2026 Winners & Finalists
2026 award winners
CELEBRATING THE POSITIVE IMPACT STORYTELLERS!
The winners of the Inspire Global Media Awards 2026 were announced on a lovely Spring evening at the stunning 20 Cavendish Square, London, on 13 April 2026. We recognised 29 category winners, 21 category Highly Commended, Positive Impact Story Producer of the Year, Positive Impact Storyteller of the Year and the Positive Impact Outstanding Contribution Award.
Positive Impact Storyteller of the Year
Positive Impact Story Producer of the Year
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
England
John Harris
The Guardian
Judges comment…
Yvette Cook
The Independent
Award sponsored by Visit Herefordshire
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
British Isles & Ireland (exc. England)
Lily Canter
Adventure.com
Judges comments – “Loved discovering “Britain’s last true wilderness” through the eyes of this writer – the destination was really brought to life through colourful turn of phrase, meaningful interactions with local people and depiction of environmental challenges and initiatives.”
Robin McKelvie
The Telegraph
Judges comments – “This article was a love letter to a destination close to the writer’s heart and it was a pleasure to read, plus the destination boasts so many assets – rich in nature, a newly-listed UNESCO Geopark and ongoing responsible local tourism initiatives.”
Award sponsored by Visit Herefordshire
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Nordic Region
Sam Haddad
The Guardian
Judges comment…
Ailsa Sheldon
JRNY Travel Magazine
Judges comments – “What stands out is the depth of local insight, from salt-making heritage to seaweed foraging and oyster revival, which adds genuine authority and charm. A confident, distinctive feature that captures both the flavour and soul of the region in a way that feels fresh and memorable.”
Award sponsored by Switzerland Tourism
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Europe
Yvette Cook
The Independent
Judges comment…
Emma Truscott
BBC Travel
Award sponsored by Tourism Switzerland
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Mediterranean & North Africa
Daniel Stables
National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Judges comments – “This article was a joyful foray into unknown Sicily, a fascinating melting pot of cultures, history, music and food – very well-researched, highlights the culture and community through its cuisine; a new angle to learn about the destination.”
Jessica Heather
Adventure.com
Judges comments – “A really beautiful and inspiring account of a stunning off-the-beaten-track destination rich in nature and experiences, whose local people are actively engaged in sustainable and environmental initiatives.”
Award sponsored by Tunisian National Tourist Office
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Africa & Indian Ocean
Bella Falk
Travel Africa Magazine
Judges comments – “Excellent balance of celebration and critical scrutiny. The writer doesn’t simply marvel at Victoria Falls but interrogates its future, giving the piece real editorial substance. Well structured and compelling throughout.”
Sue Watt
Travel Africa Magazine
Judges comments – “A richly layered piece that weaves community, conservation and personal experience with confidence and warmth. The human stories feel earned rather than inserted, and the writing carries genuine emotional weight.”
Award sponsored by Tunisian National Tourist Office
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Asia
Farida Zeynalova
National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Judges comment…
Angela Locatelli
National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Award sponsored by Inside Asia
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Australasia & Oceania
Lauren Jarvis
OutThere Magazine
Judges comments – “Particularly compelling is the balance between ancient culture and modern innovation, positioning the Red Centre as both timeless and evolving. A sophisticated, thoughtful feature that informs as much as it inspires.”
Karen Edwards
JRNY Travel Magazine
Judges comment – “Outstanding. I learnt so much from reading this and I felt truly transported and inspired.”
Award sponsored by Inside Asia
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
North America
Kate Eshelby
BBC Travel
Judges comments – “Meaningful and with genuine impact.”
James March
TONIC Magazine
Award sponsored by Tourism Nova Scotia
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Central America & Mexico
Robyn Wilson
The Independent
Judges comments – “Compelling adventure writing; pulls you through every kilometre of jungle.”
Steph Dyson
The Independent
Judges comments – “Outstanding; the quetzal opener is inspired and the narrative never loses its thread.”
Award sponsored by Tourism Nova Scotia
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
The Caribbean
Sarah Lee
National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Judges comments – “Visitor volunteer programs, educational, inspirational and encourages ways to contribute to the conservation of the reefs.”
Rory Buccheri
Adventure.com
Award sponsored by Montpelier Nevis
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
South America & Antarctica
Katy Dartford
Globetrotter Magazine
Judges comments – “A vivid, immersive article that transforms Lima into a richly textured destination of wild encounters, human stories and sensory surprise. Offering a heady mix of some very different and varied ideas to the norm for a 24 hour stopover in Lima. From swimming with seals to coffee tasting, along with a visit to one of the world’s top bars.”
