I鈥檓 incredibly honored and grateful to share that at the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club, I received my first-ever First Place award 鈥� in the Lifestyle Feature category for my podcast, Make Your Own Map 鈥� and was also awarded Third Place for Online Journalist of the Year.
These honors mean the world to me 鈥� not just for the awards themselves, but for what they represent: years of storytelling, reinvention, and the courage to keep creating across new platforms.
This year, I was named a five-time finalist, and throughout my career, I鈥檝e now received more than 40 nominations from the Los Angeles Press Club. I鈥檓 proud to have been recognized for work in broadcast, print, digital, television, and podcasting 鈥� a full-circle moment for someone who believes in telling stories that move, inform, and inspire.
As a TV host, travel journalist, and creator of both and the podcast, I鈥檝e built my career around curiosity, connection, and the joy of saying yes to new adventures.
Whether I鈥檓 interviewing changemakers, exploring new destinations, or writing about reinvention, my goal has always been to encourage others to explore boldly, ask big questions, and 鈥� most of all 鈥� make their own map.
Thank you to the judges, the and to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I鈥檓 so grateful 鈥� and excited for what comes next.
I鈥檓 honored and thrilled to be named a 5-time finalist in the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club. With more than 2,500 entries submitted鈥攂reaking all previous records鈥攖his year鈥檚 awards spotlight the most impactful storytelling across media.
My work has been recognized in four categories鈥攕panning podcasting, TV, travel, and digital journalism鈥攁nd reflects my continued passion for sharing powerful, meaningful stories of place, purpose, and people making a difference. From TV segments and podcast episodes to lifestyle features, each piece honors the culture, connections, and experiences that move us.
Lifestyle Feature (Podcast)鈥淗ow Alex Jimenez Transformed Her Passion into a Thriving Travel Community鈥� On Make Your Own Map, Alex opens up about building Travel Fashion Girl and Women鈥檚 Travel Fest into vibrant communities for women travelers. Her entrepreneurial journey and empowering message earned recognition in this lifestyle storytelling category.
Lifestyle Feature (Podcast) & Travel Reporting (Podcast)鈥淣eville McConachie鈥檚 Tales of the Giant鈥檚 Causeway鈥� This episode, also from Make Your Own Map, was recorded as part of my Jet Set TV travel special on Ireland鈥攔ecently honored with a Telly Award. Neville鈥檚 storytelling brought the magic and mystery of Northern Ireland鈥檚 Giant鈥檚 Causeway to life and earned recognition in two categories.
TV/Streaming/Radio FeatureIcon of the Seas 鈥� The World鈥檚 Largest Cruise Ship Featured on The Jet Set TV, this segment explored Royal Caribbean鈥檚 record-breaking ship. It鈥檚 a story of innovation, scale, and the joy of cruising鈥攏ominated in a category alongside some of the industry鈥檚 best travel broadcasters.
Online Journalist of the Year I’m especially proud to once again be a finalist for Online Journalist of the Year, honoring the full spectrum of my digital reporting, interviews, and multimedia storytelling. This is my 3rd finalist nomination for Online Journalist of the Year!
I’m incredibly grateful to The Jet Set TV team, my podcast guests, and the editors and collaborators who help bring these stories to life. Thank you for traveling this journey with me鈥攃an鈥檛 wait to see what鈥檚 next!
5x Finalist! Travel, TV & Tales That Made the Judges Take Note
A6. ONLINE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, Independent/Freelance
Nico Lang, Queer 91传媒 Daily
Lyndsey Parker, Freelance
John Regardie, Freelance
Aitana Vargas, Freelance
B4. TRAVEL REPORTING
Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map, 鈥溾�檚 Tales of the Giant鈥檚 Causeway鈥�
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 鈥淗allmark Holiday Stars Won鈥檛 Be Ignored by Hollywood Anymore: 鈥業 Treat Each Production Like a Martin Scorsese Film鈥欌��
Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 鈥溾�楢bbott Elementary鈥� and The Glow Up of Janine Teagues鈥�
James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 鈥淗ow 鈥楾he Chosen鈥� Creator Turned the Bible Into Binge TV鈥�
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 鈥淲elcome to ‘Ren Faire’: Lance Oppenheim’s HBO Docuseries Follows a Festival Trapped in a Real-Life Game of Thrones鈥�
The Jet Set TV: Lisa Niver takes us onboard the ICONIC Icon of the Seas
https://youtu.be/kN89NZeBv5o
Jet Set Correspondent Lisa Niver set sail on the World鈥檚 Largest Cruise ship to give us a look inside!
