In ranking the most accomplished pizza makers on the planet, The Best Pizza Awards has had the last word for 2024, following the 50 Top Pizza ranking released in September.
Seventeen Americans made a list of the world’s 100 best pizza chefs at the awards ceremony held in Milan, Italy, on September 30. The awards, a project organized by The Best Chef and powered by Molini Pizzuti, ranked Franco Pepe of Pepe in Grani, located in Caiazzo, Italy, at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year.
Americans didn’t quite crack the top 10, but Mark Iacono, owner of Lucali in New York, came close at No. 12, while Dan Richer of Jersey City’s Razza Pizza Artigianale claimed the No. 16 spot and Sarah Minnick, the pizzaiola behind Lovely’s Fifty Fifty in Portland, Oregon, was ranked No. 20.
Click here to see the full list of the top 100 pizza chefs.
Una Pizza Napoletana owner Anthony Mangieri, named the best pizza maker in the world earlier this year by Italy-based 50 Top Pizza and featured on PMQ’s April 2024 cover, was ranked at No. 28 by The Best Chef.
Debuting in this year’s list and representing small-town America and the Deep South was Marisol Doyle, co-owner and pizza chef at Leña Pizza & Bagels. Ranked No. 83 in the world, Doyle makes her Neapolitan-style pies in a small, cozy spot in Cleveland, Mississippi, and was featured on PMQ’s November 2023 cover. In addition, Leña was named one of the best pizzerias in the U.S. by The New York Times in June.
Giorgia Caporuscio, another recent PMQ cover subject (May 2024) came in at No. 84 as the owner of Don Antonio in New York. And Juan Gabriel Perez, a speaker at PMQ’s Pizza Power Forum last month and the executive chef at Posto in Boston, took the No. 60 spot. PMQ spotlighted Perez in a website-exclusive story on July 8.
PMQ also hailed No. 24 Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza as one of the country’s “most fascinating pizza makers” in an April 12 website feature.
Here’s the full list of American pizza chefs ranked as the best in the world by The Best Chef:
No. 12: Mark Iacono, Lucali, New York
No. 16: Dan Richer, Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City
No. 20: Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland
No. 21: Tony Gemignani, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco
No. 24: Wylie Dufresne, Stretch Pizza, New York
No. 28: Anthony Mangieri, Una Pizza Napoletana
No. 34: Massimo Laveglia, L’Industrie Pizzeria, New York
No. 47: Vince Krone, Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Portland, Oregon
No. 48: William Sang Woo Joo, Pizzeria Sei, Los Angeles
No. 51: Justin De Leon, Apollonia’s Pizzeria, Los Angeles
No. 52: Alejandro Diaz, Jose Maria Cardenas and Santiago Huen, Miami Slice, Miami
No. 60: Juan Gabriel Perez, Posto, Boston
No. 62: Pete Ternes, Middle Brow, Chicago
No. 64: Salvatore Carlino, Lucia, New York
No. 67: Daniele Uditi, Pizzana, Los Angeles
No. 83: Marisol Doyle, Leña Pizza + Bagels, Cleveland, MS
No. 84: Giorgia Caporuscio, Don Antonio, New York
Franco Pepe, meanwhile, confirmed his status as one of the most influential and appreciated figures in the international pizza scene by holding on to the No. 1 spot. Second place was taken by Rafa Panatieri and Jorge Sastre, founders of Sartoria Panatieri in Barcelona, while third place went to Simone Padoan of I Tigli in San Bonifacio, Italy.
Pepe “has revolutionised the world of pizza, transforming the Alto Casertano area into a true center of gastronomic excellence, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world,” according to a press release from The Best Pizza Awards. “Thanks to his innovative vision, he has managed, through the Pizza Mediterranea project, to emphasize the right balance among macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins and lipids—changing the collective imagination that considers pizza as a ‘guilty pleasure.’ Through his work, Franco Pepe not only elevates Italian gastronomic culture, but also demonstrates how pizza can be part of a balanced diet, contributing to overall well-being without sacrificing taste, becoming a custodian of the region’s excellence and its historical and cultural values.”
Overall, The Best Pizza Awards feature master pizza makers from 29 countries and 72 cities. The awards are “based on the opinions expressed by the candidates themselves, who vote by selecting 10 colleagues, as well as the preferences of a number of experts from the gastronomic world, whose votes play a role in the process,” the press release explains. “This selection method guarantees a neutral and transparent approach, in which the winners are determined by the preferences of industry professionals, free from external influences or subjective judgements.”
“We are thrilled to have experienced an extraordinary event, full of emotions, in which Milan welcomed the best stars of the pizza world,” said Antonio Ruotolo, director of The Best Pizza Awards. “Every year it is an ever greater pleasure to organize an initiative of this caliber, which continues to grow and provide unique satisfaction.”
Along with the top 100 ranking, several special prizes were awarded in the following categories:
The Best Pizza Science Award: Raffaele Bonetta of Raf Bonetta Pizzeria (Pozzuoli, Italy), won this prestigious award, “distinguishing himself for research, technical experimentation and transformation of raw materials.”
The Best Pizza Art Award: In this category, Amalia Costantini of Mater (Fiano Romano, Italy) was honored for her artistic talent and for “transforming her dishes into works of art, almost too nice to eat.”
The Best Pizza Next Award: Ito Yuichi of Crosta and Bianca Omakase, both in Makati, The Philippines, is the young up-and-comer “who has shown outstanding talent and…is on the verge of great success in the pizza world.”
The Best Pizza Pastry Award: Jacopo Mercuro of 180Grammi Pizzeria Romana (Rome, Italy), won this award by presenting the best version of a sweet pizza.
The Best Fried Pizza Award: Isabella De Cham of Isabella De Cham Pizza Fritta (Naples, Italy) was reconfirmed, for the second consecutive year, as “the queen of fried pizza, combining tradition and evolution.”
The Best Pizza Experience Award: This prize went to Tsubasa Tamaki of Pizza Studio Tamaki (Tokyo, Japan), which “has become a true landmark in the city. His pizzeria is now a must-visit destination for all pizza lovers, so much so that anyone visiting Tokyo cannot help but stop by his place for a unique gastronomic experience.”
The Best Pizza Margherita Award: In addition to claiming the overall No. 2 spot, Rafa Panatieri and Jorge Sastre of Sartoria Panatieri (Barcelona) won this award by “creating the most delicious Margherita pizza, despite the simplicity of its ingredients.”
The Best Pizza Identity Award: Cristian Santomauro of L’Ammaccata-Antica Pizza Cilentana (Casal Velino, Italy) won this new prize for “his ability to interpret pizza in a deeply authentic way, conveying a unique and genuine message. The aim of this award is to honor those who, through their creation, carry on a tradition that enhances their territory and all its peculiarities.”
Additionally, The Best Pizza Awards gave special recognition for “Excellence in Ethical and Inclusive Communication” to the television program, “Pizza Girls.” The program was celebrated for “highlighting ethics and inclusivity, giving voice and visibility to talented female pizza makers, the stars of an innovative and inspiring culinary story.” Carlo Fumo received the award as the creator and director of the show.
“We would like to thank all the participants and professionals for helping to make this edition [of The Best Pizza Awards] unforgettable,” Ruotolo said. “We are already looking forward to organizing the next edition, with many new features that will leave everyone in awe. We are sure that the next event will be even more surprising and full of emotions!”
