A Look Back

The Gaudium Awards 2020

A virtual celebration honoring distinguished achievement while responding to the urgent food insecurity created by the COVID-19 crisis.

October 14, 2020 6:00 p.m. Virtual Event

The 2020 Honorees

Achievement, ideas and service

The Breukelein Institute honored three distinguished leaders in food writing, public affairs and music, together with two longtime members of the Brooklyn community.

Author, Food Expert & Editor

Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl’s influential career has encompassed restaurant criticism, magazine editing, memoir, fiction, television and cookbooks. After beginning her food career in California, she served as restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and later The New York Times.

As editor of Gourmet, she helped broaden the magazine’s cultural and culinary reach. Her acclaimed books include Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires and Save Me the Plums. She has received multiple James Beard Foundation awards.

Political Historian & Author

Andrew Bacevich

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Andrew Bacevich served in the U.S. Army and retired with the rank of colonel. He later earned a Ph.D. in American diplomatic history from Princeton University.

Professor Emeritus of History and International Relations at Boston University, he has written extensively about American foreign policy, military history and national security. He is also a co-founder and former president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Composer & Conductor

Sir James MacMillan

Scottish composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan has created a major body of orchestral, choral and sacred music performed around the world. His works include The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, The Sacrifice and the St John Passion.

His Roman Catholic faith and Scottish heritage have deeply informed his work. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000 and received a knighthood in 2015.

The Gaudium Award of Merit

Dr. Alice Beal and Judge William Kuntz

Dr. Alice Beal, Medical Director of Palliative Care at the Brooklyn VA Hospital, and Judge William Kuntz of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York were honored for their professional service and longstanding commitment to the Brooklyn community.

Responding to the COVID Crisis

Organizations supported in 2020

The 2020 grants focused on two organizations confronting a sharp rise in hunger and food insecurity across Brooklyn and New York City.

Louise’s Pantry at Nazareth Housing

Providing food and essential support to New Yorkers facing hardship, housing instability and unprecedented need during the pandemic.

The Campaign Against Hunger

Expanding access to nutritious food and emergency assistance for families affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.

Watch the Program

Gaudium Awards 2020

Watch the complete virtual awards presentation and revisit the honorees, remarks and special appeal supporting hunger relief during the COVID-19 crisis.

Watch on YouTube

Explore more Gaudium Awards history

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