Thank you The Jet Set TV, Nikki Noya & Bobby Laurie for allowing me to share about Royal Caribbean International’s brand new ship, ICON OF THE SEAS on your travel TV show.
Thank you to the INCREDIBLE & ICONIC production team — Option A Group, Lisa Williams, Sam Harris, Jason Mangini and Patrick Gruss for this amazing segment.
Thank you to TEAM Ketchum –Aaron Kokoruz Jessica Milton Spencer Bullard Amanda Gadaleta Alonso–for another amazing adventure, especially saving me a spot on Crown’s Edge 馃檪
Lisa Niver won a for her Travel TV special about Ireland which aired on The Jet Set TV!
https://youtu.be/h1rIvYuti6U
Lisa Niver has won including a TELLY! From 2017 to 2025, in the Southern California Journalism Awards and National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, she has won eleven times and been a finalist forty times for a variety of broadcast, print, podcast and digital categories.
2025 Winner: 1st place Lifestyle Feature for Make Your Own Map, 鈥溾��, 3rd place Online Journalist of the Year
: Silver Telly Award for Celtic Charm travel special!
: Southern California Journalism Awards for Online Journalist of the Year, TV/Streaming/Radio Feature, Lifestyle Feature (Podcast) & Travel Reporting (Podcast)
: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards听Diversity in the Entertainment Industry
: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards finalist for Online Journalist of the Year, and for three of my podcast interviews with Beth Santos, Wanderful, Carolyn Ray, JourneyWoman, and Samantha Brown, Places to Love.
: Southern California Journalism Awards for Online Journalist of the Year, Podcast Host and for my podcast interviews with Andrew McCarthy, Samantha Brown, Tony Phelan and Christie Tate
听National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards Diversity in Entertainment
t: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards
: Southern California Journalism Awards for Travel Reporting and Podcast Interview
: Southern California Journalism Awards for听
: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for听Commentary Diversity/Gender听and听Commentary Analysis/Trend 鈥� Film
:听Southern California Journalism Awards for听
听Southern California Journalism Awards for听
: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Book Critic. See all of听.
: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards for Book Critic
: Southern California Journalism Awards for print magazine article: Hemispheres Magazine for United Airlines
听Southern California Journalism awards
2019 Winner:听
: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards in three categories
From Trump鈥檚 standpoint, the nuclear issue has been overtaken by the bedeviling problem of the Strait of Hormuz. What Trump sees now in Iran is a mess, not a victory.
The world鈥檚 fanatical fixation with a group that is less that 0.2 percent of the world鈥檚 population has crossed the boundaries of moral vocabulary and into creepiness.
It鈥檇 be one thing if Mamdani were a lowly Israelophobe with a few hundred followers. But he鈥檚 not. He鈥檚 mayor of the city with the world鈥檚 largest 91传媒 population.
For the director/artist, creating images inspired by Torah is a way of engaging with the stories, ideas and interpretations that have shaped 91传媒 life for thousands of years.
A classic Australian dessert chocolate coconut slice features a rich, dense, fudgy chocolate base packed with dried coconut, finished with a thick cocoa frosting and generously dusted with even more coconut.
My First-Ever First Place: Honored at the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards
Lisa Ellen Niver
I鈥檓 incredibly honored and grateful to share that at the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club, I received my first-ever First Place award 鈥� in the Lifestyle Feature category for my podcast, Make Your Own Map 鈥� and was also awarded Third Place for Online Journalist of the Year.
