Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Afar Entry Title: AFAR Magazine Entry Credit: Julia Cosgrove, Supriya Kalidas Judge Comment: Afar makes travel feel accessible and attainable for all. The presentation of stories includes bold typography, quirky icons and personable photography. Its voice throughout is friendly, often in first-person accounts that elevate memoir-style writing. There’s nothing vanilla about the content — exotic travel sitting side-by-side with service journalism. The back-of-book illustrated page provides a whimsical look at travel and is the perfect closer.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Travel + Leisure Entry Title: Travel + Leisure Entry Credit: Jacqueline Gifford Judge Comment: What a magazine for the armchair traveler in all of us. Gorgeous photography and crisp writing are the hallmarks of Travel + Leisure. It delivers what so many want in a travel publication — aspirational stories of faraway lands mixed with little-known haunts closer by. The page design offers plenty of white space, which acts as breathing room and settles readers in for more relaxing encounters. But the magazine is still packed with strong service content and features that immerse readers in other places, all with an emphasis on experience.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Kim Foley MacKinnon Entry Title: Girl Camper Magazine Entry Credit: Kim Foley MacKinnon Judge Comment: There’s something to be said for consistency, and Girl Camper brings a wonderfully predictable product. The pacing is unique with travel features upfront and an impressive variety of departments and regular sections following. The feel of the magazine is a little, well, campy, not a typical glossy travel mag. The issues contain incredibly helpful information — about car or camper maintenance, how to travel with pets and the best gear. The Lifestyle section with ‘On the Job’ profiles and ‘The Art of’ explainer pieces is top notch.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Southbound Entry Title: Southbound Entry Credit: Kevin Benefield, Cristina Hazar, Allison Entrekin, Elizabeth Florio, Sara McCabe Judge Comment: Southbound smartly divides its departments into two large categories: Intel, for what’s happening in the South now, and Experience, which includes reports from the road. Its ‘One City, Three Ways’ section is a brilliant way to highlight offerings for the outdoors, culture and night life for that issue’s pick, and ‘Walk This Way’ provides another unique offering with a bright illustrated map for each jaunt. The magazine oozes Southern hospitality in its writing and has developed clever formatting for regular sections, with an abundance of subheads and bullet points for easy reading.
