TravMedia today announced that Vernon Kay will host the TravMedia Awards 2025, at The Londoner, Leicester Square on Monday 12 May.

Vernon Kay is one of the most experienced and versatile broadcasters in the UK, with a career spanning over 20 years across live entertainment, magazine shows, radio and

sports broadcasting.

He has hosted many high-profile entertainment shows across numerous channels including All Star Family Fortunes, Splash!, 1000 Heartbeats, Beat The Star and Game Of Talents for ITV1; Just The Two Of Us, The World's Greatest Elvis and Comic Relief for BBC1, and Girls & Boys and Home For The Holidays for Channel 4. 

He currently presents on Radio 2, delivering the Mid-Morning show and Dance Sounds of the 90s, and is host of M&S Dress The Nation on ITV1. 

Having been spotted by a model scout at the BBC's 'Clothes Show Live', Vernon began a successful modelling career before moving into TV in 2000 with a regular presenting opportunity on Channel 4's hugely popular show 'T4'.

His love of music led Vernon to join Radio 1 in 2006 presenting his weekend show until he left the station in 2012. He then fronted his own mid-morning show on the re-launched Radio X from 2015 until 2017.

Vernon has also successfully transferred his passion for sport to the screen, having co-presented the live Formula E & NFL coverage for Channel 4, the Golf Sixes event, and The Hero Challenge Golf Series.

Said Louise Napier, Managing Director of Travel UK: “We're thrilled that Vernon Kay will preside over Awards night. He's a national treasure!

“We are ready to host almost 400 of the UK's leading journalists, content creators and PR professionals on Awards night. The event is simply unrivalled in the industry calendar

“There are only a couple of sponsorships left and a few remaining table/ticket opportunities. If you've not booked yet, you'll need to be quick!”

The UK Awards (https://travmedia.com/awardsuk/) honour the finest journalistic, content creator and PR achievements in travel, and attracted another record response this year, with registrations surging over 20%.

New categories this year include a Luxury Travel Writer of the Year category which garnered a huge response. This underlines TravMedia's commitment the sector, with the company having just launched a global luxury event, IMM Lux, taking place at The Venetian, Las Vegas (1-2 October 2025).

The most popular category of last year, Specialist Travel Writer of the Year, was split for 2025 into two categories: Specialist Travel Writer of the Year (Destination) and Specialist Travel Writer of the Year (Topic), which each garnered over 90 entries, meaning Freelance Travel Writer won out as most popular category for 2025 with over 100 entries.

Major highlights of Awards night include the revelation of the Travel Writer of the Year, Content Creator of the Year and PR Professional of the Year. Special Awards also include a Diversity Champion of the Year – for which the shortlist will soon be revealed – and an Outstanding Contribution Award.

This year's TravMedia Awards category sponsors are Gran Canaria Tourism; Hyatt Hotels; MMGY; Princess Cruises; Switzerland Tourism; Rocky Mountaineer; Tourism Australia; True Traveller; VisitPITTSBURGH and Visit San Antonio. The drinks reception sponsor is once again Hong Kong, and the destination sponsor is Universal Destinations & Experiences.

On Awards night, a celebrity host will drive the show and sponsors' tables will host finalists from their chosen category. The evening's big reveals will segue within a three-course dinner, following a welcome drinks reception, and the night will climax with an after-party. Last year's event attracted a packed audience of 300 people with Rylan the celebrity host.

Added Napier: “A few sponsorship opportunities remain available for the big night. Last year all media categories sold out after the finalists announcement, and this looks set to happen again, so anyone interested should move quickly! Beyond that, sponsorship opportunities include the awards after-party and the very popular photobooth”

Alternatively, TravMedia has a limited number of tables and individual tickets available.

A full list of the finalists can be found here: https://travmedia.com/awardsuk/2025-finalists.html.

The TravMedia Awards (https://travmedia.com/awards/) are now the leading global awards platform for the travel media, travel communicators and travel content creators, with ceremonies in 2025 in the UK, France, Asia and Australia.

The UK Awards (https://travmedia.com/awardsuk/) honour the finest journalistic, influencer and PR achievements in travel, and attracted another record response this year, with registrations up a staggering 20%.

The reputation of the Awards also depends heavily on the judges appointed to review entries. This year's line-up of judges yet again comprises an array of talent from across the media, communications and the wider travel industry. As with all previous years, TravMedia has ensured lots of change, with 15 of the 38 selected judges not involved in the Awards in 2024, and with any returning judges handed fresh categories to adjudicate.