Rupert Mellor
OutThere Magazine
Judges comments – “A detailed and suitably different guide to some of the hidden joys to be discovered on a visit to Salvador, Bahia. The experiences pour off the page.”
Award sponsored by Montpelier Nevis
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Global
Steph Dyson
Adventure.com
Judges comments – “Expertly argued case.”
Stuart Kenny
Much Better Adventures
Judges comments – “Beautifully written.“
Award sponsored by Lemongrass Marketing
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
U.K., Europe & Nordic Region
Daniel James Clarke
The Guardian
Judges comments – “Sustainable travel, tourism to historic villages, inspirational travel, tourism benefiting small villages, timeless magic remains.”
Asia London Palomba
The Washington Post
Judges comments – “Loved this! Wellness, local community, generational, traditional, educational with natural remedies, sustainable – interesting topic – great report!”
Award sponsored by Visit Cyprus
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
Asia
Veidehi Gite
Outlook Traveller
Judges comments – “An excellent and insightful bit of writing.”
Samantha Falewee
Conde Nast Traveller
Judges comments – “This author’s light touch belies a firm grasp on the detail which shines through in a vivid feature.”
Award sponsored by Visit Cyprus
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
Australasia & Oceania
Ellie Cobb
BBC Travel
Judges comments – “Very informative and descriptive – made me want to go there. Good historical context and not all rose-tinted. Very good – I enjoyed it.”
Sarah Reid
Adventure.com
Judges comments – “Good angle, timely, informative, good attention to detail, useful recent history and past history, well written - evocative- loved the kayaking.“
Award sponsored by Visit Cyprus
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
Africa, Arabia & Indian Ocean
Jonny Bierman
Travel + Leisure
Judges comments – “Important feature on African eco-tourism. Outstanding feature.”
Award sponsored by Visit Cyprus
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
Americas, The Caribbean & Antarctica
Emily Barlow
Adventure.com
Judges comments – “In a noisy field this story stood out as a genuinely new angle on a well-told tale. Never easy. Discovering a path less-trodden alerts trekkers to the charms of avoiding the obvious and finding and choosing some new hidden gems that are just as rewarding, if not more so.”
Annie Brown Verdin
Adventure.com
Judges comments – “Well observed with a keen eye for detail this was an engaging and evocative piece.“
Award sponsored by Visit Cyprus
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
Global
Suzie Dundas
Matador Network
Judges comments – “Informative, inspiring, with an educational angle. Positive impact.”
Award sponsored by Visit Cyprus
TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR
Carolyn Boyd
Profile Books
Judges comments – “Mrs Boyd’s gazetteer of alimentation francais is like Hollandaise: irritating in the simplicity of the concept and delicious in its execution. I scoffed the entire book in one sitting.”
Award sponsored by VIA Rail Canada
TRAVEL GUIDE OF THE YEAR
Emma Gibbs
Bradt Guides
Judges comments – “Given it’s a “Slow Travel” guidebook, the positive impact storytelling is as excellent as you’d expect. Plenty of local colour, hints and tips from locals, written by someone immersed in the destination.”
Daniel James Clarke
Lonely Planet
Judges comments – “Highlights the quirky and less-visited (key in an area prone to over-tourism). Did an excellent job of opening my eyes to the Algarve beyond the tourist beaches.”
Award sponsored by Netherlands
TRADE FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Zanny Merullo
Travel Age West
Judges comments – “Boom. Positive impact storytelling done brilliantly.” “Inspired me to go and talked about local people and the positive impact of tourism.”
Jessica Reid
TTG Media
Judges comments – “An important story told skilfully, casting light on an aspect of India that is rarely discussed in travel writing. Good quotes, historical context and a sense of place makes this a great read! “
Award sponsored by Deep South USA
BROADCAST OF THE YEAR
TELEVISION BROADCAST OF THE YEAR
Mark Julian Edwards
The Jet Set TV Show
Judges comments – “Simple, informative, positive and gives the feel of a discovery on a simple journey.”
Award sponsored by VIA Rail Canada
PODCAST / AUDIO PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
Mary Novakovich
BBC Radio 4
Judges comments – “Fascinating. Good balance of positive storytelling along with impacts of climate change etc. Crammed a lot into a short segment.”
