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Contributed Photos - Victor F. Banks (left), minister of tourism, Anguilla, with David Bear, former travel editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, at the media awards luncheon.

Edmund Bartlett (right), Jamaica's minister of tourism and Michael Robinson of Sky Writings.

Members of the media honoured in New York

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) paid tribute to members of the United States and Caribbean media communities during a special Caribbean Media Awards Luncheon on Thursday, June 11, at the New Yorker Hotel as part of Caribbean Week in New York 2009.

David Bear, former travel editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was honoured with the afternoon's grand prize of Best in Show for his newspaper article entitled 'Casual Anguilla Harbors Miles of Superb Beaches'. Bear also took home the prize for Best Feature Article in a Consumer Newspaper for the same.

"The CTO Awards are a vitally important part of Caribbean Week in New York, serving as our annual recognition for the national media in both the United States and the Caribbean who have been positively advocating tourism to the Caribbean for so many years," said Hugh Riley, interim secretary general of the CTO. "Each year, we receive hundreds of superior submissions in every media category and it's always a difficult decision to choose just one winner from each. This year was no exception."

Tourism officials, Caribbean tourism suppliers and the media were in attendance at the Caribbean Media Awards luncheon, where they recognised some of the leading journalists in the United States and Caribbean.

Winners included:

David Swanson, 'Our Top 25 All Stars' in Caribbean Travel and Life - Best Feature Article in a Consumer Magazine (USA)

Cheray O'Neal, 'Home Away from Home' in Black Meetings and Tourism - Best Feature Article in a Trade Magazine (USA)

James Schnepf, 'The Golden Age of Nevis' in Caribbean Travel and Life - Best Photography (USA)

Dana Popoff, Feasting on Waves: Island Thyme on Food Network - Best Broadcast Feature (USA)

Michael Robinson, 'Cockpit Country' in Sky Writings - Best Feature Article (Caribbean).

More than 100 submissions were received across six categories in print and broadcast media, in addition to the Best in Show winner, which was chosen out of the six finalists.