08)	0.93 [82]
16	December 6, 2018 (2018-12-06)	0.83 [83]	March 14, 2019 (2019-03-14)	0.91 [84]
17	March 19, 2020 (2020-03-19)	0.76 [85]	June 18, 2020 (2020-06-18)	1.04 [86]
18	April 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)	0.82 [87]	July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01)	0.89 [88]
19	March 3, 2022 (2022-03-03)	0.70 [89]	June 2, 2022 (2022-06-02)	0.69 [90]
20	March 9, 2023 (2023-03-09)	0.61 [91]	June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)	0.68 [92]
21	March 20, 2024 (2024-03-20)	0.49 [93]	June 19, 2024 (2024-06-19)	0.67 [94]
22	March 13, 2025 (2025-03-13)	0.47 [95]	June 12, 2025 (2025-06-12)	0.46 [96]

See also

• List of Top Chef contestants

References

1. Tartaglione, Nancy (February 3, 2014). "Tinopolis Group Acquires 'Top Chef' Producer Magical Elves". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
2. Clements, Erin (July 23, 2025). "Top Chef Reveals New Southern Location for Season 23 (Exclusive)". People . Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
3. Leasca, Stacey (July 23, 2025). "Exclusive: 'Top Chef' Just Revealed Its Next Filming Location — and It's a Southern Gem". Food & Wine . Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
4. Perkins 2011, p. 2.
5. Perkins 2011, p. 3.
6. Reyhani, Monica A. (February 10, 2009). "Top Chef Masters News!". Bravo . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
7. Stanhope, Kate (January 13, 2011). "Bravo Renews Top Chef, Bethenny and Five More". TV Guide . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
8. Schneider, Michael (October 25, 2009). "'Desserts' on 'Top Chef' menu". Variety . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
9. Forbes, Paula (July 1, 2010). "Top Chef: Just Desserts Judges Announced! Johnny Iuzzini, Hubert Keller, Dannielle Kyrillos". Eater. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
10. Graser, Marc (November 6, 2012). "Fresh ingredients infuse 'Top Chef'". Variety . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
11. "Top Chef Vets Square Off in 'Healthy Showdown'". Bravo . September 14, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
12. "Bravo Media Ventures Outside the Kitchen in "Life After Top Chef" Premiering Wednesday, October 3 at 10 PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic . August 27, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
13. Valdez, Maria G. (January 25, 2014). "'Top Chef Estrellas' Telemundo: Christian Chávez, Nancy Álvarez, Lorena Herrera And More To Compete In Latino Spin-Off". Latin Times . Retrieved March 24, 2016.
14. Prudom, Laura (June 4, 2014). "'Top Chef Duels' Sets Premiere Date, Celebrity Judges To Include Shailene Woodley, Pink". Variety . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
15. "'Top Chef Duels' Premieres in August: All the Details!". Bravo . June 4, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
16. Rocchio, Christopher; Rogers, Steve (June 11, 2008). "Bravo developing 'Top Chef Junior' spinoff for young teenage chefs". Reality TV World. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
17. Levine, Stuart (June 11, 2008). "Bravo order chef shows". Variety . Retrieved March 23, 2016.
18. Barnes, Brooke (April 30, 2017). "NBCUniversal Is Building Its Own Children's Channel". The New York Times . Retrieved April 30, 2017.
19. Mizoguchi, Karen (May 12, 2017). "Vanessa Lachey and Curtis Stone Join Top Chef Junior as Host and Head Judge". People . Retrieved May 13, 2017.
20. Kinane, Ruth (September 14, 2017). "Top Chef Jr. competition heats up in kitchen boot camp sneak peek". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 10, 2017.
21. Hall, Gerrad (August 2, 2018). "See which young chefs make the cut in Top Chef Junior season 2 special". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 9, 2018.
22. Aurthur, Kate (October 20, 2020). "'Top Chef Amateurs' Set at Bravo for 2021 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved October 21, 2020.
23. "Bravo's Newest Culinary Competition "Top Chef Amateurs" Premieres Thursday, July 1 at 9 PM ET/PT" (Press release). Bravo. May 20, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
24. Shanfeld, Ethan (May 13, 2021). "Peacock Orders 'Top Chef,' 'Below Deck' Spinoffs". Variety . Retrieved May 13, 2021.
25. Pedersen, Erik (August 19, 2021). "Peacock Sets Premiere Dates For 'American Ninja Warrior Junior' Season 3, New 'Frogger' & 'Top Chef Family Style' – Watch The Trailers". Deadline Hollywood .
26. "'Top Chef VIP' is Coming: When and How to Watch". Telemundo . August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
27. Kludt, Amanda (May 17, 2010). "Top Chef University Gets You 'Top Chef Certified' for Just $200". Eater. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
28. McDonald, Thomas L. (May 2009). "Eat Any Good Games Lately?". Games Magazine : 65–67.
29. Stein, Joel (November 30, 2009). "Can Top Chef TV Dinners Live Up to Billing?". Time . Retrieved March 24, 2016.
30. "Bravo Media Announces "Top Chef: The Cookbook" Published by Chronicle Books". The Futon Critic . January 9, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
31. "Bravo Media Announces Brand Extensions with Multiple Licensing Partnerships". The Futon Critic . April 13, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
32. Miller, Emily Wise (July 14, 2010). How to Cook Like a Top Chef. Chronicle Books. ISBN   978-0811874861.
33. Poniewozik, James (December 9, 2007). "Top 10 Returning TV Series". Time . Retrieved September 20, 2010.
