Award Categories 2026
Inspire Global media Awards
The Inspire Global Media Awards celebrate and encourage sustainable, positive impact tourism storytelling, across all forms of media distribution. Now in it’s fourth year, the Awards stand out in their clear aspiration to drive positive impact.
The Awards reward the storytellers and story producers that strike a good balance between providing their audience with a wider understanding of tourism as a vital contributor in creating socio-cultural, ennvironmental and economic benefits while painting a colourful and inspiring picture of the destination or experience discussed.
The 2026 Awards cover 11 categories across consumer and trade and include both commissioned and self-published mediums, ensuring the full cross-section of travel media is included. Two Recognition Awards recognise outstanding and significant contribution to Positive Impact Storytelling.
2026 Awards category summary
2026 SUBMISSION CATEGORIES
Positive Impact Storyteller of the Year
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The Positive Impact Storyteller of the Year recognises an individual, whose work in the past 12 months has consistently advanced positive impact storytelling at a global or systemic level. This award celebrates visionaries whose leadership and dedication has inspired change across the sector, creating ripple effects that go far beyond a single story or narrative. Scores will be gathered from all judged categories, aggregated, evaluated and ranked using a weighted factor analysis method i.e where different criteria are assigned different levels of importance (weights) to calculate a final score.
Positive Impact Story Producer of the Year
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The Positive Impact Story Producer of the Year recognises a media organisation or self-published platform with more than 5k subscribers, whose work in the past 12 months has consistently advanced positive impact storytelling at a global or systemic level. This award celebrates visionary organisations whose innovation and dedication has inspired change across the sector, creating ripple effects that go far beyond a single story or narrative. Scores will be gathered from all judged categories, aggregated, evaluated and ranked using a weighted factor analysis method i.e where different criteria are assigned different levels of importance (weights) to calculate a final score.
Consumer Feature of the Year
UK-based writers
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The Consumer Feature of the Year will be awarded to the best feature covering one of the geographical areas.
10 sub-categories - UK | Europe & North Africa | Africa & Indian Ocean | Asia | Australasia & Oceania | Middle East | North America | Latin America & Antarctica | The Caribbean | Global
This category celebrates commissioned content published in either newspaper, magazine or online for journalists based in the U.K. When a printed piece has also been adapted for online, submission must specify which version is to be judged.
Consumer Feature of the Year
International writers
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This category celebrates commissioned content published in either newspaper, magazine or online for journalists based outside of the U.K. When a printed piece has also been adapted for online, submission must specify which version is to be judged. Inspire Global reserves the right to add geographical sub-categories, based on submission volume.
Trade Feature of the Year
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This category celebrates commissioned content published in travel trade print or online publications. When a printed piece has also been adapted for online, submission must specify which version is to be judged. Inspire Global reserves the right to add geographical sub-categories, based on submission volume.
Television Broadcast of the Year
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This category celebrates exceptional television or online channel programming (excluding content hosted solely on YouTube or Vimeo) that showcases travel with a positive impact. Eligible submissions may include one-off programmes or episodes from a series, such as features, documentaries, or interviews. 24-month window.
Video of the Year
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This category celebrates commissioned video content hosted on YouTube, Vimeo or similar. Videos must be over 2 minutes in length but can also be feature length documentaries and/or sponsored content.
Podcast / Audio Programme of the Year
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This category is open for programmes made for radio, podcast and online channels (excluding YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud). Submissions may include a one-off programme or one episode of a series of programmes, including features, audio-documentaries, interviews and phone-ins.
Travel Book of the Year
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This category celebrates travel literature that provides a non-fiction travel narrative, published in the last two years. 24-month window.
Travel Guide of the Year
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This category celebrates travel guides, either as printed guidebooks, digital travel guides, or as an app. Only open new editions and published in the last two years. 24-month window.
Blog Story of the Year
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This category celebrates self-published personal blogs or websites that feature articles, which may or may not include photos or video.
Vlog of the Year
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This category celebrates any self-published video content hosted on YouTube, Vimeo or similar. Videos must be over 2 minutes in length but can also be feature length documentaries.
Short-Reel of the Year
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This category celebrates any commissioned or self-published visual content hosted on social media channels like Instagram, TikTok or similar. Content must be under 2 minutes per reel in length but must form part of a series of up to 3 individual reels.
Photo of the Year - commissioned
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This category celebrates any commissioned and published photos in two categories – People & Community and Wildlife & Environment. Photos must have been commissioned and published on travel publications (newspaper, magazine, or online). Nominees should submit up to five photographs per sub-category submission, to provide positive impact context. Note – only two of the five photographs submitted need to have been published from either a single feature or photo-story. The images will be judged as a body of work.