The Awards are organised by TravMedia, the leading social network connecting the global travel industry with media and influencers. The Awards are independent, not linked to any grouping or association, and are open to all journalists, influencers, and PR professionals. The Awards are adjudicated by an expert panel of 38 judges (listed below) from across the travel industry, including senior media figures, communications heads and commentators, and top industry executives.

Ends

 

THE TRAVMEDIA AWARDS 2025 – THE FINALISTS

 

THE CONTENT CREATOR AWARDS 

 

CONTENT CREATOR, RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

• Angharad Paull, Down Somerset Way
• Danielle Flynn, Danielle's Travel Blog
• Elise Myette, Elise Abroad
• Holly Lavender, Budget Bon Voyage
• Natalie Lynch, Grab Your Luggage

 

CONTENT CREATOR - BLOGGER OF THE YEAR

• Angharad Paull, Down Somerset Way
• Bella Falk, Passport & Pixels
• Brock and Betty Jeffrey, Brock and Betty
• Jonny & Hannah Verman, Finding Our Adventure
• Toti Maisto and Alessia Vurchio, Passport and Stamps

 

CONTENT CREATOR - CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by VisitPITTSBURGH

• Abigail King, Inside The Travel Lab
• Alex Hunter, Attaché
• Bella Falk, Passport & Pixels
• Claudia de Cesaris, In The Snow
• Cora Harrison, InsideOurSuitcase
• Kate Woodley, Kate Across Borders

 

THE PR AWARDS 

 

PR - RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

• Bella Walls, Black Diamond
• Holly Burridge, Lotus
• Isabel Leon-Campos, FINN Partners
• Joyce Oladeinde, Crescendo Digital
• Scarlet Fox, MMGY Grifco
• Tamzin Pinfold, FINN Partners

 

PR - PR CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

• ABTA - Travel with Confidence
• Clover PR & Audley Travel - The Responsible Packing Guide
• FINN Partners & Visit Orlando – Orlando: Beyond the Theme Parks
• G Adventures - Project Viet-Man
• Princess Cruises - Cost of Loving
• Screaming Frog & InsureMyTrip - Inspiring travel PR boosts organic purchases by 123%

 

PR - IN-HOUSE PR TEAM OF THE YEAR

• ABTA
• Eurostar
• Intrepid Travel
• Preferred Hotels & Resorts
• Universal Destinations & Experiences
• VisitEngland

 

PR - PR AGENCY OF THE YEAR

• FINN Partners
• Fox Communications
• J/PR
• LOTUS
• Reed PR
• Spotlight Communications

 

PR PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

• Chloe Berman, Intrepid Travel
• Deborah Welsh, AM+A Marketing and Media Relations
• Hannah Mulvey, Gosh PR
• Kaya Cheshire, Eurostar
• Kylie Bawden, FINN Partners
• Natalie Bigbie, Lotus

 

PR - PR BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

• Abi Best, Lemongrass Marketing
• Amy Skelding, FINN Partners
• Jules Ugo, Lotus
• Lynsey Devon, Heaven Publicity

 

THE MEDIA AWARDS 

 

MEDIA - RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by True Traveller

• Caroline Butterwick
• Clio Wood
• Kira Richards
• Queenie Shaikh
• Sam Kemp
• Toyo Odetunde

 

MEDIA - TRADE STAFF WRITER OF THE YEAR

• Beverley Fearis, Editor, The Business Travel Magazine
• Emma Dooney, Luxury Travel Reporter, TTG Media
• Katherine Masters, Features Editor, TTG Media
• Madeleine Barber, Head of Partner Content, TTG Media
• Steve Hartridge, Editorial Director, Selling Travel
• Stuart Forster, Editor, BMI Publishing

 

MEDIA - DOMESTIC TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

• Ailsa Sheldon
• Daniel Stables
• Ed Grenby
• Fiona Whitty
• Helen Ochyra
• Sarah Baxter

 

MEDIA - SPECIALIST TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR (DESTINATION)

Sponsored by MMGY

• Ben Aitken
• Charlotte Wigram-Evans
• Chris Leadbeater
• Imogen LePere
• Jacqui Agate
• Mike MacEacheran

 

