Zee Zest Unlimit Awards, one of India’s leading platforms recognising excellence across food, travel and lifestyle, has officially opened registrations for its 2026 edition. With the theme ‘Redefining Excellence’, the upcoming awards aim to celebrate individuals, brands and experiences that are shaping creativity, quality and cultural influence within India’s fast-evolving food and lifestyle ecosystem.

According to a press release issued by the network, the 2026 edition continues to build on the credibility of the awards with a carefully curated range of categories spanning restaurants, cafés, bars, bakeries, spirit brands, breweries, experiential dining concepts, hospitality ventures and content creators.

A key differentiator of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards remains its expert-led evaluation process, overseen by a distinguished jury comprising some of the most respected names in the food and hospitality space.

The jury panel includes veteran food critic Rashmi Uday Singh, restaurateur and hospitality entrepreneur AD Singh, acclaimed chef Rahul Akerkar, celebrated chef and F&B consultant Sneha Singhi Upadhaya, chefpreneur and television presenter Ajay Chopra, renowned food writer Priya Ganapathy, mixologist Nitin Tewari, luxury hospitality and lifestyle curator Karishma Sakhrani and food writer Rukhsana Kapadia, among others. Their collective expertise is expected to ensure a rigorous and credible selection process that balances craftsmanship, innovation and cultural relevance.

Registrations for the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards 2026 are now open and will remain live until January 21, 2026, the media company said. Establishments, brands and individuals from across the country can submit their nominations across multiple categories through the official awards platform.

Speaking on the upcoming edition, Rahul Rao, Chief Channel Officer, Zee Zest, said the awards have consistently recognised those who raise the bar and influence the future of India’s food, travel and lifestyle narrative. He added that the 2026 edition will continue to celebrate originality, consistency and innovation that reflect the spirit of contemporary India.

The previous edition of the awards witnessed strong participation from across the industry, bringing together celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality leaders, creators and media personalities. It featured presentations by prominent culinary figures such as celebrity chefs like Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Hemant Oberoi, reinforcing the platform’s standing within the food, hospitality and lifestyle ecosystem.

The event also saw an impressive gathering of cultural and creative voices, including Bollywood actors Nushrratt Bharuccha, Adah Sharma and Aparshakti Khurana, along with Mrunal Thakur, Bobby Deol, Javed Jaffrey, Manoj Bajpayee, Babil Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Chitrangada Singh, Aditi Govitrikar, Sara Afreen and Sumona Chakravarti. Influencers and public figures such as Miss Malini, RJ Malishka and South Korean pop star Aoora were also part of the celebrations.