LATA announced the winners of the LATA Media Awards 2024 on 24 September at London’s Gaucho Piccadilly, celebrating the best travel content published in the United Kingdom that promotes authentic travel to and around Latin America.
For the 2024 edition, two new award categories were added including ‘Best Use of Social Media or Video’ and ‘Best Specialist Feature (with a focus on conservation, community and/or sustainability).
Martin Johnson, Chair of LATA and a LATA Media Awards judge says, “It was an honour to be part of the judging panel of the LATA Media Awards this year and have the opportunity to admire the fantastic work published by UK media, photographers and content creators that showcases some of the many highlights of Latin America. From urban art tours in the colourful city of Cartagena, conservation efforts in Patagonia supporting the rehabilitation of the puma, to the ‘alternative Galapagos’ on Ecuador’s coast, the winning pieces really encapsulate the diversity of Latin America. On behalf of LATA and the judging panel, we are delighted to recognise this outstanding work and are delighted that the UK media continues to showcase so many different sides of the continent.
The winners and highly commended works for each category are as follows:
Best LATA Member Content
WINNER: Kate Brock – Lost & Found – Audley Traveller
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sally Wells – Meet Costa Rica’s Changemakers: How a Dairy Farm Innovated Costa Rica’s First High-altitude Reforestation Project – Journey Costa Rica
Best Latin America Feature – Trade Press
WINNER: Rebecca Miles – ‘Timeless Yet Future-Proof’: How Costa Rica Nails Responsible Tourism – TTG
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Mark Stratton – ‘The Obsession with Sending Clients just to Machu Picchu is Lazy’ – TTG
Best Latin America Travel Blog or Podcast
WINNER: Vanessa Ball – Cool Things to Do Getsemani, Cartagena: The Hip Urban Art Barrio – She Wanders Miles
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Petra Shepherd – Exploring Guyana: South America’s Wild Frontier – Trip Reporter
Best Latin American Travel Feature – magazine (online or print)
WINNER: Steph Dyson – The New Superstars – JRNY Magazine
HIGHLY COMMENDED: George Kipouros – The Land Without Evil – Wanderlust
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sarah Marshall – “Life in the saddle” – National Geographic Traveller
Best Latin America Travel Feature – newspaper or news outlet (online or print)
WINNER: Sarah Marshall – The underrated alternative to the Galapagos – The Sunday Times
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Emma Featherstone – An unsung land of giants – The i
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Shafik Meghji – A road trip to the edge of the Earth – BBC Travel
Best Published Latin America Travel Image
WINNER: Giulia Verdinelli – Photo story: savouring the street food of Oaxaca, Mexico – National Geographic Traveller
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Karolina Wiercigroch – Lima: A Culinary Renaissance – National Geographic Traveller
Best Specialist Feature (with a focus on conservation, community a/o sustainability)
WINNER: Mark Stratton – Wing and a Prayer – The Geographical Magazine
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Shafik Meghji – Ghost Cats: Transforming attitudes to Pumas – Geographical Magazine
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Stanley Stewart – “On the trail of Brazil’s elusive maned wolf” – The Financial Times
Best use of Social Media and Video to Promote Travel to Latin America
WINNER: Vanessa Ball – Slow Travel Through Ecuador, The Galapagos and Peru: Stories of Unique Wildlife, Adventure Travel and Cultural Immersion – She Wanders Miles Instagram
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Alex Outhwaite – A trip to the Tarapaca, Chile – Alex Outhwaite Instagram
The five judges of the LATA Media Awards 2024 were:
Gabriel Laing, Founder of South America Rep
Naomi McKee, PR Manager at Senderos
Sarah Bradley, Managing Director at Journey Latin America
Kate McWilliams, Managing Director at LOTUS and lead of LOTUS LATAM
Martin Johnson, Chair of LATA
Thank you to all the members and travel media for joining us.
Photos of the evening can be seen here.