America's Ten Best Magazines
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If you're in the magazine publishing business, you care deeply about these numbers, nominations for the National Magazine Awards. No great surprises. The New Yorker still leads. Adam Moss' New York is the comer. Virginia Quarterly Review: is it really good, or do they just have some editor who's mastered the politics of ASME, the association which hands out the prizes (like the creepy Pulitzer-chasing editor in David Simon's HBO show, The Wire). Outside the top ten, Maer Roshan's Radar and Joanne Lipman's Portfolio squeeze in with one nomination each. As Jeff Bercovici says, they are now officially as good as once-reputed Esquire magazine, which only gets one nomination. (After the jump, the full list.)
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
This category recognizes overall excellence in magazines in six circulation categories. It honors the effectiveness with which writing, reporting, editing and design all come together to command readers' attention and fulfill the magazine's unique editorial mission.
Under 100,000 circulation
Aperture: Melissa Harris, editor-in-chief, for Summer, Fall, Winter issues.
The Georgia Review: Stephen Corey, editor, for Spring, Fall, Winter issues.
Metropolis: Susan S. Szenasy, editor-in-chief, for May, June, November issues.
Print: Joyce Rutter Kaye, editor-in-chief, for March/April, July/August, September/October issues.
The Virginia Quarterly Review: Ted Genoways, editor, for Spring, Summer issues, Daniel Alarcón and Ted Genoways, co-editors, for Fall issue.
100,000 to 250,000 circulation
Foreign Policy: Moisés Naím, editor-in-chief, for March/April, July/August, September/October issues.
Mother Jones: Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, editors-in-chief, for March/April, May/June, September/October issues.
Paste: Josh Jackson, editor-in-chief, for April, July, August issues.
Philadelphia: Larry Platt, editor-in-chief, for September, October, December issues.
Radar: Maer Roshan, editor-in-chief, for March/April, June/July, November issues.
250,000 to 500,000 circulation
Backpacker: Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief, for April, May, September issues.
Cookie: Pilar Guzmán, editor-in-chief, for July/August, September, December/January issues.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief, for February 12, July 16, November 19 issues.
W: Patrick McCarthy, chairman and editorial director, for March, October, December issues.
Wondertime: Lisa Stiepock, editor, for February/March, September/October, November issues.
500,000 to 1,000,000 circulation
Budget Travel: Erik Torkells, editor, for July/August, September, November issues.
The Economist: John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief, for August 25-31, November 3-9, December 22-January 4 issues.
GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief, for March, September, October issues.
National Geographic Adventure: John Rasmus, editor-in-chief, for June/July, November, December/
January issues.
Wired: Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief, for February, October, November issues.
1,000,000 to 2,000,000 circulation
Men's Health: David Zinczenko, senior vice president and editor-in-chief, for September, October, December issues.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for February 19 & 26, August 13, October 8 issues.
Play: The New York Times Sports Magazine: Mark Bryant, editor, for March, June, November issues.
Popular Mechanics: James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief, for May, August, September issues.
Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor, for March, August, December issues.
Over 2,000,000 circulation
Glamour: Cynthia Leive, editor-in-chief, for June, September, December issues.
Martha Stewart Living: Martha Stewart, founder; Margaret Roach, editorial director, for March, October, December issues; Michael Boodro, editor-in-chief, for October, December issues.
National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief, for June, August, December issues.
People: Larry Hackett, managing editor, for February 5, March 12, May 7 issues.
TIME: Richard Stengel, managing editor, for April 9, June 18, July 9 issues.
PERSONAL SERVICE
This category recognizes excellence in service journalism. The advice or instruction presented should help readers improve the quality of their personal lives.
Field & Stream: Sid Evans, editor-in-chief, for a two-part package, F&S Survival Guide: Survivor and F&S Survival Guide: Never Get Lost Again, by Keith McCafferty, February.
Good Housekeeping: Rosemary Ellis, editor-in-chief, for Passport to Cheaper Health Care?, by Jennifer Wolff, October.
O, The Oprah Magazine: Oprah Winfrey, founder and editorial director; Amy Gross, editor-in-chief, for O's Be-Prepared, You're-Tougher-Than-You-Thought, We've-Got-You-Covered Guide to Saving Yourself from Every Imaginable Disaster. And Then Some, April.
