2021-2022 SATW FOUNDATION
LOWELL THOMAS TRAVEL JOURNALISM COMPETITION
Judging was overseen by the University of Missouri School of Journalism with Emeritus Prof. John Fennell, Prof. Jennifer Rowe and administrative assistant Kim Townlain coordinating 24 judges this year. There were a near-record 1,438 entries.
From the menu at right, you can access more information about the 2022 winners. The List of Awards shows all winners by category, and the Winners Gallery provides the judges’ comments and links to winning entries in each category.
For competition information, contact the Foundation administrator, Victoria Larson, victoria@satwf.com.
Outside Magazine Earns 12 Awards, Leading Winners Among ‘Insightful’ Stories From Around the Globe
The 38th Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition presented more than 100 awards, chosen from a near-record 1,438 entries, led by Outside Magazine, which won 12 awards, The New York Times with 10 and nine for Travel + Leisure.
The awards were announced Sept. 10 at the SATW’s annual convention taking place this year in Bogotá Colombia. The winners in the 30 categories of the competition, overseen by the SATW Foundation, receive the premier professional recognition for travel journalists and communicators.
“Travel is back in full force as evidenced by this year’s SATW winning entries,” said John Fennell, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and coordinator of the 24 faculty members who evaluated articles, photography, videos, podcasts, and websites, among other works. “Travel journalists are again venturing forth across the world and returning with insightful stories, sound and images.”
This year, the contest included two new categories: For Coverage of Diverse Communities, gold was awarded to Tsering Ngodup Lama for “Tragedy and Resilience Among the Sherpa People of the Himalaya” on LonelyPlanet.com. Gold for Instagram Storytelling went to Cory Lee Woodard for “Accessibility With Virgin Voyages,” featured on CurbFreeCoryLee.
The Grand Award — Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the year — went to Stephen Hiltner, an editor and photojournalist for The New York Times; judges called his writing “lyrical and frank.”
The New York Times also won gold for Newspaper Travel Coverage that judges said provided “unique perspectives on typical and atypical story ideas.”
‘Insightful Stories, Sound and Images’ From Around the Globe Honored in 38th Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
September 10, 2022 — As travel and travel journalism continue to enjoy a resurgence, the 38th Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition presented more than 100 awards, chosen from a near-record 1,438 entries, led by Outside Magazine, which won 12 awards, The New York Times with 10 and nine for Travel + Leisure.
The winners in the 30 categories of the competition, overseen by the SATW Foundation, receive the premier professional recognition for travel journalists and communicators. The honors, which include $25,000 in prize money, were presented Sept. 10 in Bogotá, Colombia, the site of the SATW annual conference.
“Travel is back in full force as evidenced by this year’s SATW winning entries,” said John Fennell, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and coordinator of the 24 faculty members who evaluated articles, photography, videos, podcasts, and websites, among other works. “Travel journalists are again venturing forth across the world and returning with insightful stories, sound and images.”
The contest also included two new categories: For Coverage of Diverse Communities, gold was awarded to Tsering Ngodup Lama for “Tragedy and Resilience Among the Sherpa People of the Himalaya” in LonelyPlanet.com, which judges praise for bringing “to life the beauty of the landscape and the challenges of a difficult and demanding occupation.” Gold for Instagram Storytelling went to Cory Lee Woodard for “Accessibility With Virgin Voyages,” featured on CurbFreeCoryLee. Judges said, “He has a wonderful way of putting you into his perspective, so you get to explore alongside him.”
The Grand Award — Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the year — went to Stephen Hiltner, an editor and photojournalist for The New York Times; judges called his writing “lyrical and frank.” The New York Times also won gold for Newspaper Travel Coverage that judges said provided “unique perspectives on typical and atypical story ideas.”
Southbound magazine won gold in the Travel Magazines category and was cited for “capturing the personalities” of a range of destinations, from high-end resorts to Ozarks rustic. Midwest Living was awarded gold for Travel Coverage in General Magazines. Judges praised it for its reader service information, outdoor photography and stories that celebrate a variety of Midwest destinations.
The gold for Editorial Travel Website went to Fodors.com, which judges said did a “great job of putting exploration in the audience’s hands.”
Now in its second year, the Robert Haru Fisher Award for Travel Health/Safety Coverage honored Olivia Carville with the gold for what judges called a “meticulously reported investigation”: “Airbnb Is Spending Millions of Dollars to Make Nightmares Go Away,” which appeared in Bloomberg Business Week.
