Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Rick Steves Europe Entry Title: Travel with Rick Steves radio show and podcast episode: "Twenty Years; The Vanishing Point; Martin Sheen's Travels” Entry Credit: Rick Steves, Tim Tattan, Donna Bardsley, Kasmira Hall Judge Comment: Travel with Rick Steves combines exemplary audio production with a personable and engaging host and an impressive and diverse slate of guests. Host Rick Steves has a seemingly effortless rapport with guests ranging from local experts to celebrities including Martin Sheen and David Sedaris. Steves is able to lean on his personal experience to connect with these guests, and ask salient questions to inform his audience.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Travel with Annita Entry Title: Destination: Switzerland - A closer look Entry Credit: Annita Thomas Judge Comment: Travel with Annita is a shining example of how far a personal, human touch can go. Host Annita Thomas has a contagious enthusiasm for getting to know new cultures domestically and abroad. In this episode, she handles a difficult conversation, confronting racism in Switzerland, with nuance and incisiveness, showing how travel and tourism do not have to mean neglecting the good and the bad of a destination.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: RMWorldTravelConnection Entry Title: RMWorldTravel - America's #1 Travel Radio Show | "Let's Go America! Tour" - Maui 2025 | 4 October 2025 Entry Credit: Robert J Carey Jr, Mary W Carey, Rudy Maxa, Valerie B Selig, Bob F Bucci Judge Comment: RMWorldTravel features exceptional production quality, and the show's pacing keep things moving. Hosts Mary and Robert have a great rapport which is easy to listening to. In their Maui episode, they take their show on the road, showing the island's diversity through a wide range of guests who each add a unique perspective.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Travel with Annita Entry Title: Destination: Sapelo Island Knobbed Whelks Entry Credit: Annita Thomas Judge Comment: This is first alternate.
Second alternate is Destination: Travel With Annita Takes You To Egypt.
The off-the-beaten-path nature of Travel with Annita's Sapelo, Georgia episode is a refreshing change of pace. Host Annita Thomas's ability to key in on the culture of the place through the practice of whelk harvesting helps listeners connect even more to the destination. Her personable approach to interviewing helps the episode feel immersive and genuine, rather than exoticizing.
