NEW YORK, NY — Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" Season 3 returns with a brand new format and 12 new award-winning chefs hungry to compete for the title of "Top Chef Master 2011" and win $100,000 for their charity. This season, the masters will no longer be judged on a scale, but in elimination style challenges just as the tried and true format of the original "Top Chef." In each episode, money will be at stake, with the winners of every quickfire challenge winning $5,000 and elimination challenges winning $10,000 for their designated charities. As previously announced, celebrity chef Curtis Stone will serve as the newly appointed host of the series along with returning judge and culinary expert, James Oseland, and new series judge, the legendary food critic and author, Ruth Reichl. The third season of "Top Chef Masters" premieres on Wednesday, April 6 at 11 p.m. ET/PT and will move to its regular time period on April 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

"Top Chef Masters" pits 12 world-renowned chefs against each other to see how well they fare in fierce culinary competition. Each week will whittle down the chefs until the finale where one winner is crowned "Top Chef Master" and receive the grand prize of $100,000 for the charity of their choice. With so much money at stake, the chefs are bringing more than their knives to the table; they're bringing their egos and stirring up the drama. The chefs must face off in some of the most difficult challenges we've seen thus far - including the infamous restaurant wars - and they're serving up food for some master entertainers and celebrity guest judges including: Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, pop/rock group Maroon 5 and pop sensation Kelis, among others.

Following are the 12 "Top Chef Masters" Season 3 competing chefs:

• Hugh Acheson - Chef/ Partner of Five& Ten, The National, Gosford Wine—in Athens, Georgia, and Empire State South in Atlanta, Georgia; Competing for Wholesome Wave Foundation.

• Floyd Cardoz - Former Executive Chef/Partner of Tabla and soon-to-be Executive Chef/Partner of a new Danny Meyer restaurant; Competing for Young Scientist Cancer Research Fund.

• John Currence - City Grocery Restaurant Group in Oxford, Mississippi; Competing for No Kid Hungry.

• Traci Des Jardins - Chef/Co-owner of Jardiniere in Mijita Cocina Mexicana and Public House and Manzanita in San Francisco, California; Competing for La Cocina.

• George Mendes - Chef/Co-Owner of ALDEA in Manhattan, New York; Competing for charity: Water.

• Mary Sue Milliken - Co-Chef/ Owner of Border Grill Restaurants and Truck in Los Angeles, California; Competing for Share Our Strength.

• Naomi Pomeroy - Owner: Beast in Portland, Oregon; Competing for Seed Savers Exchange.

• Suvir Saran - Executive Chef of Devi in New York, New York; Competing for Agricultural Stewardship Association.

• John Rivera Sedlar - Owner of Playa in Los Angeles, California; Competing for American Diabetes Association.

• Alex Stratta - Executive Chef of Stratta in Las Vegas, Nevada; Competing for Faster Cures, part of the Milken Prostate Cancer Foundation.

• Celina Tio - Chef/Owner of Julian Restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, Competing for Harvesters.

• Sue Zemanick - Executive Chef of Gautreau's in New Orleans, Louisiana; Competing for the Louisiana SPCA.


The second season of "Top Chef Masters" averaged over 1 million adults 18-49 and over 1.6 million total viewers. The series is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Magical Elves with Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz serving as executive producers.


Source: Source: Nielsen Media Research, L7 data.