9th Annual TASTE Awards Special Achievement Honorees Announced

medal-new-goldv2The 9th Annual TASTE AWARDS are proud to announce

The Special Achievement Award Winners (Honorees).

Award Winners will receive their honors in late March 2018 at a Red Carpet Awards celebration in Los Angeles.

The Red Carpet awards event featured a star-studded lineup of food and fashion TV celebrities, including winners, nominees and presenters.

More details at www.TheTasteAwards.com

SEE BELOW THE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS (HONOREES),


SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AND HONOREE AWARD WINNERS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PIONEER AWARD
TBA TBA
BREAKOUT FOODIES OF THE YEAR BREAKOUT FASHIONISTAS OF THE YEAR
Chef Shock (Twitch), The Food Flirts (PBS), Donal Skehan, Byron Talbott, First We Feast, Brothers Green Eats Shannon Barker, Sammi Maria, Kia Maria, Anastasjia Louise, Arika Sato, Paige Norri
BREAKOUT STORYTELLERS OF THE YEAR OUTSTANDING VISION
Family Meal (feature film), Zest (short film), Swarovski – The Mask TBA
OUTSTANDING PASSION OUTSTANDING INSPIRATION
Action Bronson, Jet Tila Tieghan Gerard (@halfbakedharvest), Sophie Roe (@sophiaroe)
STYLEMAKER AWARD OUTSTANDING ANIMATION FILM
Proclamation Punctuation (short film), Bloomberg Pursuits (Bloomberg Television), Vanessa Ziletti, Jenn Im Coco, Loving Vincent
 SPOTLIGHT AWARD GUILTY ADDICTION OF THE YEAR
The Chi (Showtime) Bong Appetit (Viceland), Ella Woodward (@deliciouslyella), You Suck at Cooking
BEST INTERACTIVE E-BOOK PERSON OF THE YEAR
Smartee Plate: Teddy Finds Her Balance Kylie Jenner, Dua Lipa
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA SHORT
SONG OF THE YEAR
Hobo Chefin (Good Catch Films) Bon Appetit (Katy Perry)
BEST VIRTUAL REALITY FILM OR DOCUMENTARY
FOOD TV CHAMPION AWARD, PRESENTED BY SCHILTZ GOOSE FARM
Praying from Afar Howard Helmer


OUTSTANDING MOBILE APPS
BEST ETHNIC LIFESTYLE FILM AND DOCUMENTARY (BLACK/LATINO/ASIAN)
TBA Godspeed (Asian), Lucky Chow (Asian) Living with Phyllis “The Mo’ Jazz Fest” (Black), Craving Cuba (Latin), The Latin Kitchen
OUTSTANDING TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION BEST ACTION SPORTS,  ADVENTURES, OR OUTDOORS FILM
TBA Wherever the Wind Takes, Dedicate: Diving Free
GREAT TASTE PRIZE:Culinary Tastemakers GREAT TASTE PRIZE:Hollywood Tastemakers
TBA George Chen (China Live), Cindy Chen (China Live), Additional TBA
Marcel Vigneron, Additional TBA

The Home Baking Kits made famous on Shark Tank

This kit collection from Scratch & Grain Baking was featured on the television series “Shark Tank,” and allows you to go through the process of baking while giving you all of the pre-sorted and pre-measured ingredients beforehand.

Popstar Ananya Birla new Global Music Fave of DJ Afrojack

 

With nearly 7 million YouTube views of her certified platinum single Meant to Be and DJ Afrojack remix with almost 15 million views, international pop star Ananya Birla is building a female led empire and has emerged as a leading agent of social change and women’s rights in India and the world. In addition to selling millions of records and gracing international magazine covers, Ananya is a thriving entrepreneur who creates companies based upon giving power and support to women from her home country of India and around the world. Now she is here in America to conquer the States with her addictive new single, remarkable journey, music and message.

Below video: “Meant to Be

 

After releasing her debut international single Livin’ the Life, co-written by highly sought-after music producer Jim Beanz and later remixed by popular Dutch DJ Afrojack, the singer/song writer recently released her newest single Meant to Be. Birla’s latest dance track is shaping up to be another mega hit for the fast-rising pop sensation already becoming certified gold and her sensational music video generating almost 7 million views on YouTube in a mere 2 months. Ananya has always had a penchant for doing things differently, and as she taught herself to play the guitar using internet video tutorials, she created a love affair with music that only grew as time passed.

 

Before realizing her true talent and passion for music, Ananya had already cut out a spot for herself among the elite in the business world. While most teenagers at the age of 17 are getting ready to graduate high school and find their path in life, Ananya was creating her first start-up, Svatantra Microfinance. With a strong vision for helping the poor become economically self-sustainable, Ananya created the microfinance organization to support women entrepreneurs in the Indian rural areas to further grow their business. As of April 2016, the company had grown to more than 600 employees across 70 branches in four Indian states, and won the Gold Award for Best Start-Up. A woman with no limits, Ananya’s second business, CuroCarte, curates rare, high quality, handicrafts designed for the 21st century luxe society from across the globe and makes them accessible through an e-commerce platform.


Ananya’s Afrojak remix video for “Livin’ The Life” here:

Tasty Beverage made of 100% Virgin Cacao Juice

A drink made of 100% Virgin Cacao Juice is definitely worth trying, especially one made from the fruit and not the cacao nibs, and uses technology to be environmentally friendly

The Top 100 Hotels In The World

Elite Traveler, a leading private jet lifestyle magazine, has announced the Top 100 Hotels in the World for 2018.

