Celebrity Judges Announced for 2024 Big Tex Choice Awards
August 18, 20204 – With the Fair season in full swing, that also means it’s time to crown the next winners of the 20th Annual Big Tex® Choice Awards. It’s no easy feat to make it to this point, considering there were 65 total entries submitted. These were then whittled down to 24 semi-finalists. Now, it all comes down to the final 10 that will compete live in the final round at this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards event. The esteemed panel of judges must choose which dishes can take home the titles of “Best Taste – Savory,” “Best Taste – Sweet,” and “Most Creative.” The panel of judges comes from a variety of culinary fields, from local celebrities to chefs; each person will have the enviable task of tasting these deep-fried delicacies at the Big Tex Choice Awards event on Thursday, August 22.
And now the moment that everyone has been looking forward to, the State Fair of Texas is proud to present this year’s judges who will serve as taste-testers for the iconic competition:
Brad Batson — Karbach Brewing Company
Brad Batson, a Dallas resident, is one of the Co-Founders of Karbach Brewing Company. Brad was part of the group that launched Karbach in 2011 and has been a pivotal contributor to its ascension to the second-largest brewery in Texas. Prior to founding Karbach, Brad led a beer import/export company named BELUKUS (Belgium, United Kingdom, United States), where thanks to his hard work and contribution to the Belgian Beer Industry he received the Riddeschap van de Roerstok der Brouwers, the Knighthood of the Brewer’s Mash Staff.
Leslie Brenner — Food and Beverage Personality
Leslie Brenner is a writer, editor, publisher, consultant, entrepreneur and food-and-beverage community thought-leader. Winner of two James Beard Journalism Awards and author of six books, Leslie founded her award-winning cooking website, Cooks Without Borders, in 2015, winner of a People’s Choice Webby Award this year. Previously, she directed food & beverage programming, marketing and media for Rebees, a Dallas-based place-creation company; there, she helped create and open Billy Can Can, Hatchways, and numerous other projects around the country. She was The Dallas Morning News’ longtime restaurant critic and dining editor and won a long list of prizes as food editor at The Los Angeles Times. She also runs her restaurant consultancy, Leslie Brenner Concepts.
Calvin Golden — Franchise Expert & Business Consultant
One of the most trusted and experienced franchise leaders in the DFW market, Calvin Golden is a prolific and multi-generational public speaker reaching young and more mature audiences alike. Calvin Golden joined the founder of Wingstop Restaurants Inc. in 1997. Their mission was to make Wingstop a viable franchise concept. He developed the first training program and manual, established construction standards, and negotiated the first product distribution agreement with a national food distributor. In 2005, Calvin was honored by Wingstop with their Lifetime Achievement Award and now serves on the board of Wingstop Charites. His mission is to share his story in hopes of inspiring and motivating others with the message: It’s Possible. Married to Shelia for 30 years, they have three adult children and 11 grandchildren.
Donovan Lewis — 96.7SportsRadio/1310 The Ticket Host
Donovan Lewis is the host of the World’s Most Dangerous Midday Show, The Invasion, on SportsRadio 96.7/1310 The Ticket station which airs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donovan was born in Dallas and graduated with a degree in Radio/TV from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce) in 1993. Donovan has worked at 570KLIF from 1993 to 2003 and 93.3 The Bone from 2003 to 2006 before starting at The Ticket in May of 2006. Donovan lives in Duncanville with his wife Yolanda and their very first date was at The State Fair of Texas back in 1993, and they still go multiple times during the run of the Fair every year.
Nikky Phinyawatana — Founder of Asian Mint Restaurant Group and ChefNikky.com
Nikky Phinyawatana is the charismatic chef behind the Chef Nikky lifestyle brand and the Asian Mint restaurant group, celebrating 20 years with five bustling locations in Dallas. Her passion for Thai cuisine and culture shines through in her award-winning cookbook, “Thai Food and Travel with Chef Nikky: Easy Thai Recipes to Feed Your Soul”, and her YouTube series, Thai Takeover, which demystifies Thai and Asian fusion cooking. In 2021, CultureMap’s Tastemaker Awards named her one of the Top 10 Best Chefs in Dallas. Nikky’s dedication to giving back is evident through her support of over 100 charities, schools, and nonprofit organizations. Nikky lives in Dallas with her husband and two children, always ready for the next delicious adventure.
The 2024 Big Tex Choice Awards will take place on Thursday, August 22 at 2:00 p.m. Although this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, the winners will be revealed live on our social media channels – @StateFairofTX. The 2024 State Fair of Texas opens Friday, September 27, and runs through Sunday, October 20. You can purchase season passes and premium tickets online at BigTex.com/Tickets.