Photo of the Year - self-published
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This category celebrates any self-published photos in two categories – People & Community and Wildlife & Environment. Photos must have been published on personal blogs or websites with more than 5k subscribers. Nominees should submit up to five photographs per sub-category submission, to provide positive impact context. Note – all five photographs submitted need to have been published from either a single feature or photo-story. The images will be judged as a body of work.
Positive Impact Outstanding Contribution - Individual
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The Outstanding Contribution to Positive Impact Storytelling Award recognises an individual, whose work has consistently advanced positive impact storytelling at a global or systemic level. This award celebrates visionaries whose leadership and dedication has inspired change across the sector, creating ripple effects that go far beyond a single story or narrative.
Positive Impact Outstanding Contribution - Organisation
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The Outstanding Contribution to Positive Impact Storytelling Award recognises a media organisation, whose work has consistently advanced positive impact storytelling at a global or systemic level. This award celebrates visionary organisations whose innovation and dedication has inspired change across the sector, creating ripple effects that go far beyond a single story or narrative.
- Review entry criteria HERE.
- Download submission form either as Word document OR Google Doc.
- Complete the form (list all categories you are entering on one form).
- Email completed form to info (at) inspireglobal (dot) travel – by 11pm (GMT) Monday, 27 January 2025.
entry process and terms & conditions
We believe positive impact tourism is to create socio-cultural, environmental and economic benefits through tourism, that enrich the lives of both visitors and the host communities.
- The Awards reward the storytellers that strike a good balance between providing their audience with a wider understanding of positive impact tourism, while painting a colourful and inspiring picture of the destination or experience discussed.
- Judges look for 3 main components –
- INSPIRE – does it inspire in a way that makes you want to experience or go there?
- INFORM – does it provide you with knowledge and/or information to enquire about or book a similar experience?
- IMPACT – is there a genuine sense that the submission promotes positive impact tourism?
- There is no cost for entering the Inspire Global Media Awards 2026,
- Entrants will be asked to confirm they can attend the Awards ceremony in London on Monday, 13 April 2026 if they achieve finalist status,
- You may enter in multiple categories, but a maximum of two submissions will be permitted per category,
- Where categories have sub-geographical categories, you may enter a maximum of two submissions will be permitted per sub-geographical category,
- All submissions must have a PDF, non-paywall weblink and/or social media handle,
- All submissions must be published between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025, EXCEPT for Travel Book, Travel Guide and Television Broadcast, which have a 24-month window up to 31 December 2025,
- All entries must be submitted via the submission form, which can be downloaded HERE (please note you can submit multiple entries on one form, however if easier, we will also accept a separate form for each entry), by 11pm (GMT) on Monday, 26 January 2026,
- In the event that an entry is inaccurate or incomplete, does not comply with these conditions for entry or is deemed, at the sole discretion of Inspire Global, ineligible for any other reason, then the relevant entry will be disqualified.
- Inspire Global shall consider each entry on its merits and on the basis solely of the information provided in the relevant entry,
- Inspire Global will shortlist the entries to go through to a final judging phase. The winners will be decided by Inspire Global’s appointed Judges; who are a diverse group of authors, travel editors, tour operators, and positive impact and sustainability experts,
- Published written features will anonymous to judges – author and publication will be hidden,
- You will be informed whether your entry has been shortlisted in February 2026 via email,
- Shortlisted entries will be required to supply images and other information to Inspire Global to be used for display in Inspire Global’s marketing materials leading up to the Awards and during the week of the event. Entrants authorise Inspire Global to publicly display all and any such images and information provided for this purpose,
- The winners will be announced at the Media Awards ceremony on Monday 13 April 2026.
- Inspire Global’s decisions relating to shortlisting and granting of Awards in the course of judging is final and will not enter into any correspondence or discussion with any entrants on any subject nor will Inspire Global accept any submissions, representations or appeals with regard to such decisions,
- Inspire Global reserves the right to:
- Disqualify entries that do not comply with these Terms & Conditions or for any other reason,
- Move an entry to another category without notice, if Inspire Global feels it would be better suited to the relevant category,
- Remove an Award category,
- Disqualify any entry that is a product of two or more companies that does not have the agreement of all parties.
The Awards Countdown
Join us in London along with media, buyers from the UK, Europe and beyond, and a carefully curated collection of suppliers and destinations from across the globe
30 December
26 January
16 February
13 April