For the second edition of this list, Elite Traveler presents updated picks of the properties that offer the most opulent hotel experiences. Hand selected by Elite Traveler’s editors, the list feature 14 new entries, including the spectacular Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland.

From basking in the foothills of a Unesco-designated wilderness reserve in British Columbia to rubbing shoulders with A List celebrities in Mexico , the collection offers a true ‘round the world’ variety of hotels frequented by those who travel by private jet.

Highlights Of The Top Hotels Include

1) Clayoquot Wilderness Reserve a completely outdoors hotel set inside a Unesco park where guests can be flown by helicopter to dine on the peak of a 3,000 ft tall mountain.

 

2) The Belmond Copacabana Palace regularly visited by the likes of Justin Bieber, Mick Jagger and Tom Cruise.

 

3) Explora Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico overlooking Lake Pehoé, this hotel is home to a huge 14,830-acre equine facility and sits at the bottom of the picturesque Patagonian mountains.

4) The Royal Suite at the Plaza, New York which features a library personally curated by Prosper Assouline.

5) The Royal Entourage at The Savoy, UK – where guests have the services of a bartender, spa therapist, stylist and beauty technicians, as well as the use of the American Bar which was recently voted Best Bar in the World for 2017.

6) The Four Seasons Hotel George V is the first hotel in Europe to house three Michelin-starred restaurants under one roof. Le Cinq, Le George and L’Orangerie have five stars between them making this an exceptional gourmand destination.

7) The Ritz Paris, France has recently undergone a $450 million renovation and is home to the world’s first Chanel spa, focused on fragrance, makeup and skin care.

 

The New Hotels for 2018

1) Qualia in Whitsundays, Australia – a favourite with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp, Qualia’s airy open interior overlooks the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef

2) Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland, Canada – while Fogo Island Inn’s spectacular suspended build may be the star of the show, each of the hotel’s 29 guest rooms offers spectacular views out onto the dramatic landscapes surrounding the hotel.

3) Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake, Four Seasons, Hangzhou, China – sitting in a set of tranquil gardens on the shores of the West Lake (a UNESCO World Heritage site) the Four Seasons at Hangzhou blends traditional Chinese architecture and design with all the luxuries expected from one of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands.

4) La Réserve Paris, Paris, France – With views over the Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais and the Panthéon, it’s easy to see why this beautiful French hotel makes our list, especially when you add in their two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Gabriel.

5) Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, Paris, France – With two restaurants, its own art gallery and a 99-seat cinema, Le Royal Monceau is putting in a big claim for the best hotel in Paris.

6) Hotel Eden, Rome, Italy – Having closed for just under 18 months, Hotel Eden reopened back in April 2017, bursting back onto the scene with 98 new rooms and suites, unmatched views across the Rome skyline and Europe’s first spa to offer treatments from award-winning skin-care pioneer Sonya Dakar.

7) One&Only Palmilla, San José del Cabo, Mexico – Situated in the very chic Los Cabos, the One&Only Palmilla features the area’s only swimmable beaches and offers guests remarkable views of the Sand José del Cabo and the Sea of Cortez.

8) The Royal Mansour, Marrakech, Morocco – If a series of restaurants headed up by a three-Michelin-starred chef and accommodation in the form of 53 individual three-story riads isn’t enough to entice you to The Royal Mansour, then maybe the fact that the hotel is the city’s highest point (other than the tower of the Koutoubia mosque) offering unrivalled views across Marrakech is enough of an attraction.

9) Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort, Dibba-Musandam, Oman – With its own private beach, a live-in guest-experience manager and its own Omani dhow cruise boat, the Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort is easily one of the country’s most luxurious hotels.

10) Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore – As the original Shangri-La Hotel, the Singapore outpost recently had a major makeover and is the perfect hotel to offer guests a peaceful getaway from the buzz of Singapore city centre.

11) La Residence, Franschhoek, South Africa – Overlooked by a series of beautiful mountains and surrounded by a series of vineyards and plum orchards, La Residence is a true sanctuary of calm, offering guests an amazing luxury hotel experience alongside quaint countryside views.

12) Chewton Glen, Hampshire, UK – The only British hotel to be added to the list for 2018, Chewton Glen is a gourmand’s heaven. Situated within 130 acres of beautiful forestry, the hotel is most well known for its amazing restaurant, The Dining Room, and for guests being offered the chance to receive cooking lessons from celebrity chef, James Martin.

13) Lanai, Four Seasons Resort, Hawaii, USA – After a somewhat sizeable cash injection from the fifth richest man in the world (aka Larry Ellison), Lanai has become the most desirable luxury destination in all of Hawaii. Sitting in an unspoiled and uncrowded island, the Lanai features some of the most aweinspiring nature you’ll ever see.

14) Plaza New York City, New York, USA – Set within a beautiful Beaux-Arts style building, The Plaza’s interior takes its inspiration from Louis XV interiors, with the Royal Suite featuring a grand piano and a personal library curated by Prosper Assouline.

See the full list of extravagant places to stay by visiting the Elite Collection Top 100 Hotels

www.elitetraveler.com/category/top-100-hotels-in-the-world

Celebrity Fashions on the Golden Globes Red Carpet

Women took the Golden Globes by storm this year. Sartorially speaking, many also wore black on the red carpet to symbolize support for social issues, although some still went with colors at the after parties. See our faves