34. "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Variety. December 20, 2023.
35. "Top Chef". Television Academy. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
36. "Bravo's Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen". Television Academy. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
37. "Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen". Television Academy. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
38. "WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2008 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION MEDIA AWARDS" (PDF). June 6, 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
39. "The Television Critics Association Announces 2011 TCA Awards Nominees". Television Critics Association . June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
40. Sanger, Craig (June 19, 2011). "Critics' Choice Television Awards". The Washington Times . Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
41. Sandberg, Bryn (June 19, 2014). "Critics' Choice Television Awards 2014: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
42. "2020 TCA Award Nominations". Television Critics Association . July 9, 2020. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
43. "2021 TCA Award nominees". Television Critics Association . July 15, 2021. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
44. Neglia, Matt (August 29, 2021). "The 2021 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) TV Award Winners". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
45. "2022 TCA Award nominees". Television Critics Association . June 16, 2022. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
46. "4th Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards – List of Nominees and Winners". Critics Choice Association . June 12, 2022. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
47. Neglia, Matt (August 13, 2022). "The 2022 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) TV Award Winners – Night One (Broadcast Network & Cable)". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
48. "2023 TCA Award nominees". Television Critics Association . June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
49. "5th Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards – List of Nominees and Winners". Critics Choice Association . May 16, 2023. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
50. "The Nominees for the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD . Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
51. "2024 TCA Award Nominees". Television Critics Association . June 18, 2024. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
52. "6th Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards – List of Nominees and Winners". Critics Choice Association . June 15, 2024. Archived from the original on March 22, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
53. Wood, Becca (February 18, 2024). "Here is a complete list of 2024 People's Choice awards winners". Today . Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
54. "2025 TCA Award nominees". Television Critics Association . July 9, 2025. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
55. ""THE TRAITORS" Leads Winners of the Seventh Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards with Three Wins". Critics Choice Association . May 29, 2025. Archived from the original on June 10, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
56. "36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Nominees". GLAAD . Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
57. "Season Finale of Bravo's 'Project Runway' Smashes Record to Become Most Viewed Telecast in Network History". The Futon Critic . March 9, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
58. "Top Chef Finishes as the #1 Food Show on Cable". The Futon Critic . May 25, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
59. "Bravo's "Top Chef 3 Miami" Returns as No. 1 Food Show on Cable". The Futon Critic . June 14, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
60. "Nearly 3.9 Million Total Viewers Feasted on Second Season Finale of 'Top Chef,' Propelling Finale to #1 Telecast on Cable for the Night and Besting ABC's "Primetime" in Head-To-Head Competition". The Futon Critic . February 1, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
61. "Bravo's 'Top Chef 3: Miami' Finale No. 1 Cable EnT. Program Attracting More Than Three Million Total Viewers". The Futon Critic . October 4, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
62. "Bravo's "Top Chef: Chicago" Fourth Season Premiere Up 11%, Firing Up More Than Two Million Total Viewers". The Futon Critic . March 13, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
63. "Bravo's "Top Chef" Finale Is Most Watched Cable Telecast of the Day in A18-49". The Futon Critic . June 12, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
64. "Bravo's "Top Chef: New York" Sizzles with Highest Rated Premiere Ever, Up Double Digits Across All Demographics". The Futon Critic . November 13, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
65. "Bravo's "Top Chef: New York" Stirs Up Highest Rated Season Ever". The Futon Critic . February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
66. "Bravo's "Top Chef: Las Vegas" Hit the Jackpot as the No. 1 Cable Telecast of the Day". The Futon Critic . August 20, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
67. "Top Chef Finale Cooks Up 3.4 Million Viewers". TV by the Numbers . December 10, 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
