First-timer Derek Wagner, of Nicks on Broadway, joins six-year nominee Champe Speidel, of Persimmon.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The 2015 James Beard Foundation Award nominations are in and Derek Wagner, chef/owner of the popular Nicks on Broadway in Providence, is a first time semifinalist for Best Chef Northeast.

He joins fellow Rhode Islander Champe Speidel of Persimmon on the list. It's a stunning sixth year in a row for Speidel, who will soon move his Bristol restaurant to Providence.

The two are among 20 semifinalists who will be voted on by an independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges. They will create a list of five finalists whose names will be announced on Tuesday, March 15.

The judging panel -- leading regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators, and past James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award winners -- then votes on the five nominees to select the winners.

Johanne Killeen and the late George Germon are the only Rhode Islanders to have won the Best Chef Northeast Beard Award. That was for Al Forno, in 1993.

Wagner was honored with a 2014 StarChefs sustainability award for his Nicks on Broadway, which focuses on ingredients from many local farms and small food artisans. He sits on the board of Chef's Collaborative, a national nonprofit network with a mission to build a better food system.

He opened in 2002 in a small space on Broadway serving breakfast, lunch and what quickly became one of the city's most popular brunches. He moved to 500 Broadway three years later, expanding to include a bar and full dinner service.

Speidel and wife Lisa opened Persimmon 10 years ago. It has consistently been among the top restaurants in the state, also having been nominated several times for Outstanding Service, a national Beard Award category.

Last month the Speidels purchased the building that housed the former Rue de l'Espoir on Providence's Hope Street last month and will move Persimmon to the larger space in the spring.

Both Wagner and Speidel are graduates of Johnson & Wales University.

Also nominated for the Northeast regional award, which includes chefs in the New England states and upstate New York are:

Unmi Abkin, Coco & The Cellar Bar, Easthampton, Massachusetts

Karen Akunowicz, Myers + Chang, Boston

Tyler Anderson, Millwright’s Restaurant, Simsbury, Connecticut

Erin French, The Lost Kitchen, Freedom, Maine

Eric Gabrynowicz, Restaurant North, Armonk, New York

Wesley Genovart, SoLo Farm & Table, South Londonderry, Vermont

Brian Hill, Francine, Camden, Maine

Aaron Josinsky, Misery Loves Co., Winooski, Vermont

Matt Louis, Moxy Restaurant, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Dan Magill, Arethusa al tavolo, Bantam, Connecticut

Zak Pelaccio, Fish & Game, Hudson, New York

Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, Massachusetts

Susan Regis, Shepard, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Guy Reuge, Mirabelle, Stony Brook, New York

Michael Scelfo, Alden & Harlow, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Keiko Suzuki Steinberger, Suzuki’s Sushi Bar, Rockland, Maine

Philip Tang, Banyan Bar + Refuge, Boston

Mike Wiley and Andrew Taylor, Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, Maine

This year, more than 20,000 entries were received when the Beard Foundation held an online open call last October. Ultimately, the Beard Restaurant and Chef Committee reviews all nominees to determine eligibility and regional representation.

Based on the results and eligibility requirements for each award, the committee then produces a nominating ballot that lists the semifinalists in each of the 21 Restaurant and Chef Award categories, including Best Chef in 10 U.S. regions as well as national awards for Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Service, Outstanding Bar Program, and Best New Restaurant.

The James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception will take place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 2. During the event, awards for the Restaurant and Chef and Restaurant Design categories will be handed out, along with special achievement awards including Humanitarian of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, and America’s Classics. A gala reception will immediately follow, featuring top chefs and beverage professionals from across the country.