Nagi Maehashi wins cookbook award, beating rival she accused of plagiarism

RecipeTin Eats founder Nagi Maehashi won the Illustrated Book of the Year category in the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) for RecipeTin Eats – Tonight, beating nominee Brooke Bellamy, who Maehashi recently accused of copying her recipes without attribution in Bellamy’s cookbook.

Bellamy insists the accusations are false and says she has faced relentless online harassment since Maehashi came forward with her claim. Maehashi responded to the news of online attacks with a plea to her fans: “Please stop the trolling,” she said. “Now I know I’ve made serious allegations, but this does not justify the personal attacks that I’ve seen online against Brooke Bellamy. I do not support it, and I’m asking you to stop.”

Meanwhile, the publisher of Bellamy’s book stands behind the author, saying through its attorneys: “Our client respectfully rejects your client’s allegations and confirms that the recipes in [Bake with Brooki] were written by Brooke Bellamy.”