Author Brandon Presser received gold for “The Far Land: 200 Years of Murder, Mania and Mutiny in the South Pacific.” Judges lauded him for sorting “truth from rumor about the on-board insurrection … popularly known as Mutiny on the Bounty.” In the travel guidebook category, gold went to Pavia Rosati and Jeralyn Gerba for “Travel North America (and Avoid Being a Tourist),” which judges cited for encouraging travelers to move slowly to savor a destination.
For the second year in a row, Annita Thomas earned gold in Travel Audio-Radio, this time for “Kindred Spirit Mailbox, Sunset Beach, North Carolina,” on WDUN-AM 550 and FM 102.9.
The awards are named for Lowell Thomas, acclaimed broadcast journalist, prolific author and world explorer during five decades in travel journalism.
The sustainability of the annual competition is made possible by a generous contribution from Gold Supporter Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise company with a portfolio of brands. Its contribution helps make the prizes possible and supports the future of high-quality travel media.
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Awards For Works Published in 2021-2022
FULL LIST OF AWARDS
Category 101: Grand Award — Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year
Gold: Stephen Hiltner, Travel Visual Editor and photojournalist, The New York Times
Silver: Christopher Reynolds, staff writer, Los Angeles Times
Bronze: Ali Wunderman, freelance writer, Whitefish, MT
Honorable Mention: Jennifer Broome, freelance writer, Denver, CO
Category 102: Travel Magazines
Gold: Southbound, Kevin Benefield, Editor-in-Chief
Silver: Travel + Leisure, Jacqueline Gifford, Editor-in-Chief
Bronze: Afar, Julia Cosgrove, Editor-in-Chief
Honorable Mention: Girl Camper, Janine Pettit, publisher & editor-in-chief; Kim Foley MacKinnon, executive editor; Diane McNamara, managing editor
Category 103: Travel Coverage in General Magazines
Gold: Midwest Living, Kylee Krizmanic, Editorial Content Director; Hannah Agran, Executive Editor; and Julia Sayers Gokhale, Travel Editor
Silver: Yankee, Mel Allen, Editor
Bronze: National Parks, Rona Marech, Editor-in-Chief
Category 104: Editorial Travel Website
Gold: Fodors.com, Jeremy Tarr, Editorial Director
Silver: LonelyPlanet.com, Nitya Chambers, Senior Vice President of Content/Executive Editor; and Laura Motta, Senior Director of Content
Bronze: TrazeeTravel.com, Kimberly Inlander, Editor-in-Chief
Honorable Mention: Frommers.com, Jason Cochran, Editor-in-Chief; Pauline Frommer, co-president; Zac Thompson, Managing Editor
Category 105: Newspaper Travel Coverage
Gold: The New York Times, Amy Virshup, Travel Editor
Silver: Star Tribune (Minneapolis), Simon Peter Groebner, Travel Editor
Bronze: The Washington Post, Amanda Finnegan, By The Way Editor; and Nicole Arthur, Travel Editor
Honorable Mention: The Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Susan Glaser, Travel Editor
Category 106: Robert Haru Fisher Award for Travel Health/Safety Coverage
Gold: Olivia Carville, ‘Airbnb Is Spending Millions of Dollars to Make Nightmares Go Away,’ Bloomberg Business Week
Silver: Fran Golden, ‘What It’s Like to Cruise During COVID-19,’ AARP.org
Bronze: Mika Gröndahl, Tariro Mzezewa, Or Fleisher and Jeremy White, ‘How Safe Are You From Covid When You Fly?’ The New York Times
Category 107: U.S./Canada Travel
Gold: Sebastian Modak, ‘The Birthplace of the US Vacation,’ BBC Travel
Silver: Kevin West, ‘The Maine Course,’ Travel + Leisure
Bronze: Dina Mishev, ‘Think You Can’t Ride a Bike in the Snow? Fat Biking Is Here to Prove You Wrong,’ The Washington Post
Honorable Mention: Barbara Noe Kennedy, ‘Taking Stock of General MacArthur’s Legacy in Norfolk, Virginia,’ World War II Magazine/Historynet.com
Category 108: Foreign Travel
Gold: Tom Vanderbilt, ‘The Fellowship of the Chainring,’ Outside
Silver: Leon McCarron and Mohammed Al Sarai, ‘The Marsh Guide and the English Explorer,’ AramcoWorld Magazine
