Mario Batali And Ted Allen Hosting James Beard Awards 2014

The 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception will be hosted by Mario Batali as Gala Chef Chair, and Ted Allen, as Master of Ceremonies, on May 5th at Lincoln Center, in The David Koch Theater.

The 2014 awards will feature a "Sounds of the City" theme that celebrates the relationship between music and cooking. Chef Batali will lead a team of chefs who will be preparing dishes inspired by their favorite sounds."

Meanwhile, brothers Matt and Ted Lee, authors of Charleston Kitchen will host the James Beard Foundation's nonprofit Books, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards on May 2ndat Gotham Hall, by invitation only. The list of semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards was announced on Feb. 19th, and the finalists will be announced at The Publican in Chicago on Tuesday, March 18thTickets for the 2014 Awards will also be available on the 18th.

Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.