Milan once again became the center of the global pizza world as The Best Pizza Awards 2026 gathered leading pizza chefs, international journalists, and hospitality professionals for its most ambitious edition so far.
The event, powered by Molini Pizzuti, welcomed more than 500 guests, including 300 pizza chefs and 200 international journalists, for a night built around the theme of Legacy & Future — celebrating both the people who shaped pizza culture and those who are pushing it forward.
The Best Pizza Chef 2026
The highest recognition of the evening went to Francesco Martucci of I Masanielli in Caserta, who was named The Best Pizza Chef 2026 for the second consecutive year.
The leading three places reflected the strength and depth of the contemporary pizza scene. Roberto Davanzo of Bob Alchimia a Spicchi in Montepaone finished second, while Francesco Capece of Confine in Milan took third place.
More Than a Ranking
What makes The Best Pizza Awards important is not only the ranking itself, but the way it frames pizza as a global craft. The platform highlights chefs across regions, styles, and traditions, giving visibility to people who are pushing pizza forward through technique, identity, creativity, and consistency.
Alongside the Top 100, the 2026 edition introduced Ones to Follow, a non-ranked selection of fifty pizza chefs whose work deserves attention beyond the main list. Together, the Top 100 and Ones to Follow represented 150 pizza chefs from 39 countries across five continents.
"For Pag Pizza Academy, this matters because education is strongest when it is connected to the real global movement of the craft."
A Proud Moment for Pag Pizza Academy
For us at Pag Pizza Academy, this year’s edition carried a special meaning. Two of our instructors, Mario Markušić and Greg Yurkovich, were part of the wider recognition around The Best Pizza Awards 2026 — a quiet but important confirmation that the people teaching in Pag are connected to the same conversation as the world’s most respected pizza professionals.
Mario Markušić has been one of the key instructors from the beginning of the academy story. His experience, discipline, and understanding of professional pizza work helped shape the standards we want to pass on to every participant who comes to Pag.
Greg Yurkovich brings another kind of international perspective: knowledge, structure, and a deep understanding of how pizza culture is developing globally. His work connects education, hospitality, and the wider professional pizza scene in a way that fits naturally with what Pag Pizza Academy wants to become.
Why It Matters for Participants
Pag Pizza Academy was created to be more than a local course. The goal is to connect participants with people who understand what is happening at the highest level of pizza today — from dough and fermentation to service, consistency, identity, and career development.
When instructors are connected to international platforms such as The Best Pizza Awards, participants are not only learning recipes or isolated techniques. They are learning from people who are part of a broader professional standard and who understand where pizza is going next.
Legacy and Future, From Milan to Pag
The theme of this year’s awards — Legacy & Future — fits closely with what we are trying to build on Pag. Pizza is rooted in tradition, but it grows through people who are willing to learn, adapt, travel, teach, and share knowledge.
That connection between heritage and progress is exactly what Pag Pizza Academy wants to bring to the island. A place where young pizzaioli, enthusiasts, and professionals can learn the foundations properly, but also understand how pizza is changing around the world.
Seeing our instructors connected to one of the most respected global pizza platforms is a proud moment, but also a responsibility. It reminds us that the level of education we build on Pag has to stay ambitious, practical, and connected to the real world of pizza.
Congratulations to all chefs recognized at The Best Pizza Awards 2026, and especially to Mario Markušić and Greg Yurkovich. We are proud to have them as part of the Pag Pizza Academy story.