Bronze: Michael Snyder, ‘Veracruz,’ Travel + Leisure
Honorable Mention: Heather Murphy, ‘Why Is Everyone Going to the Dominican Republic?’ The New York Times
Category 109: Cruise Travel
Gold: Simon Willis, ‘Remote Learning/This Incredible Two-Week Cruise Goes to the World’s Most Isolated Islands,’ Travel + Leisure
Silver: Lawrence Osborne, ‘Gilded River,’ Travel + Leisure
Bronze: Fran Golden, ‘Crystal Cruises’s Epic Demise Leaves Customers Out $100 Million — or More,’ Bloomberg Pursuits
Honorable Mention: Debra Bokur, ‘Fabled Fjords,’ Global Traveler Magazine
Category 110: Adventure Travel
Gold: Bill Donahue, ‘Did Anyone Really Know the Bike Wanderer?’ Bicycling
Silver: Ali Selim, ‘In the World of Ultralight Hiking, Everything Weighs Something,’ Outside
Bronze: Acacia Johnson, ‘Discover an Isolated Alaska Island Where Walruses Sing,’ National Geographic Traveler
Honorable Mention: Matt Crossman, ‘Did a Legendary Trout Really Ride the Rails From California to Missouri?’ Experience/Expmag.com
Category 111: Travel News/Investigative Reporting
Gold: Gloria Liu, ‘How to Save a Ski Town,’ Outside
Silver: Alex Perry, ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Mountains,’ Outside
Bronze: Paige McClanahan, ‘Barcelona Takes On Airbnb,’ The New York Times
Honorable Mention: Rachel Levin, ‘When the Techies Took Over Tahoe,’ Outside
Category 112: Service-Oriented Consumer Work
Gold: Christopher Keyes (editor), ‘The Ultimate National Parks Travel Guide,’ Outside
Silver: Lavanya Sunkara, ‘Consider Ditching These 11 Words When Talking About Your Travels,’ Fodors.com
Bronze:Jessica Silber,‘GeoEx’s Ultimate Guide to Gorilla Trekking,’ GeoEx Wanderlust
Honorable Mention: Karen Berger, ‘Hiking the Appalachian Trail: A Beginner’s Guide,’ Outside
Category 113: Environmental and Sustainable Tourism
Gold: Leon McCarron, ‘The Last of the Marsh Arabs,’ Noēma Magazine
Silver: Paul Kvinta, ‘The Battle for Beacon’s Beach,’ Outside
Bronze: Jill Robinson, ‘What Can We Learn From the Hawaiian Concept of Kuleana?’ Afar
Honorable Mention: Gina DeCaprio Vercesi, ‘A Primal Connection,’ Travel + Leisure
Category 114: Cultural Tourism
Gold: Karen Schwartz, ‘Is Travel Next in the Fight Over Who Profits From Native American Culture?’ The New York Times
Silver: Christopher Reynolds, ‘San Francisco’s Chinatown Is Caught Between Past and Future,’ Los Angeles Times
Bronze: Zora O’Neill, ‘Panoramas, Ideals and Kitsch,’ Fields & Stations
Honorable Mention: Taryn White, ‘Just Across the Border, This Mexican Community Also Celebrates Juneteenth,’ National Geographic Traveler
Category 115: Culinary-Related Travel
Gold: Rowan Jacobsen, ‘America’s Next Food Craze Is Buried in Appalachia,’ Outside
Silver: Freda Moon, ‘There’s an Otherworldly Barbecue Joint Behind the Bay Area’s Richmond Refineries,’ SFGate.com
Bronze: Debra Kamin, ‘On a Road Trip Through Israel, Finding Flavors at Their Source,’ Condé Nast Traveler
Honorable Mention: Jamie Edwards, ‘Hisa Franko Is the 21st Best Restaurant in the World,’ IAmLostAndFound.com
Category 116: Special-Purpose Travel
Gold: Leigh Ann Henion, ‘In Search of the Light/The Profound Beauty of Firefly Tourism,’ The Washington Post Magazine
Silver: Jessica Shaw, ‘Recreating a Family’s Lost Holocaust History, Step by Step,’ The New York Times
Bronze: John Bowe, ‘These Are the Days of Miracle and Wonder,’ Travel + Leisure
Honorable Mention: Katherine DeGroff, ‘Park Ink,’ National Parks Magazine
Category 117: Coverage of Diverse Communities
Gold: Tsering Ngodup Lama, ‘Tragedy and Resilience Among the Sherpa People of the Himalaya,’ LonelyPlanet.com
Silver: Karin Pezo, ‘Living in the Land of New Mexico Chiles,’ East-West News Service
Bronze: Jordan Kisner, ‘Small Town, Big Heart,’ Travel + Leisure
Category 118: Personal Comment
Gold: April Orcutt, ‘Frodo in Fiordland,’ Travel Insights and Outtakes
Silver: Ernie Atencio, ‘Lofty Heights,’ National Parks Magazine