Popular Mechanics: James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief, for Facing Down Disaster, by Logan Ward, August.
Popular Mechanics: James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief, for a three-part series by Alex Hutchinson, Know Your Footprint: Energy, June; Know Your Footprint: Water, September; Know Your Footprint: Waste, December.
LEISURE INTERESTS
This category recognizes excellent service journalism about leisure-time pursuits. The practical advice or instruction presented should help readers enjoy hobbies or other recreational interests.
Domino: Deborah Needleman, editor-in-chief, for a three part series, domino's Big Black Book: Decorating, August; Renovating, October; Entertaining, November.
Field & Stream: Sid Evans, editor-in-chief, for a two-part package, The Rut Calendar '07, by Gerald Almy; Huge Successes, as told to Bill Heavey, November.
Men's Health: David Zinczenko, senior vice president and editor-in-chief, for Women, Money, and Friends Come and Go, But Dogs are Forever, by Jim Thornton, October.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief, for Cartography: The Complete Road Map to New York City Street Food, by Michael Idov, Rob Patronite, Robin Raisfeld, and Emma Rosenblum, June 25.
Time Out Chicago: Joel Reese, editor, for Dive Bars, July 19-25.
REPORTING
This category recognizes excellence in reporting. It honors the enterprise, exclusive reporting and intelligent analysis that a magazine exhibits in covering an event, a situation or a problem of contemporary interest and significance.
National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief, for China's Instant Cities, by Peter Hessler, June.
The New York Times Magazine: Gerald Marzorati, editor-in-chief, for Where Boys Grow Up to Be Jihadis, by Andrea Elliott, November 25.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for The Taliban's Opium War, by Jon Lee Anderson, July 9 & 16.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for The Black Sites, by Jane Mayer, August 13.
Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor, for City of Fear, by William Langewiesche, April.
PUBLIC INTEREST
This category recognizes journalism that sheds new light on an issue of public importance and has the potential to affect national or local debate policy.
5280: Denver's Mile-High Magazine: Daniel Brogan, editor and publisher, for Out in the Cold, by Mike Kessler, November.
Bloomberg Markets: Ronald Henkoff, editor, for a three-part package, Toxic Debt: The Subprime Sinkhole, by Seth Lubove and Daniel Taub; The Ratings Charade, by Richard Tomlinson and David Evans; The Poison in Your Pension, by David Evans, July; and Unsafe Havens, by David Evans, October.
BusinessWeek: Stephen J. Adler, editor-in-chief, for a three-part special report, The Poverty Business, by Brian Grow and Keith Epstein, May 21; Prisoners of Debt, by Robert Berner and Brian Grow, November 12; Fresh Pain for the Uninsured, by Brian Grow and Robert Berner, December 3.
The Nation: Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher, for a two-part series by Joshua Kors, How Specialist Town Lost His Benefits, April 9; Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington, October 15.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for Betrayed, by George Packer, March 26.
FEATURE WRITING
This category recognizes excellence in feature writing. It honors the stylishness and originality with which the author treats his or her subject.
Atlanta: Rebecca Burns, editor-in-chief, for You Have Thousands of Angels Around You, by Paige Williams, October.
GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief, for Underworld, by Jeanne Marie Laskas, May.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief, for Everybody Sucks, by Vanessa Grigoriadis, October 22.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for Swingers, by Ian Parker, July 30.
Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor, for Gone Like The Wind, by Buzz Bissinger, August.
PROFILE WRITING
This category recognizes excellence in profile writing. It honors the vividness and perceptiveness with which the writer brings his or her subject to life.
The Atlantic: James Bennet, editor, for Present at the Creation, by Matthew Scully, September.
Los Angeles: Kit Rachlis, editor-in-chief, for Casualties of War, by Steve Oney, June.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for Azzam the American, by Raffi Khatchadourian, January 22.
The New York Times Magazine: Gerald Marzorati, editor-in-chief, for The Huckabee Factor, by Zev Chafets, December 16.
Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor, for Pat Dollard's War on Hollywood, by Evan Wright, March.