68. De Moraes, Lisa (June 18, 2010). "'Top Chef: D.C.' debuts to low ratings on Bravo". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
69. "Bravo's "Top Chef All-Stars" Finale Cooks Up Highest Rated Episode of the Season, Up from Previous Season Finale". The Futon Critic . March 31, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
70. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Terriers' Finale Up; 'Top Chef All-Stars' Down; 'Psych' Ratings "Peak" & More". TV by the Numbers . December 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
71. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'South Park,' 'American Horror Story' Lead + 'Psych,' 'Real World,' 'Mythbusters' & More". TV by the Numbers . November 3, 2011. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
72. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Sons of Guns' and 'Psych' Return, 'Battle of the Exes' Still on Top". TV by the Numbers . March 1, 2012. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
73. "Bravo Media's "Top Chef" Finale Hits Season High in All Key Demos, Earning Over 1.85 Million Live Same Day Viewers". The Futon Critic . February 28, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
74. "Bravo Media's "Top Chef" Finale Sizzled Last Night Earning Season High Ratings in All Key Demos with 1.7 Million Total Viewers". The Futon Critic . February 6, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
75. Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2014). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'American Horror Story' Wins Night, 'South Park', 'Teen Mom 2', Baseball, 'Impact Wrestling' & More". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
76. Kondolojy, Amanda (February 22, 2020). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'The Game', 'Wahlburgers' NBA Basketball & More". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
77. Metcalf, Mitch (December 3, 2015). "UPDATED SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Update: 12.2.2015". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
78. Welch, Alex (March 21, 2016). "Thursday cable ratings: 'WWE Smackdown' ticks up". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
79. Metcalf, Mitch (December 2, 2016). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.1.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
80. Metcalf, Mitch (March 3, 2017). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.2.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
81. Metcalf, Mitch (December 8, 2017). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.7.2017". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
82. Metcalf, Mitch (March 9, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.8.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
83. Salem, Mitch (December 7, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.6.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
84. Metcalf, Mitch (March 15, 2019). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.14.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
85. Metcalf, Mitch (March 20, 2020). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals &Network Finals: 3.19.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
86. Metcalf, Mitch (June 18, 2020). "Showbuzzdaily's Top 150 Thursday's Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.18.2020". Showbuzz Daily. United States. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
87. Metcalf, Mitch (April 2, 2021). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.1.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
88. Bunch, Rebecca (July 8, 2021). "Thursday Cable Ratings 7/1/21: Top Chef Rises for Finale, The Cube Rebounds, Morning Joe Goes Low". The TV Ratings Guide. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
89. Metcalf, Mitch (March 4, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Thursday 3.3.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
90. Metcalf, Mitch (June 3, 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Thursday 6.2.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
91. Metcalf, Mitch (March 10, 2023). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Thursday 3.9.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
92. Metcalf, Mitch (June 9, 2023). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Thursday 6.8.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
93. Pucci, Douglas (March 21, 2024). "Wednesday Ratings: truTV Among Key Demo Leaders with March Madness 'First Four' Action". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
94. Pucci, Douglas (June 21, 2024). "Wednesday Ratings: 'Top Chef' on Bravo Hits Season-High in Demos with 21st Season Finale". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
95. Pucci, Douglas (March 14, 2025). "Thursday Ratings: CBS and TNT Share the Lead in Most Key Primetime Figures". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 15, 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
96. Pucci, Douglas (June 13, 2025). "Thursday Ratings: Cable Networks Lead Prime Time with NHL and Breaking News". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on June 14, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2025.

Bibliography

• Perkins, Arthur (2011). Chef Wars: Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Top Chef-Just Desserts. Charleston, South Carolina: Author House. ISBN   978-1451521818.

External links

• Official website
• Production website
• Top Chef at IMDb