TOP CHEF JUNIOR Crowns Winner of Season 2: NYC's 12-Year-Old Chef Nikki Bidun Wins

UNIVERSAL KIDS crowned 12 year-old Chef Nikki Bidun of New York City as the season two TOP CHEF JUNIOR winner on Saturday after a gastronomic showdown. THE RUNNER-UP was 12 year-old Londyn Green from Atlanta, GA. The culinary kid drama, based on Bravo Media's critically acclaimed and Emmy-award winning competition series Top Chef, featured twelve chefs ages 10-13 from across the country.

"These two young chefs dazzled us all season long with their talent and dedication," said TOP CHEF Junior head judge Curtis Stone. "We're proud to name Nikki the next 'Top Chef Junior' and cannot wait to watch what's to come in her culinary journey."

The season finale brought Nikki and Londyn in a head-to-head challenge comprised of cooking a three course meal inspired by their family, a friend, and their journey on TOP CHEF Junior. Season 2 contestants Olivia, Noah, Carson, and Rogers served as sous chefs for the finalists. The meal was judged by special guest Emeril Lagasse, recurring guest judges Tiffany Derry and Graham Elliot, as well as host Vanessa Lacheyand head judge Curtis Stone. In a close deliberation, Nikki was awarded the coveted title of "Top Chef Junior" and a $50,000 cash prize.

Chef Nikki started working in THE KITCHEN at two years old. As an only child, Nikki wanted to be a part of the action in THE KITCHEN while her parents made dinner, enjoying tasks such as cracking eggs and decorating cookies and cakes. Living and dining in New York City, and riding shotgun to her parents' passion for travel, Nikki has been introduced to new cuisines, cultures and styles which inspire her to create and experiment with seasonal ingredients and use new and classical cooking techniques.

Nikki embodies a fierce competitive nature that gives her the drive to overcome obstacles. After missing the cut for the first season of TOP CHEF Junior, Nikki worked harder than ever to study and practice her craft to be one of the Top 12 chefs chosen for season 2. When she's not in the kitchen, Nikki brings her competitive teamwork spirit to the soccer field where she's a goalie. Winning TOP CHEF Junior has inspired her to take more chances in THE KITCHEN and continue to learn from the chefs who influence her growth as a chef.

To view photos of the TOP CHEF Junior finale click here.

Top Chef Junior is produced by Magical Elves, the Emmy Award-winning team behind Top Chef. For more information please visit www.universalkids.com and join the conversation at #TopChefJr.

About Universal Kids:

Universal Kids represents the world of NBCUniversal family brands. As a kid-focused ecosystem with great TV content at the center, Universal Kids is programmed for the 2-12 year old audience, with a fresh mix of animated content, unscripted entertainment, and proven international hits. Launched in September 2017 and available in over 56 million homes, Universal Kids is available for kids and families across all platforms, including on air, online, On Demand and via mobile with the Universal Kids app.

About Magical Elves:

Magical ELVES is the award-winning production team behind some of the highest quality documentary, unscripted and digital series found across all media platforms. Since the company was founded, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz have been nominated for numerous awards, winning Emmys for both "Top Chef" (Bravo) and its digital COUNTERPART "Last Chance Kitchen," a Peabody for "Project Runway"in 2007 and an IDA award for "Time of Death" (Showtime). Other credits include: "Project Runway" (Bravo), "Nailed It" (Netflix), "Sugar Rush" (Netflix) "Top Chef Junior" (Universal Kids), "Chasing Cameron" starring digital celebrity Cameron Dallas (Netflix), "Project Greenlight" (HBO), "Cold Justice" (Oxygen), "Braxton Family Values" (WE), and "Fashion Star" (NBC). Feature films include the critically acclaimed "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never", "Katy Perry: Part of Me" and "Under The Electric Sky" which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert documentary, "Soul 2 Soul" (Showtime). Magical ELVES joined forces with international media producer and distributor The Tinopolis Group in 2014.

Watch the finale opening clip here:

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