ESSAYS
This category recognizes excellence in essay writing on topics ranging from the personal to the political. Whatever the subject, emphasis should be placed on the author's eloquence, perspective, fresh thinking and unique voice.
The Atlantic: James Bennet, editor, for The Autumn of the Multitaskers, by Walter Kirn, November.
ELLE: Roberta Myers, vice president and editor-in-chief, for My Year of Living Dangerously, by Katrina Onstad, August.
Entertainment Weekly: Rick Tetzeli, managing editor, for J.K. Rowling's Ministry of Magic, by Stephen King, August 17.
Harper's Magazine: Roger D. Hodge, editor, for Chemo World, by Sallie Tisdale, June.
New Letters: Robert Stewart, editor-in-chief, for I Am Joe's Prostate, by Thomas E. Kennedy, Volume 73 Number 4, Summer 2007.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for Parallel Play, by Tim Page, August 20.
COLUMNS and COMMENTARY
This category recognizes excellence in short-form political, social, economic or humorous commentary. It honors the eloquence, force of argument and succinctness with which the writer presents his or her views.
Inc.: Jane Berentson, editor, for three columns by Norm Brodsky, The Offer, Part Three: But Then Who Will I
Be?, January; The Offer, Part Eight: You Have Got to Be Kidding Me, June; The Offer, Part Nine: What I
Learned From My Fiasco, July.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief, for three columns by Kurt Andersen, American Roulette, January 8; Greed Is Good and Ugly, July 30-August 6; The Age of Apoplexy, October 15.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for three columns by Hendrik Hertzberg, Desolation Rows, January 15; Offenses, September 17; Brouhahaha, October 15.
Rolling Stone: Jann S. Wenner, editor and publisher; Will Dana, managing editor, for three columns by Matt Taibbi, Worse Than Bush, June 14; My Favorite Nut Job, November 29; Obama's Moment, December 27.
Slate: Jacob Weisberg, editor-in-chief, for three columns by Christopher Hitchens, Lynching the Dictator, January 2; Suck It Up, April 24; So Many Men's Rooms, So Little Time, September 3.
REVIEWS and CRITICISM
This category recognizes excellence in criticism of art, books, movies, television, theater, music, dance, food, dining, fashion, products and the like. It honors the knowledge, persuasiveness and original voice that the critic brings to his or her reviews.
The Atlantic: James Bennet, editor, for three columns by Caitlin Flanagan, The Sanguine Sex, May; Babes in the Woods, July/August; No Girlfriend of Mine, November.
GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief, for three columns by Tom Carson, You Actin' Like Me?, February; Don't Cry For Me, Iwo Jima, September; Strong, Silent, Ultraviolent, December.
The Nation: Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher, for three reviews by William Deresiewicz, Cafe Society, May 14; The Imaginary Jew, May 28; Fukú Americanus, November 26.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief, for three columns by David Edelstein, See Sickness, August 13; Coen Heads, October 1; Savage Grace, December 3.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for three columns by Louis Menand, Notable Quotables, February 19 & 26; Drive, He Wrote, October 1; Woke Up This Morning, December 10.
MAGAZINE SECTION
This category recognizes excellence of a regular, cohesive section of a magazine, either front- or back-of-book and composed of a variety of elements, both text and visual. Finalists are selected based on the section's voice, originality, and unified design and packaging.
Condé Nast Portfolio: Joanne Lipman, editor-in-chief, for its Brief section, September, November, December.
Esquire: David Granger, editor-in-chief, for its Man at His Best section, April, September, December.
Good: Zach Frechette, editor-in-chief, for its Transparency section, January/February, July/August, September/October.
O, The Oprah Magazine: Oprah Winfrey, founder and editorial director; Amy Gross, editor-in-chief, for its Reading Room section, March, August, October.
Wired: Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief, for its Start section, October, November, December.
SINGLE-TOPIC ISSUE
This category recognizes magazines that have devoted an issue to an in-depth examination of one topic. It honors the ambition, comprehensiveness and imagination with which a magazine treats its subject.
Departures: Richard David Story, editor-in-chief, for Russia Now 2007, October.
Domino: Deborah Needleman, editor-in-chief, for The Green Issue, March.
Gourmet: Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief, for its special Latino American issue, September.
