Below are the winners of the 2008 National Magazine Awards, announced last night at New York's Time Warner Center. A list of all nominees, complete with links, can be viewed here.
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
Print: Joyce Rutter Kaye, editor-in-chief, for March/April, July/August, September/October issues.
100,000 to 250,000 circulation
Mother Jones: Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, editors-in-chief, for March/April, May/June, September/October issues.
250,000 to 500,000 circulation
Backpacker: Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief, for April, May, September issues.
500,000 to 1,000,000 circulation
GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief, for March, September, October issues.
1,000,000 to 2,000,000 circulation
The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor, for February 19 & 26, August 13, October 8 issues.
Over 2,000,000 circulation
National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief, for June, August, December 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.
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.
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.
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, Ju
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
New Letters: Robert Stewart, editor-in-chief, for I Am Joe's Prostate, by Thomas E. Kennedy, Volume 73 Number 4, Summer 2007.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief; David Griffin, director of photography; Susan A. Smith, deputy director, photography, for March, April, June 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
RunnersWorld.com: David Willey, editor-in-chief; Mark Remy, executive editor; George Viahogiannis, executive producer
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: Stephen J. Adler, editor-in-chief
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: David L'Heureux, web editor