‘Lumpia Queen’ Abi Marquez is now a James Beard Awards nominee!

Abi Marquez has reached another milestone: The Lumpia Queen is among the nominees in the prestigious James Beard 2024 Media Awards, earning a nod in the social media account category.

The food content creator took to Facebook to announce the good news. Being nominated for a James Beard Award is a “dream," she said.

She began with a joke, writing, “ABI MARQUEZ??? Idk her."

"I only know [the] JAMES BEARD NOMINATED ABI MARQUEZ,” she continued in the caption, saying it was “another incredible international recognition for Filipino food and talent."

"This is literally my dream,” she added. 

Abi made sure to thank her followers for “allowing her to do what she loves for a living” and her family and friends for their support.

According to the James Beard Foundation website, the social media account category recognizes excellence in a food-related social media account or platform. Last year, it was Erwan Heussaff who won the award for the category.

This year, Abi is up against USA’s KJ Kearney also known as Black Food Fridays and Chinese content creator Randy Lau for the award. 

The James Beard nomination follows another accolade for Abi, who was named People’s Voice Winner in the General Social: Food & Drink Category of the 28th Webby Awards.

With over 3.3 million followers on TikTok, Abi is one of the leading food creators in the Philippines. One of her most famous videos is a Jollibee-inspired peach mango pie created with lumpia wrappers. 

Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards is considered as the prestigious honors in the culinary world, often compared to the Oscars of the food industry. Named after James Beard, a celebrated American chef, author, and teacher, these awards recognize excellence in cuisine, culinary writing, and culinary education in the United States. They cover a wide range of categories, including Best Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Baker, and Outstanding Bar Program, among others.

— Jade Veronique Yap/LA, GMA Integrated News