Know of a Creative Phoenix Foodie Who Deserves $500? Nominate 'em for a Big Brain Award

The Phoenix food scene is a pretty amazing place. Just about every day, it seems, new restaurants, farmers' markets and food trucks are opening for business. Ditto for other creative pursuits around this town -- in the visual arts, music, design, fashion and more. Lucky us. To show our gratitude,...

By Amy Silverman

February 23, 2012

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The Phoenix food scene is a pretty amazing place. Just about every day, it seems, new restaurants, farmers' markets and food trucks are opening for business. Ditto for other creative pursuits around this town -- in the visual arts, music, design, fashion and more.

Lucky us. To show our gratitude, for the third year Phoenix New Times is looking for your suggestions of who should win our Big Brain Awards -- our chance to recognize the ground-floor creatives who make this a special place to live.

We're giving away $500 each to five Valley residents.

New Times is taking nominations through March 5 in the categories of fashion, visual art, performing art, design and (drumroll, please) culinary art.

Know of a foodie just emerging on the scene? Tell us about him or her! Two years ago, Natalie Morris took home the prize; last year it was Hey Joe!, the Filipino food truck. Remember, we're not talking about the Chris Biancos of our world -- chances are, the winner will be someone we never heard of (or at least, didn't know well) before you told us about them.

It just takes a moment to make a nomination, so please click here and do it.

In March we'll announce and profile three finalists in each category; winners will be revealed in early April at New Times' Artopia party -- and you're all invited. Details coming soon.

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Amy Silverman is the former managing editor of Phoenix New Times. She is a two-time winner of the Arizona Press Club’s Journalist of the Year award. Her work has appeared on the radio show This American Life and in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Lenny Letter, and Brain, Child.