These honors mean the world to me 鈥� not just for the awards themselves, but for what they represent: years of storytelling, reinvention, and the courage to keep creating across new platforms.
This year, I was named a five-time finalist, and throughout my career, I鈥檝e now received more than 40 nominations from the Los Angeles Press Club. I鈥檓 proud to have been recognized for work in broadcast, print, digital, television, and podcasting 鈥� a full-circle moment for someone who believes in telling stories that move, inform, and inspire.
As a TV host, travel journalist, and creator of both and the podcast, I鈥檝e built my career around curiosity, connection, and the joy of saying yes to new adventures.
Whether I鈥檓 interviewing changemakers, exploring new destinations, or writing about reinvention, my goal has always been to encourage others to explore boldly, ask big questions, and 鈥� most of all 鈥� make their own map.
Thank you to the judges, the and to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I鈥檓 so grateful 鈥� and excited for what comes next.
I鈥檓 honored and thrilled to be named a 5-time finalist in the 67th Southern California Journalism Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club. With more than 2,500 entries submitted鈥攂reaking all previous records鈥攖his year鈥檚 awards spotlight the most impactful storytelling across media.
My work has been recognized in four categories鈥攕panning podcasting, TV, travel, and digital journalism鈥攁nd reflects my continued passion for sharing powerful, meaningful stories of place, purpose, and people making a difference. From TV segments and podcast episodes to lifestyle features, each piece honors the culture, connections, and experiences that move us.
Lifestyle Feature (Podcast) 鈥淗ow Alex Jimenez Transformed Her Passion into a Thriving Travel Community鈥� On Make Your Own Map, Alex opens up about building Travel Fashion Girl and Women鈥檚 Travel Fest into vibrant communities for women travelers. Her entrepreneurial journey and empowering message earned recognition in this lifestyle storytelling category.
Lifestyle Feature (Podcast) & Travel Reporting (Podcast) 鈥淣eville McConachie鈥檚 Tales of the Giant鈥檚 Causeway鈥� This episode, also from Make Your Own Map, was recorded as part of my Jet Set TV travel special on Ireland鈥攔ecently honored with a Telly Award. Neville鈥檚 storytelling brought the magic and mystery of Northern Ireland鈥檚 Giant鈥檚 Causeway to life and earned recognition in two categories.
TV/Streaming/Radio Feature Icon of the Seas 鈥� The World鈥檚 Largest Cruise Ship Featured on The Jet Set TV, this segment explored Royal Caribbean鈥檚 record-breaking ship. It鈥檚 a story of innovation, scale, and the joy of cruising鈥攏ominated in a category alongside some of the industry鈥檚 best travel broadcasters.
Online Journalist of the Year I’m especially proud to once again be a finalist for Online Journalist of the Year, honoring the full spectrum of my digital reporting, interviews, and multimedia storytelling. This is my 3rd finalist nomination for Online Journalist of the Year!
I’m incredibly grateful to The Jet Set TV team, my podcast guests, and the editors and collaborators who help bring these stories to life. Thank you for traveling this journey with me鈥攃an鈥檛 wait to see what鈥檚 next!
