Three Maine chefs have been nominated for the James Beard Award, the highest honor bestowed by the culinary profession.

In a ceremony held Monday morning in New York City, chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, co-owners of Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, were nominated for “Best Chef: Northeast” for the fifth time in a row. Rob Evans of Hugo’s in Portland was nominated for the second time.

The awards, established in 1990 and named after one of America’s best-known chefs, are widely considered the Oscars of the culinary world. Chefs tend to be nominated multiple times before winning, so the Arrows chefs may have a good chance at taking home the medal this year.

Other nominees in the “Best Chef: Northeast” category are Patrick Connolly of Radius in Boston; Michael Leviton of Lumière in West Newton, Mass.; and Marc Orfaly of Pigalle in Boston. Leviton and Orfaly were also nominated last year.

Maine’s first and only James Beard Best Chef award winner is Sam Hawyard of Fore Street in Portland, who took home the prize in 2004. Hayward was a semi-finalist in the “Outstanding Chef” category this year, but was not nominated.

The awards will be presented June 8 in a black-tie ceremony at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. Some of the country’s best chefs prepare the food for the event – Sam Hayward will be a guest chef this year – so if you go, be prepared to leave a big tip: Tickets to the gala cost $450.