Bronze: Crai Bower, ‘Love After Divorce: Sharing a Mutual Passion for the Slopes,’ AARP.org
Honorable Mention: Eric Weiner, ‘Traveling Light,’ Westways
Category 119: Multimedia Single Work
Gold: Diana Marques and Amy McKeever, ‘The Lights Are Twinkling in the Great Smokies,’ National Geographic Traveler
Silver: Mark Ellwood, Shirley Chan, Eliot Stein, Alba Jaramillo and Russ Martin, ‘A Hidden Refuge for LGBTQ+ Nature Lovers,’ BBC Travel
Bronze: Christopher Keyes (editor), ‘How We Find Our Way,’ Outside
Honorable Mention: Stephen Hiltner, Tracy Mumford, Dan Powell and Matt Ruby, ‘Six Days Afloat in the Everglades,’ The New York Times
Category 120: Special Packages/Series
Gold: ‘The 40 Best California Experiences,’ by Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times
Silver: ‘Everything You Need for the Return of Travel,’ The Washington Post By The Way staff and multiple writers, Amanda Finnegan, editor
Bronze: ‘On the Road 2021,’ by Christopher Miller, Ron Stodghill, Richard Rubin, Elaine Glusac and Lauren Sloss, The New York Times
Honorable Mention: ‘Where to Live Now,’ Christopher Keyes, editor, and multiple writers, Outside
Category 121: Still Photography on Travel
Gold: Virginia Richards, ‘The Inner Passage,’ Smithsonian Magazine
Silver: Frank Herfort, ‘The Stunning Grandeur of Soviet-Era Metros,’ The New York Times
Bronze: Emily Garthwaite, ‘Passage Through the Zagros,’ Smithsonian Magazine
Honorable Mention: Olivia Bee, ‘The Future of Nature Therapy Is Psychedelic/Camping With Ketamine,’ Outside
Category 122: Travel Book (other than guidebook)
Gold: Brandon Presser, ‘The Far Land: 200 Years of Murder, Mania & Mutiny in the South Pacific,’ PublicAffairs
Silver: Rick Steves, ‘For the Love of Europe,’ Avalon Travel
Bronze: Ethan Michaeli, ‘Twelve Tribes: Promise and Peril in the New Israel,’ HarperCollins
Category 123: Guidebook
Gold: Jeralyn Gerba and Pavia Rosati, ‘Travel North America (And Avoid Being a Tourist),’ Fathom/Hardie Grant Travel
Silver: Amanda Sadlowski (editor), ‘Best Road Trips in the USA,’ Fodor’s Travel
Bronze: Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones, ‘Chasing the Blues: A Traveler’s Guide to America’s Music,’ Backbeat Books
Category 124a: Travel Audio-Radio
Gold: Annita Thomas, ‘Travel With Annita: ‘Kindred Spirit Mailbox Sunset Beach, North Carolina,’ WDUN AM 550 and FM 102.9, Gainesville, GA
Silver: Rick Steves, Tim Tattan, Donna Bardsley and Kasmira Hall, ‘Travel With Rick Steves: Humble American Bragging; Why I Love Madrid; Deep Time Journey,’ Rick Steves Europe on radio stations nationwide
Bronze: Robert J. Carey Jr., Mary W. Carey, Rudy Maxa and Kayla G. Kelly, ‘RMWorldTravel: Let’s Go America! Tour Stop #3 @ Legoland, NY,’ RMWorldTravelConnection on radio stations nationwide
Honorable Mention: Robert J. Carey Jr., Mary W. Carey, Rudy Maxa, Valerie B. Selig and Kayla G. Kelly, ‘RMWorldTravel: Let’s Go America! Tour Stop #2 @ Newport, RI,’ RMWorldTravelConnection on radio stations nationwide
Category 124b: Travel Audio-Podcasts and Guides
Gold: Dylan Thuras, Doug Baldinger, John Delore, Sarah Wyman and Chris Naka, ‘Beechey Island Graves,’ Atlas Obscura
Silver: Oneika Raymond, ‘About the Journey — Memphis to New Orleans: Hit the Blues Highway,’ Marriott Bonvoy Traveler
Bronze: Annita Thomas, ‘Quarter Miles Travel: First Women of Virginia,’ TravelWithAnnita.com
Honorable Mention: Jamie Hale and Jim Ryan, ‘Peak Northwest: How to Enjoy Olympic National Park’s Trails, Beaches, Campsites and Lodges,’ The Oregonian/OregonLive.com
Category 125a: Travel Video Story More Than 2 Minutes
Gold:Steph Keelan and Chris Black, ‘The Man Who Mapped a Nation by Hand,’ BBC Travel
Silver: Alexander Trowbridge, ‘The Bahamas’ Queen of Junkanoo,’ BBC Travel
Bronze: Daniel Obasi, Annie Greenberg and Megan Blackburn, ‘The Local’s Guide to Lagos, Nigeria: The Best Music, Nightlife and Fashion,’ Lonely Planet
