Karolina Wiercigroch and Jessica Vincent have won at the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) Members’ Excellence Awards 2026. Both are freelance contributors to National Geographic Traveller (UK), published under licence by APL Media. 
 
The awards celebrate outstanding travel writing and photography, with this year’s winners announced at a ceremony on 2 November at The Underglobe at Shakespeare’s Globe, London. 
 
Karolina and Jessica won in the following categories: 

• Travel Photo Feature of the Year: Karolina Wiercigroch — for her Kerala photo feature, National Geographic Traveller (UK) 

• Travel Writer of the Year: Jessica Vincent — for her portfolio of work for National Geographic Traveller (UK) and AFAR, including ‘Ice-climbing with Bolivia’s cholitas’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK) 

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists.  

The BGTW is a UK-leading membership-only group made up of travel media professionals, including writers, broadcasters and photographers. Held annually, the BGTW Members’ Excellence awards recognise outstanding individual pieces of work and four portfolios of broadcasting, blogging, photography and writing. 

See the full list of winners here: BGTW Members’ Excellence Awards 2026 – BGTW 

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About APL Media    
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, creating high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors since 1997. It has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC since 2010, alongside brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes Living360, a digital lifestyle brand spanning wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture.     

APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns and editorial consultancy, internship schemes including Step Up and produces leading events such as the Travel Media Awards. It is also a leading reseller of advertising for national newspapers. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide, with content also created for national newspapers. aplmedia.co.uk