The highly anticipated 2025 Travel Media Awards is officially open for entries, celebrating its 11th year of recognising excellence in travel journalism, photography, and broadcasting. This prestigious event, set to take place at the Pan Pacific London on 13 October, introduces new and updated categories that reflect the evolving landscape of travel media.
A Platform for Recognition in Travel Media
Designed to honour outstanding contributions to travel media, the Travel Media Awards provides a unique platform for industry professionals to showcase their work. Entries are free of charge, and participants can submit work across 24 diverse categories. With submissions closing on 16 May, this is an unparalleled opportunity for writers, photographers, broadcasters, and content creators to gain industry-wide recognition.
New and Updated Categories for 2025
This year’s awards feature refinements and additions that highlight emerging trends and industry developments:
- Cruise Travel Writer of the Year – A brand-new category celebrating excellence in cruise travel journalism, recognising its growing influence in the travel industry.
- Broadcast Programme of the Year – Now divided into Audio and Video subcategories, ensuring fair recognition of content across different media platforms, including podcasts, television, and radio productions.
- Content Creator of the Year – Redesigned to better represent bloggers, vloggers, and social media travel influencers, acknowledging the expanding role of digital storytelling in travel media.
- Refined Existing Categories – Enhancements to categories such as Emerging Writer of the Year and Photography Award aim to provide greater clarity and encourage broader participation.
- Trade Publication of the Year – Previously split between print and digital platforms, this category is now unified into one award.
Celebrating a Decade of Excellence
Reflecting on over a decade of recognising travel media’s best talent, Giles Harper, co-founder of the Travel Media Awards and Managing Director of Travega, stated: “The Travel Media Awards is delighted to continue celebrating excellence within the industry. As we enter our 11th year, we look forward to receiving outstanding entries and honouring the most talented professionals at our ceremony in October.”
Anthony Leyens, joint co-founder and Chairman of APL Media Limited, added: “For more than ten years, we have showcased the exceptional achievements of the travel media industry. With new categories and an exciting venue, the 2025 awards will once again shine a spotlight on the industry’s leading talent.”
Key Dates for the 2025 Travel Media Awards
- 4 March – Entries Open
- 16 May – Submission Deadline
- 9 September – Finalists Announced
- 13 October – Awards Ceremony at Pan Pacific London
An Industry-Respected Judging Panel
The Travel Media Awards uphold strict judging criteria, ensuring a fair and transparent selection process. Each year, at least 25% of the judging panel is new, preventing repeat assessments in the same categories. In 2024, more than 60 respected figures from leading consumer and trade publications took part in the judging process, underscoring the event’s credibility.
With categories spanning both consumer and trade media, including National Broadsheet Newspaper Section of the Year, Sustainability Feature of the Year, and Accessible Travel Writer of the Year, the Travel Media Awards 2025 continues to be a landmark event for professionals across the travel media landscape.