Category 125b: Travel Video Story 2 Minutes or Less
Gold: Stephanie Foden, ‘A Revival of Indigenous Throat Singing,’ BBC Travel
Silver: Vickie Connor, ‘Built Atop Lava Rock, Dee Wright Observatory Hosts Some of Oregon’s Best Views,’ HereIsOregon.com
Bronze: Anna Muckerman, ‘The Return of France’s Lost Lemon,’ BBC Travel
Category 126: Travel Blog
Gold: Geoffrey Weill, ‘Travels in the Time of Corona,’ GeoffreyWeillWrites.com
Silver: William Semion and Denise Semion, LeisureVans.com/blog/author/billanddenisesemion/
Bronze: Erin Clarkson, ‘Savannah First-Timer’s Guide,’ SavannahFirstTimer.com
Honorable Mention: John Poimiroo, ‘California Fall Color,’ CaliforniaFallColor.com
Category 127: Instagram Storytelling
Gold: Cory Lee Woodard, ‘Accessibility With Virgin Voyages,’ Instagram.com/CurbFreeCoryLee
Silver: Peter Guttman, ‘North American Harvesting (Bayou, Desert, Seacoast, Mountains, Delta),’ Instagram.com/PeterGuttman
Bronze: Beth Nakamura, Sean Meagher and Mark Graves, ‘Winter Holiday Destinations and Experiences in Oregon,’ Instagram.com/TheOregonian
Honorable Mention: Juliana Broste, ‘Cruisin’ the Mexican Riviera,’ Instagram.com/TravelingJules
Category 128: Short Narrative
Gold: Elizabeth Hansen, ‘The Year the Earth Changed,’ Ranch & Coast Magazine
Silver: Mary Bergin, ‘A Traveler’s Guide to Johnsonville (The Town, Not the Brats),’ UpNorthNewsWi.com
Bronze: Jonathan Thompson, ‘A Good Night’s Sleep Is Worth the Journey,’ Travel + Leisure
See All the Results, Judging Comments and Winning Entries.
The SATW Foundation is proud to present the Winners Gallery, showcasing all the winning entries. At the gallery, click on any category to see the winners by place with comments by the judges. For each award, there are icons to click and see the winning work, either online or in a PDF. In a few cases, such as the magazine and book categories, links are not available.
BetterBNC, the online awards platform the Foundation uses for the contest, provides the Winners Gallery. From the page with the list of categories, you can click the SATW Foundation logo at the top of page to return to the SATW Foundation homepage website or click on your back arrow in the top left hand side of your screen to return to this screen.
We are happy to salute all our winners and showcase their entries. We hope you enjoy seeing their work.
The Prizes
This year, the SATW Foundation is giving more than 100 awards in 30 categories and $25,250 in prize money to journalists in recognition of outstanding travel journalism.
The Grand Award earns the Gold winner $1,500, the Silver winner $750 and the Bronze place $500.
In individual categories, first-place Gold carries a $500 prize, Silver $250 and Bronze $150. The categories for Best Newspaper Travel Coverage, Best Magazines and Best Editorial Travel Websites are not given monetary awards.
The sustainability of the annual competition is made possible by a generous contribution from Gold Supporter Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise company with a portfolio of brands. Its contribution helps make the prizes possible and supports the future of quality travel media.
The sustainability of the annual SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is supported by a generous contribution from Gold Supporter CARNIVAL CORP., the world’s largest cruise company.
The Society of American Travel Writers Foundation was begun in 1981 by a group of SATW writers, editors and public relations professionals who were concerned about the future of travel journalism.
SATW (the Society of American Travel Writers) is the pre-eminent professional association of travel journalists and communicators. Learn more about this premier networking organization by visiting its website, www.satw.org.
The 2021-2022 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition Awards Presentation Video
Watch the video that was first shown at the 2022 SATW Annual Convention in Bogotá, Colombia.