MEDIA - SPECIALIST TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR (TOPIC)

• Adrian Bridge
• Lauren Jarvis
• Oliver Smith
• Sarah Marshall
• Sophie Morgan
• Tristan Rutherford

 

MEDIA - SUSTAINABILITY TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

• Ben Olsen
• Diana Jarvis
• Emma Gregg
• Jessica Vincent
• Madeleine Barber
• Mike MacEacheran
• Phoebe Smith

 

MEDIA - CONSUMER STAFF WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Hyatt

• Cathy Adams, Senior Commissioning Editor, The Times
• Chris Leadbeater, Travel Correspondent, The Telegraph
• Francesca Street, Writer and Digital Producer, CNN Travel
• Greg Dickinson, Senior Travel Writer, The Telegraph
• Niki Blasina, Deputy Editor, FT Globetrotter
• Sophie Dickinson, Travel Writer, The Telegraph

 

MEDIA - FREELANCE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Switzerland Tourism

• Christopher Beanland
• Ed Grenby
• Eddi Fiegel
• Laura Millar
• Qin Xie
• Ruaridh Nicoll

 

BROADCAST PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

• Ed Finn's America, Ed Finn, Virgin Media Television (TV)
• Gary Barlow's Wine Tour: South Africa, Charlotte Davis, ITV (TV)
• So You Think You Know Belize, Alex Outhwaite, Sky (TV)
• TechXplore Paris, Paul Carter, BBC (TV)
• The Tourist Trap, Rajan Datar, BBC (TV)
• What I Learned From Cycling Across 11 States In America, Simon Parker, Times Travel (YouTube)

 

MEDIA – LUXURY TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Rocky Mountaineer

• April Hutchinson
• Charlotte McManus
• Laura French
• Lisa Grainger
• Niki Blasina
• Uwern Jong

 

MEDIA - EXCLUSIVE OF THE YEAR

• 'Why election fever could lead to cut-price summer holidays', Hazel Plush, The Telegraph
• 'Maldives resort offers novel solution for colour-blind guests', James Draven, Condé Nast Traveller
• 'How the three-year cruise fell apart', Julia Buckley, CNN Travel
• 'British skier falls down crevasse as helicopter slides off mountain', Louise Cameron-Hall, The Telegraph
• 'Inside the Antarctic cruise hunger strike: 'Guests are wearing placards demanding a refund'', Mark Stratton, The Telegraph
• 'Why cheap medical tourism has become an increasing problem for airlines' Saskia O'Donoghue, The i Paper

 

MEDIA - FEATURE OF THE YEAR 

Sponsored by Visit San Antonio

• 'Malaysia's Belmond Express is back—here's what it's like aboard Asia's lux tiger train' Georgia Stephens, National Geographic Traveller (UK)
• 'Why clubbers are raving about Germany's cross-country Techno Train' Jamie Fullerton, The Guardian
• 'Mexican Waves', Jonathan Thompson, The Times
• 'On Jeju Island, a new generation of South Korean 'mermaids' emerges', Mark Parren Taylor, National Geographic Traveller (UK)
• 'I was looking to connect with my late uncle's spirit in North Africa — instead I fell in love', Sarah Gillespie, The Times

 

MEDIA - TRADE PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

• hertelier
• Onboard Hospitality
• Selling Travel
• Sustainable Hotel News
• The Business Travel Magazine
• TTG Media

 

MEDIA - TRAVEL MEDIA WEBSITE OF THE YEAR 

• Adventure.com
• Bradt Guides
• CNN Travel
• National Geographic Traveller (UK)
• The i
• The Sun
• TTG Media

 

MEDIA - CONSUMER MAGAZINE TRAVEL SECTION OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Princess Cruises

• Breathe Magazine
• Prima
• Radio Times
• Time Out
• Woman & Home
• Women's Health

 

MEDIA - TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Gran Canaria Tourism

• JRNY
• Much Better Adventures Magazine
• National Geographic Traveller (UK)
• New Scientist Discover
• OutThere
• WIZZ Magazine

 

MEDIA - NATIONAL TABLOID NEWSPAPER TRAVEL SECTION OF THE YEAR

• Daily Mail
• Express
• Metro
• Mirror
• The Mail on Sunday
• The Sun

 

MEDIA - NATIONAL BROADSHEET NEWSPAPER TRAVEL SECTION OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Tourism Australia

