José Andrés Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

The chef receives award for his humanitarian efforts

As 2025 starts, President Joe Biden announced 19 recipients of the United States’ highest civilian honor — the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award is presented to, “individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” according to a White House statement.

Andrés was presented with the award in a ceremony on January 4th for his humanitarian efforts through World Central Kitchen, an organization he founded in 2010 after responding to a major earthquake that devastated much of Haiti. Andrés and a team of chefs cooked black beans to provide sustenance and emotional support to people forced to flee their homes to survive.

Since forming World Central Kitchen (WCK), Andrés and his team have traveled to places ravaged by storms, earthquakes, and war. In 2017, for instance, WCK served more than four million meals in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María ravaged it.

The work is dangerous as evidenced this past August, when seven WCK members were killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. Despite that tragic outcome, WCK continues to do its important work. Recently, WCK distributed holiday cheer in Ukraine, Gaza, Asheville, and Valencia.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom isn’t the first time Jose Andres has been recognized for his humanitarian efforts. The chef was named the James Beard Foundation’s 2018 Humanitarian of the Year. He was also nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize — once in 2018 and again in January 2024.

Andrés was in good company last week.

Fellow Medal of Freedom recipients included Bono for his charitable organizations ONE and (RED), Hillary Rodham Clinton for her decades of public service, Michael J. Fox for advocating for Parkinson’s disease research and development, Tim Gill for advancing LGBTQI rights, Jane Goodall for advocating for animals, Fannie Lou Hamer for advancing racial justice in America, Magic Johnson for founding the Magic Johnson Foundation, Robert F. Kennedy for serving as Attorney General and combatting racial segregation, Ralph Lauren for his work in the fight against cancer and the preservation of the Star-Spangled Banner, Lionel Messi for his Leo Messi Foundation and work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Bill Nye the Science Guy for his work as CEO of the Planetary Society and as a vocal advocate for space exploration and environmental stewardship, George W. Romney former Governor of Michigan, David M. Rubenstein, for his support for the restoration of historic landmarks and the country’s cultural institutions, George Soros for the founding of the Open Society Foundations, George Stevens, Jr. for founding the American Film Institute and creating the Kennedy Center Honors, Denzel Washington for serving as national spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of American for more than a quarter of a century, and Anna Wintour for her roles as fashion icon and leading architect of the annual Met Gala.