IEEE Spectrum: Susan Hassler, editor-in-chief, for Engineering the Megacity, June.
The Virginia Quarterly Review: Daniel Alarcón and Ted Genoways, co-editors, for South America in the 21st Century, Fall.
DESIGN
This category recognizes excellence in magazine design. It honors the effectiveness of overall design, artwork, graphics and typography in enhancing a magazine's unique mission and personality.
Good: Zach Frechette, editor-in-chief; Scott Stowell, design director, for July/August, September/October, November/December issues.
GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief; Fred Woodward, design director; Jim Moore, creative director, for January, September, October issues.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Chris Dixon, design director, for March 26, June 25, December 17 issues.
T: The New York Times Style Magazine: Stefano Tonchi, editor; Janet Froelich, creative director; Christopher Martinez, art director, for September 16, August 26, December 2 issues.
Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor; David Harris, design director, for March, September, November issues.
Wired: Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief; Scott Dadich, creative director, for August, October, November issues; Wyatt Mitchell, design director, for November issue.
PHOTOGRAPHY
This category recognizes excellence in magazine photography. It honors the effectiveness of photography, photojournalism and photo illustration in enhancing a magazine's unique mission and personality.
Gourmet: Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief; Richard Ferretti, creative director; Erika Oliveira, art director; Amy Koblenzer, photo editor, for September, October, December issues.
GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief; Fred Woodward, design director; Jim Moore, creative director; Anton Ioukhnovets, art director; Dora Somosi, director of photography, for September, October, December issues.
Martha Stewart Living: Martha Stewart, founder; Gael Towey, chief creative officer; Margaret Roach, editorial director; Michael Boodro, editor-in-chief; Eric A. Pike, creative director; James Dunlinson, design director; Heloise Goodman, director of photography and illustration, for May, October, November issues.
National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief; David Griffin, director of photography; Susan A. Smith, deputy director, photography, for March, April, June issues.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Chris Dixon, design director; Jody Quon, photography director, for January 15, October 29, November 12 issues.
W: Patrick McCarthy, chairman and editorial director; Dennis Freedman, creative director; Edward Leida, group design director; Nathalie Kirsheh, art director; Nadia Vellam, photo editor, for March, September, November issues.
PHOTOJOURNALISM
This category recognizes the informative photographic documentation of an event or subject in real-time. Although photo essays accompanied by text will be eligible, they will be judged primarily on the strength of the photographs.
Aperture: Melissa Harris, editor-in-chief; Yolanda Cuomo, art director, for Mikhael Subotzky: Inside South Africa's Prisons, by Michael Godby; photographs by Mikhael Subotzky, Fall.
Mother Jones: Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, editors-in-chief; Susan Scandrett, creative director; Tim J. Luddy, art director; Sarah Kehoe, photo director, for The Hidden Half, by Elizabeth Gettelman; photographs by Lana Šlezić, July/August.
National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief; David Griffin, director of photography; Charles Blow, Art Director; Susan A. Smith, photography deputy director, for Bedlam in the Blood: Malaria, by Michael Finkel; photographs by John Stanmeyer, July.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor; Elisabeth Biondi, photo director, for The Interpreter, by John Colapinto; photographs by Martin Schoeller, April 16.
The Virginia Quarterly Review: Ted Genoways, editor, for A Window on Baghdad, photographs and text by Chris Hondros, Summer.
PHOTO PORTFOLIO
This category honors creative photography and photo illustration. Although photo essays accompanied by text will be eligible, they will be judged primarily on the strength of the photographs.
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Chris Dixon, design director; Jody Quon, photography director; Kate
Elazegui and Randy Minor, art directors, for Leaps and Bounds, photographs by Rodney Smith; styling by Harriet Mays Powell, August 27.
Newsweek: Jon Meacham, editor; Simon Barnett, director of photography; Amid Capeci, assistant managing editor, design, for Faces of a Fiery Year, photographs by Nigel Parry, November 19.
T, The New York Times Style Magazine: Stefano Tonchi, editor; Janet Froelich, creative director; Christopher Martinez, art director; Kathy Ryan, photography director, for A Cultivated Eye, photographs by Fabrizio Coppi and Lucilla Barbieri, April 15.
