So in a year like this, I am especially grateful for good news like this: In the fall, Brad A. Johnson, Food & Travel was named Best Travel Blog in America from the Society of American Travel Writers at the 37th annual Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards (my second Lowell Thomas win in this category). And in January, this blog also took gold for Best Travel Blog in the North American Travel Journalists Association’s 29th annual awards competition. These are the two most prestigious contests in travel journalism. I am incredibly honored to win gold in both in the same year.
At those same NATJA Awards, this blog received additional honors for Best Culinary Travel Writing for my story about the Disappearing Art and Rhythm of Chinese Tea in Hong Kong and for my photo essays of Telluride and the Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City.
Meanwhile the results haven’t yet been announced for this year’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, but the nominations are out, and I’m thrilled to say that Brad A. Johnson, Food & Travel is nominated for Best Blog for the third year in a row (spotlighting my review of Lo Sereno in Troncones, Mexico, photos below). This is on top of prizes for travel writing and restaurant criticism earlier in the year from the California Journalism Awards and the Orange County Press Club Awards.
AND THIS JUST IN FROM LONDON: I learned today that I have been selected as a finalist in the Food Photographer of the Year Awards. This is the world’s largest food photography competition, which this year drew more than 10,000 entries from 70 countries. Two of my photographs made the shortlist. And only six photographers from the United States made it into the finalist stage, which includes my image of lunch being served at Lo Soreno in Troncones. That image will be displayed at the Royal Photographic Society in England, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious photographic galleries—whose royal patron is Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge. The exhibition opens in November and will run through mid-December. As my luck would have it, I have already booked a trip to Asia for those dates, so I’ll miss my international gallery debut. The gallery of finalists and winners is available online now.
My sincerest thanks to all the judges for taking time to view or read my work. Having been a judge myself, I know what an arduous task it can be.
Lo Sereno’s private beach in Troncones, Mexico (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
p.s. The photo at the top of this page is from an older story about “Absinthe” in Las Vegas. When looking through my archives for an image that summed up my mood today, this one jumped out. For travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
