Media Awards

2024 Visit USA UK Media Awards

19 June 2024

VISIT USA MEDIA AWARDS HONOUR TRAVEL WRITERS WHO HAVE BEEN AVIDLY EXPLORING THE USA OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS

The Visit USA Association UK was delighted to welcome media back for the second year of in-person Media Awards celebrating the many journalists who have been out exploring the USA from coast to coast over the last twelve months. The awards ceremony was held at The Honourable Society of Grays Inn Fields in London on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

The Association gratefully acknowledges its member sponsors for this year’s awards:

Travel Texas – Headline Sponsor

Experience Kissimmee Florida – Welcome Reception and Marketplace Sponsor

Visit Central Florida – Awards Sponsor

Deep South USA - Awards Sponsor

Meet Boston - Awards Sponsor

The full list of the 16 Winners and Highly Commended media, who again this year received eco-friendly trophies, are listed below:

Consumer Magazine Feature

Lewis Corner - Winner

Gay Times

Palm Springs: a queer oasis in the middle of the Californian desert

Lauren Jarvis – Highly Commended

SCUBA

Florida Keys – a snorkeling road trip

Consumer Travel Publication Feature

Simon Urwin - Winner

American Trails

Alabama Bacon, Biscuits, and Civil Rights

James Draven – Highly Commended

JRNY

My Own Private Idaho

Trade Publication Feature

Claire Dodd – Winner

TTG

The Authentic Mexican Festival That’s Best Enjoyed in San Antonio, Texas

Regional Feature

Paul Harris - Winner

Jewish Telegraph Group of Newspapers

I had my own problem at Houston mission control

Domhnall O’Donoghue – Highly Commended

Belfast Telegraph

Pittsburgh review: There’s more to the Steel City than its industrial legacy – and now is the time for this cosmopolitan city to shine

Broadcast Audible including Podcasts

Holly Rubenstein – Winner

The Travel Diaries

Fantastic Florida with Jimmy Doherty

Christopher Beanland – Highly Commended

Park Date Podcast

Why are old Pizza Huts so compelling?

Broadcast TV

Jimmy Doherty - Winner

ITV

Jimmy’s Taste of Florida

Photographic Travel Feature

Kav Dadfar - Winner

JRNY

The Dead are Alive

Online/Digital Feature

Zoey Goto - Winner

SUITCASE.com

In Arizona, Cowgirls Reclaim Their Right to Ride

National Newspaper Feature

Zoey Goto - Winner

The Times

The otherworldly US states where cows outnumber humans

Paul Henderson – Highly Commended

Sunday Express

Destination Deep South

Social Media

Emily Johnston - Winner

@emilyjanejohnston

Luxury Kissimmee

Hannah & Becky Cheetham – Highly Commended

Cheethams with Dreams

Accessible Florida

Every year the association likes to acknowledge writers and media who have made an outstanding contribution to USA features with special awards and this year’s recipients are:

Best Travel Writer of the Year goes to - Chris Leadbeater – for his unwavering love and his continued championing of the USA, especially his roundup in January 2024 in the Telegraph: “Ignore the naysayers – I’ve been to 37 US states and I can’t wait to see all 50”.

Special Award Travel Publication goes to Wanderlust for their support of and extensive USA coverage featuring in every issue, and an annual special USA edition.

Travel Texas Feature of the Year is awarded to Dominic Gibbon for his feature published in Metro “Wrangling reality and Western charm: My first taste of Texas was so much more than BBQ and cowboys hats”.

