[caption id="attachment_31395" align="aligncenter" width="607" caption="Mark's Pick for best Luxury Hotel -- Aman Sri Lanka"][/caption]

In advance of our NNN Awards voting cut off -- less than a week left, folks! -- we're doing a countdown with a few of our experts on the Awards Nominating Academy. That's right, the NewNowNext Academy. These people all have the equivalent of Phds in Travel Writing. (Not really, but they've all been more places than you, and they'll let you know it in subtle ways.)

Anyway, we're kicking off the week with Mark Ellwood's picks. He's British, went to Cambridge, dashing, fun and oozes "I'm smarter than you" -- but in the most charming way. (And let's face it, it's probably true.) Anyway, here are his picks for our NNN Travel Awards 2011:

1. Best Annual Event

I loathe "annual events" which always deteriorate into tackiness. I struggle to think of anything I'd travel for. If I had to nominate something, it would be Frieze Art Fair, but that's a bit po-faced, no?

2. Sexiest Destination

Bombay. It's as sexy as Miami but with the bonus of Indian people - so an extra dash of glitz, glam and slinkiness.

[caption id="attachment_31400" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Mark Ellwood, Travel Writer, Handsome, Better than You"][/caption]

3. Best Airline

Domestic: Delta's loyalty in upgrading me relentlessly has been a total game changer. And the fact that we Platinums were singled out and rebooked automatically when my NY-bound plane from London had mechanical problems that would have stranded us for 8 hours impressed me.

But internationally, I love Qantas all the way. The bizclass seat has never been bettered.

4. Favorite Travel TV Show

Umm, does anyone watch these? Can I say that? Or pimp my own? (Mark has a series on Plum TV)

5. Best Resort

I rarely go to resorts, as they're so hard to write about... umm, so... I still think about the Amans in Sri Lanka, FWIW. Those were the kind of places I dream of.

6. Best Global Destination

Tokyo. It never fails to astonish me. And it needs our tourism more than ever now.

7. Best US Destination

Aside from the obvious ones, obviously. I love Minneapolis - as Midwestern and all American as Chicago but without the doughy niceness. And the art scene there is truly amazing. Not just regional-amazing. But top caliber.

8. Best Hotel Chain

Yes, I'm a whore for their freebies, but I love love love a W when it's done right. The Minneapolis one, which converts the Art Deco skyscraper the Foshay Tower into a contemp hotel, with the amazing design clash of disco-meets-deco wowed me. When W takes an old building and makes it over, I am always wowed.

9. NewNowNext Destination (meaning a killer city that’s about to get really hot)

When I mentioned I was going to St Petersburg, it staggered me that 4 of my editors were all going this summer too. I think that's a city-on-the-verge

Admittedly, only a few of his picks made it into the nominees, but that's not to say he's wrong. He was just out voted here and there.

Agree or disagree with his assessments? Take a look at our full list of nominees, and cast your votes today. Voting closes this Friday, October 28th.