• The Telegraph
• The i
• The Independent
• The Sunday Times
• The Times

 

THE SPECIAL AWARDS 

 

DIVERSITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Finalists will be revealed ahead of Awards night.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Winner revealed on the night 

 

TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR
Winner revealed on the night

 

THE TRAVMEDIA AWARDS JUDGES 2025

• Adrian Phillips, Managing Director, Bradt Guides
• Amy Dowling, Head of Markets Communications, TUI UK&I
• Amy Skelding, Managing Partner, FINN Partners' UK & Germany Travel Practices
• Andrew McConnell, Deputy Director for Communications & Engagement, UK Civil Aviation Authority
• April Hutchinson, Editor & Publisher, TTG Luxury and TTG Media
• Barry Neild, Global Editor, CNN Travel
• Charlotte Humphrey, PR & Events Manager for Princess Cruises UK and Europe
• Daniel Pearce, CEO and owner, TTG Media
• Eliot Stein, Senior Journalist and Editor, BBC Travel
• Eulanda Shead Osagiede, TV Presenter, Content Creator, Co-Founder of “Hey! Dip Your Toes In”
• Fiona Anderson, Director, GEC PR
• Florian Valmy-Devillers, Business Development Director, Caribbean Tourism Organisation Chapter UK & Europe.
• Fran Lambert Head of Media & Communications (UK & Ireland), Switzerland Tourism
• Graeme Buck, Director of Communications, ABTA – The Travel Association
• Jamie-Lee Abtar, Head of Marketing, Not in the Guidebooks
• Jane Knight, Freelance Travel Journalist and Editor
• Jenni Holman, PR & Brand Communications Director
• Jim Odoire, Managing Director, Black Diamond
• Jules Ugo, CEO, LOTUS
• Julie Giraud, Director, MSL UK
• Laura Millar, Travel Writer and Editor
• Lisa Minot, Head of Travel, The Sun
• Louise Ferrall, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, VisitEngland
• Lucy McKean, Head of PR, one green bean.
• Lysbeth Fox, CEO of Fox Communications
• Marine Teste, Head of Public Relations, Atout France
• Mark Palmer, Travel Editor, Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday
• Nat Frogley, Co-Founder, Frog & Wolf PR.
• Paul Charles, CEO and Founder, The PC Agency
• Phoebe Irving, Head of Marcomms and Special Projects, GEN PLUS Group
• Richard Hammond, Founder and Publishing Director, Green Traveller Media
• Stuart Fyfe, PR Manager UK & Northern Europe, Tourism Australia
• Susan d'Arcy, Luxury Travel and Wellness Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times
• Tolene van der Merwe, Director UK & Ireland, Malta Tourism Authority
• Tracey Poggio-Magnus, UK Head Media and Marketing, Gibraltar Tourist Board and Chair, ANTOR
• Uwern Jong, Experientialist®-in-Chief and co-Founder, OutThere magazine

Ends

For information on TravMedia Awards 2025:

Louise Napier

Managing Director, TravMedia UK

T: +44 (0)20 3440 8915

E: louise.napier@travmedia.com

EDITORS' NOTES

TravMedia is the travel industry's only global media network. Founded in 1999 by Nick Wayland, a former travel editor seeking an easier way to research and report travel news, TravMedia is the one-stop solution trusted by travel PRs and media to network and share press releases, stories and ideas. The platform hosts thriving online communities and is an essential daily tool for collaborating and developing long-lasting professional relationships.

TravMedia provides global travel newsfeeds and connects more than 25,000 travel media and more than 20,000 travel brand PRs worldwide via an online newsroom, press release distribution, events, Journalist Alerts and daily industry updates. To learn more and register for TravMedia, visit travmedia.com.

The technology used by TravMedia has become an essential tool for journalists and PR professionals in their day-to-day activities, as they connect and share information in their working lives.

In the UK, TravMedia is part of a family of websites that also includes Food4Media, Homes4Media.com and Property4Media.com, sites that are all owned by TravMedia.com.

TravMedia operates the worldwide event IMM (International Media Marketplace), a market-leading exhibition-style event connecting the travel industry with journalists and influencers.

The first-ever IMM was held in London in March 2013 and has since expanded to all corners of the earth, with annual events now taking place in countries including the USA, Australia, Germany, and France. IMM in the UK features two days of meetings, professional development sessions and breakout networking events.