ENDS

FINALISTS

Award Category	Journalist Name	Publication Name	Article Name
Broadcast Audible including radio, podcasts	Christopher Beanland	Park Date Podcast	Why Are Old Pizza Huts So Compelling
Broadcast Audible including radio, podcasts	Holly Rubenstein	The Travel Diaries	Fantastic Florida with Jimmy Doherty
Broadcast TV	Matt Tebbutt & Jimmy Doherty	Ricochet	Food Unwrapped's Deep South Adventure
Broadcast TV	Jimmy Doherty	ITV - Rock Oyster Media	Jimmy's Taste of Florida
Consumer Magazine	Lewis Corner	Gay Times	Palm Springs: a queer oasis in the middle of the Californian desert
Consumer Magazine	Helena Lang	Sainsbury's magazine	Raising Arizona
Consumer Magazine	Lauren Jarvis	SCUBA	Florida Keys: A snorkelling Road Trip
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	Zoey Goto	National Geographic Traveller	Route 66: America's most celebrated road trip is going electric
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	James Draven	JRNY Travel Magazine	My Own Private Idaho
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	Alicia Miller	National Geographic Traveller	City Life: Los Angeles
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	Kav Dadfar	JRNY Travel Magazine	The Red Rock Railroad
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	Simon Urwin	American Trails	Alabama: Bacon, Biscuits and Civil Rights
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	Georgios Kipouros	Wanderlust	The Summer Capital of the Gilded Age
Consumer Travel Publication Feature	Mary Moore Mason	Essentially America	Discover Native America
National Newspaper Print Feature	Zoey Goto	The Times	The otherworldly US states where cows outnumber humans
National Newspaper Print Feature	Milo Boyd	Sunday Express	Rocket Man
National Newspaper Print Feature	Robyn Wilson	The Telegraph	Why we should all take an Elvis-themed trip across the Deep South
National Newspaper Print Feature	Paul Henderson	Sunday Express	Destination Deep South
National Newspaper Print Feature	Claire Irvin	The Times	Culture and Cocktails: A perfect Palm Springs party pad
National Newspaper Print Feature	Jonathan Thompson	The Times	Untouched coast, cool cities — this is the other side to Florida
Online / Digital Feature	Megan Eaves	The Narrative Arc	The Color of Yearning
Online / Digital Feature	Zoey Goto	AFAR.com	In Gee’s Bend, Alabama, Women Are Quilting for Change
Online / Digital Feature	Zoey Goto	SUITCASE.com	In Arizona, Cowgirls Reclaim Their Right To Ride
Online / Digital Feature	Chris Leadbeater	The Telegraph	I’ve been to 37 US states and I can’t wait to see all 50
Online / Digital Feature	Rhodri Andrews	Wanderlust magazine	Florida's Rail Revolution
Photographic Feature	Kav Dadfar	JRNY Travel Magazine	Life on the waters of Chesapeake Bay
Photographic Feature	Kav Dadfar	JRNY Travel Magazine	The Dead are Alive
Photographic Feature	Peter Moore	Love Exploring	The Best Things to See and Do in San Antonio
Regional Press	Hannah Stephenson	PA Media	An American Dream of a Destination
Regional Press	Domhnall O'Donoghue	Belfast Telegraph	Pittsburgh review: There’s more to the Steel City than its industrial legacy
Regional Press	Jaymi McCann	Jewish Chronicle	Sweet Roam Alabama
Regional Press	Paul Harris	Jewish Telegraph Group of Newspapers	I had my own problem at Houston Mission Control
Social Media	Tara Povey	whereistara.com	Orlando, Florida
Social Media	Emily Jane Johnston	Emily Jane Johnston	Kissimmee
Social Media	Hannah and Becky Cheetham	Cheethams with Dreams	Florida
Social Media	Teresa Gomez	Brogan Abroad	The Ultimate Texas Hill Country Road Trip
Trade Publication Feature	Claire Dodd	TTG	The Authentic Mexican Festival that's Best Enjoyed in San Antonio, Texas
Trade Publication Feature	Karl Cushing	TTG	Think you know Texas, well this tour will surprise you
Trade Publication Feature	Peter Ellegard	TTG	Californian Dreamin'
Trade Publication Feature	Jess Alexander	Selling Travel	Cowboy Culture in Texas

Headline Sponsors Award - Travel Texas
Claire Dodd	TTG	San Antonio
Jonathan Thompson	The Times	Dallas
Dominic Gibbon	Metro	Dallas, Fort Worth and Grapevine
Denis Ntais	The Sun	Houston and the Coast
Anna Willatt	House of Coco	Austin, New Braunfels, San Antonio, San Angelo, Bandera and Fredericksburg