5x Finalist! Travel, TV & Tales That Made the Judges Take Note
A6. ONLINE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, Independent/Freelance
Nico Lang, Queer 91传媒 Daily
Lyndsey Parker, Freelance
John Regardie, Freelance
Aitana Vargas, Freelance
B4. TRAVEL REPORTING
Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map, 鈥溾�檚 Tales of the Giant鈥檚 Causeway鈥�
Angela Boisvert, Matt Bass, Tamara Gould, Nathan Masters, Kathy Kasaba, PBS SoCal, 鈥淟ost LA: Hiking Trailblazers鈥�
Ruksana Hussain, Fodor’s Travel, 鈥淗ow to Behave When Visiting Sites of Remembrance鈥�
Michele Stueven, LA Weekly, 鈥淥N THE HORIZON 100 Years of Filmmaking in Utah鈥�
Susan Valot, KCRW, 鈥溾�楯ust as special as Disneyland,鈥� backyard trains draw crowds鈥�
K4. LIFESTYLE FEATURE
Lisa Niver, , 鈥淗ow Alex Jimenez Transformed Her Passion into a Thriving Travel Community鈥�
Lisa Niver, Make Your Own Map, 鈥淚reland: Neville鈥檚 Stories at Giant鈥檚 Causeway鈥�
Jonathan Bastian, Andrea Brody, KCRW, 鈥淭he Serviceberry鈥�: Robin Wall Kimmerer鈥檚 guide to the gift economy鈥�
Caroline Feraday, KCLU Radio, 鈥淎 master whiskey distiller from Scotland is putting Oxnard on the map鈥�
Juuso M盲盲tt盲nen, Annenbergmedia, 鈥淓li Everfly helps up-and-coming L.A. wrestlers get ahead鈥�
into a Thriving Travel Community
Interview and Transcript on We Said Go Travel:
Interview on YouTube :
Interview on Spotify:
L21. TV/STREAMING/RADIO FEATURE
Lisa Niver, The Jet Set TV, 鈥�鈥�
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 鈥淗allmark Holiday Stars Won鈥檛 Be Ignored by Hollywood Anymore: 鈥業 Treat Each Production Like a Martin Scorsese Film鈥欌��
Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 鈥溾�楢bbott Elementary鈥� and The Glow Up of Janine Teagues鈥�
James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 鈥淗ow 鈥楾he Chosen鈥� Creator Turned the Bible Into Binge TV鈥�
J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 鈥淲elcome to ‘Ren Faire’: Lance Oppenheim’s HBO Docuseries Follows a Festival Trapped in a Real-Life Game of Thrones鈥�
The Jet Set TV: Lisa Niver takes us onboard the ICONIC Icon of the Seas
Jet Set Correspondent Lisa Niver set sail on the World鈥檚 Largest Cruise ship to give us a look inside!
Thank you The Jet Set TV, Nikki Noya & Bobby Laurie for allowing me to share about Royal Caribbean International’s brand new ship, ICON OF THE SEAS on your travel TV show.
Thank you to the INCREDIBLE & ICONIC production team — Option A Group, Lisa Williams, Sam Harris, Jason Mangini and Patrick Gruss for this amazing segment.
Thank you to TEAM Ketchum –Aaron Kokoruz Jessica Milton Spencer Bullard Amanda Gadaleta Alonso–for another amazing adventure, especially saving me a spot on Crown’s Edge 馃檪
Lisa Niver won a for her Travel TV special about Ireland which aired on The Jet Set TV!
Lisa Niver has won including a TELLY! From 2017 to 2025, in the Southern California Journalism Awards and National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, she has won eleven times and been a finalist forty times for a variety of broadcast, print, podcast and digital categories.
More about Lisa Niver:
Have you read my memoir, ? My book has won 10 awards!
2025 International Impact Book Awards鈥擳谤补惫别濒
2024 Gold Medal – Inspirational听鈥� North American Book Awards
2024 Gold Bookfest Award听鈥� Nonfiction Memoir Travel
2024 Gold Nonfiction Book Award听鈥� Nonfiction Authors Association
2024 Literary Titan Gold Book Award听鈥� Non-fiction
2024 Silver Bookfest Award听鈥� Nonfiction Self-Help Inspiration
2024 Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention听鈥� Non-Fiction – Women鈥檚 Genre
2023 Hearten Book Awards First Place Winner听鈥� Inspiring & Uplifting Non-Fiction
2023 Zibby Awards Runner-up听鈥� Best Book for The Strong Woman2023 Goody Business Book Awards Winner听鈥� Memoir/Self-Help
Featured in Conde Nast Traveler Women Who Travel Book Club: 10 New Books We Can’t Wait to Read this Fall
As seen in听Forbes听Best New NonFiction
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