And the Lowell Thomas Awards go to…

Those following the best in travel writing will want to see who won the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, announced on Monday.

The Society of American Travel Writers’ 23rd annual competition was judged by the Missouri School of Journalism faculty, who whittled down an unprecedented 1,490 entries—choosing three winners in each of the 27 categories.

Top prize went to The Boston Globe’s Tom Haines as the Travel Journalist of the Year. The Boston Globe and National Geographic Traveler grabbed the most awards (six and five, respectively).

And Vagablogging’s Rolf Potts won the bronze award in the Personal Comment category for his story, “The Living Museum of Nowhere & Everywhere.” Way to go Rolf!

The list of winners is definitely worth a look—whether you’re looking for interesting perspectives on travel, writing styles to emulate, or magazines to pitch. And until I’m able to read all of the winning articles myself, I’m happy to browse the judges’ comments—both smitten by the colorful descriptions, and reading between the lines for tokens of advice for my own writing.

The Society of American Travel Writers Foundation is a professional association that “works to raise the standards of the profession, guard the right of freedom to travel, and encourage conservation and preservation of historic sites and natural wonders.” Visit the website to join SATW or sign up for the mailing list for an early alert to next year’s deadline.