Richard Hammond & Holly Tuppen
It’s a Journey – a sustainable travel podcast
Judges comments – “Super-practical, excellent presentation and subject matter.” “All about positive impact storytelling. Nailed the brief!”
Award sponsored by VIA Rail Canada
PHOTO OF THE YEAR - PEOPLE / COMMUNITY
Lauren Mowery
Images featured in Of Craft and Humanity: Tracing the Modern Silk Road through Uzbekistan.
Azure Road
Judges comments – “By far the best, both in terms of story and image content. This portfolio gave me a strong sense of place but also of how friendly and approachable the locals were to visitors.”
Award sponsored by Lemongrass Marketing
PHOTO OF THE YEAR - WILDLIFE / ENVIRONMENT
Lynn Gail
Images featured in Rare Breed.
International Traveller
Judges comments – “The best combination of wildlife and environment. A portfolio that married beautiful images of iconic species with a glimpse of the spectacular environment the visitor would experience.”
Award sponsored by Lemongrass Marketing
BLOG STORY OF THE YEAR
Ana Duek
Viajar Verde
Judges comments – “A good understanding of community as well as sense of place, and considered responsible tourism at its heart. Plenty of insight about the people, their home in the Amazon and how tourism benefits both the communities and the future of the rainforest.”
Lucy Ruthnum
Absolutely Lucy
Award sponsored by Netherlands
VLOG OF THE YEAR
Shivya Nath
YouTube
Judges comments – “A lot of care, thought and consideration has gone into this.”
Award sponsored by Visit Fort Myers
SHORT REEL OF THE YEAR
Veidehi Gite
Instagram Channel
Judges comments – “Lively and interesting.”
Award sponsored by Visit Fort Myers
WINNERS 2026 ROLL CALL
RECOGNITION AWARDS
Positive Impact Storytelling Outstanding Contribution
GRAHAM BOYNTON
Positive Impact Storyteller of the Year – WINNER
DANIEL JAMES CLARKE
Positive Impact Storyteller of the Year – HIGHLY COMMENDED
STEPH DYSON
Positive Impact Story Producer of the Year – WINNER
Positive Impact Story Producer of the Year – HIGHLY COMMENDED
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR
ENGLAND
WINNER – John Harris for Wild camping the easy way: how a secret Exmoor trip pleased everyone – including the farmer published in The Guardian
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Yvette Cook for The sleeper train holiday to Cornwall that doesn’t cost the Earth published in The Independent
.
BRITISH ISLES (exc. ENGLAND) & IRELAND
WINNER – Lily Canter for Is this off-grid Scottish community the ultimate model for sustainable living in Britain today? published in Adventure.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Robin McKelvie for I’ve visited more than 100 countries – but nothing compares to this Scottish island published in The Telegraph
.
NORDIC REGION
WINNER – Sam Haddad for Deserted islands, seagrass meadows and endless ocean: kayaking in Sweden’s new marine national park published in The Guardian
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Ailsa Sheldon for Eating the Archipelago published in JRNY Travel Magazine
.
EUROPE – WEST/CENTRAL/EAST
WINNER – Yvette Cook for How women are reviving traditional Seto culture in Estonia published in The Independent
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Emma Truscott for The European bike trail that hits three countries in a day published in BBC Travel
.
MEDITERRANEAN & NORTH AFRICA
WINNER – Daniel Stables for From kasbahs to couscous—how Sicily has celebrated its diversity through the centuries published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Jessica Heather for Far from the crowds: A guide to Portugal’s lesser-known Côa Valley published in Adventure.com
.
AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN
WINNER – Bella Falk for Making a Splash published in Travel Africa Magazine
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Sue Watt for Kavango-Zambezi – Foundations published in Travel Africa Magazine
.
ASIA
WINNER – Farida Zeynalova for Explore Azerbaijan’s wine history – and its unexpected German past published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Angela Locatelli for The Stuff of Legends published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
.
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA
WINNER – Lauren Jarvis for Since Time published in OutThere Magazine
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Karen Edwards for In the footsteps of the ancestors published in JRNY Travel Magazine
.
NORTH AMERICA – CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
WINNER – Kate Eshelby for Mālama: The word embodying the spirit of Hawaii published in BBC Travel
HIGHLY COMMENDED – James March for North America’s First Indigenous-owned Winery published in TONIC Magazine
.