T, The New York Times Style Magazine: Stefano Tonchi, editor; Janet Froelich, creative director; Christopher Martinez, art director; Kathy Ryan, photography director, for Snow Bound, by Jeffries Blackerby; photographs by Raymond Meier, November 18.
Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor; David Harris, design director; Susan White, photography director, for Killers Kill, Dead Men Die: A 2007 Hollywood Portfolio, Michael Roberts, fashion and style director; photographs by Annie Leibovitz, in collaboration with Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer, March.
FICTION
This category recognizes excellence in magazine fiction writing. It honors the quality of a publication's literary selections.
Harper's Magazine: Roger D. Hodge, editor, for Death of the Pugilist, by Daniel Mason, July; Fiction, by Alice Munro, August; A Report on Our Recent Troubles, by Steven Millhauser, November.
McSweeney's: Dave Eggers, editor and founder, for Retreat, by Wells Tower, May; How To Sell, by Clancy Martin, May; How to Make Millions in the Oil Market, by Christopher R. Howard, September.
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for Good People, by David Foster Wallace, February 5; The Insufferable Gaucho, by Roberto Balaño, October 1; Or Else, by Antonya Nelson, November 19.
The Paris Review: Philip Gourevitch, editor, for Monsieur Kalashnikov, by André Aciman, Summer; Speak No Evil, by Uzodinma Iweala, Summer; Icebergs, by Alistair Morgan, Winter.
Zoetrope: All-Story: Adrienne Brodeur, Francis Ford Coppola, founding editors; Michael Ray, editor, for The Burning of Lawrence, by Andrew Malan Milward, Fall; Those Americans Falling from the Sky, by Fiona McFarlane, Winter; Methane and Politic, by Anya Ulinich, Winter.
GENERAL EXCELLENCE ONLINE
This category recognizes outstanding magazine websites, as well as online-only magazines that feature original content. The site must convey a distinct editorial identity and create a unique magazine environment on the web.
Babble.com (www.babble.com): Ada Calhoun, editor-in-chief
Chow.com (www.chow.com): Jane Goldman, editor-in-chief
NewYorker.com (www.newyorker.com): Blake Eskin, editor
RunnersWorld.com (www.runnersworld.com): David Willey, editor-in-chief; Mark Remy, executive editor; George Viahogiannis, executive producer
Slate.com (www.slate.com): Jacob Weisberg, editor-in-chief
PERSONAL SERVICE ONLINE
This category recognizes an outstanding service feature on the web. The practical advice or instruction presented should help readers either improve the quality of their personal lives or enjoy recreational interests. The category honors a site's creative use of multimedia technology, user involvement and community tools, and/or exceptional work in the blog form.
BusinessWeek.com - B-Schools (www.businessweek.com/bschools): Stephen J. Adler, editor-in-chief
NYMag.com - Grub Street (http://nymag.com/daily/food): Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Kelly Maloni and Ben Williams, co-editors
People.com - StyleWatch (www.people.com/stylewatch): Mark Golin, editor
Self.com - The Self Challenge (www.self.com/challenge): Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief
SI.com - mySI (www.si.com/mysi): Paul Fichtenbaum, managing editor
INTERACTIVE FEATURE
This category recognizes an outstanding interactive section of the website, featuring news, entertainment and other subjects that do not offer practical instruction or advice. The category honors a site's creative use of multimedia technology, user involvement and community tools, and/or exceptional work in the blog form.
Bicycling.com - GPS Rides Tool (http://bicycling.allsportgps.com): David L'Heureux, web editor
Economist.com - Debate Series (www.economist.com): John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief
ESPN.com - NBA Section (www.sports.espn.go.com/nba/index): Rob King, vice president, editor-in-chief; Patrick Stiegman, vice president, executive editor and producer; John Kosner, senior vice president, ESPN Digital Media; John Zehr, senior vice president, digital media production, ESPN Digital
Essence.com - Will You Marry Me? (www.essence.com/essence/30datesin30days): Angela Burt Murray, editor-in-chief; Lynya Floyd, senior editor; Jen M.R. Doman, multimedia development director; Nazenet Habtezghi, assistant editor; Shelly Jones, senior web developer
National Geographic Online (www.ngm.com): Chris Johns, editor-in-chief