CENTRAL AMERICA AND MEXICO
WINNER – Robyn Wilson for The five-day trek in the Guatemalan jungle that’s worth every blister published in The Independent
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Steph Dyson for How dreamy ‘cloud forests’ make this central American country an ideal alternative to Costa Rica published in The Independent
.
THE CARIBBEAN
WINNER – Sarah Lee for From caves to coral reefs, this is how you can discover the wild side of Turks & Caicos published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Rory Buccheri for Meet the family pioneering the Caribbean’s first ‘climate-smart islands’ published in Adventure.com
.
SOUTH AMERICA & ANTARCTICA
WINNER – Katy Dartford for 24 hours in Lima published in Globetrotter Magazine
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Rupert Mellor for Resist this! published in OutThere Magazine
.
GLOBAL
WINNER – Steph Dyson for Should you use AI to plan your travels? published in Adventure.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Stuart Kenny for Why Does Watching Bad Tourists on TV Make Us Want to Travel? published in Much Better Adventures
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - INTERNATIONAL WRITERS
UK, EUROPE & NORDIC REGION
WINNER – Daniel James Clarke for Exploring Portugal’s historic hilltop hamlets in a free electric hire car published in The Guardian
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Asia London Palomba for In Ireland, a Stone Age wellness therapy is making a comeback published in The Washington Post
.
ASIA
WINNER – Veidehi Gite for Science and sustainability with the Baiga Tribe of Bandhavgarh published in Outlook Traveller
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Samantha Falewee for “Mongolia’s Shifting Tourism Industry—And What It Means for the Country’s Nomads” published in Conde Nast Traveller
.
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA
WINNER – Ellie Cobb for The Indian Ocean’s laidback paradise on Earth published in BBC Travel
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Sarah Reid for A year ago, this South Pacific territory was off-limits. What’s it like to visit now? published in Adventure.com
.
AFRICA, ARABIA & INDIAN OCEAN
WINNER – Jonny Bierman for Remembering Jane Goodall published in Travel + Leisure
.
AMERICAS, THE CARIBBEAN & ANTARCTICA
WINNER – Emily Barlow for For hikers, this is one of the world’s best-preserved Inca roads. And no, it’s not the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu published in Adventure.com
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Annie Brown Verdin for What does freedom taste like? We meet the recipe-keepers of the first free Black town in the Americas published in Adventure.com
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GLOBAL
WINNER – Suzie Dundas for The Price of Paradise: Luxury Travel Can Save the World’s Wildest Places, but at What Cost? published in Matador Network
TRADE FEATURE OF THE YEAR
WINNER – Zanny Merullo for Visiting Indigenous Communities in the Yucatan Peninsula published in Travel Age West
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Jessica Reid for ‘We just want to be accepted’: When TTG met India’s ‘third gender’ community published in TTG Media
BROADCAST OF THE YEAR
TELEVISION BROADCAST OF THE YEAR
WINNER – Mark Julian Edwards for Welcome to Sri Lanka broadcast on The Jet Set TV Show
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PODCAST / AUDIO PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
WINNER – Mary Novakovich for Krapanj’s sponge divers broadcast on BBC Radio 4
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Richard Hammond & Holly Tuppen for Community Tourism: What does good community tourism look like and can we measure its benefits? broadcast on It’s a Journey – a sustainable travel podcast
SELF PUBLISHED
BLOG STORY OF THE YEAR
WINNER – Ana Duek for “Community-based tourism itinerary in the Amazon: an immersion in the Rio Negro” published on Viajar Verde
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Lucy Ruthnum for Lukomir Village – Visiting Bosnia’s Most Remote Village published on Absolutely Lucy
.
VLOG OF THE YEAR
Shivya Nath for Slow travel in Bali published on YouTube
.
SHORT-REEL OF THE YEAR
Veidehi Gite for Cairo published on The Krazy Butterfly Instagram Channel
TRAVEL GUIDE OF THE YEAR
WINNER – Emma Gibbs for Scotland’s North Highlands – 1st edition published by Bradt Guides
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Daniel James Clarke for Pocket Algarve – 3rd edition published by Lonely Planet
PHOTO OF THE YEAR - COMMISSIONED
People & Community
WINNER – Lauren Mowery for images featured in Of Craft and Humanity: Tracing the Modern Silk Road through Uzbekistan published in Azure Road
.
Wildlife & Environment
WINNER – Lynn Gail for images featured in Rare Breed published in International Traveller
