National Magazine Awards

This article is about the American award. For the Canadian award, see Canadian National Magazine Awards.

National Magazine Awards
Awarded for	Excellence in the magazine industry
Sponsor	Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Date	Annual
Country	United States
Presented by	American Society of Magazine Editors
First awarded	1966
Official website	www.magazine.org/asme/national-magazine-awards

The National Magazine Awards are a series of American awards that honor excellence in the magazine industry. They are sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors and administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, New York. The awards have been presented annually since 1966.

They are generally considered the highest award in the magazine industry; in the magazine world, they are roughly equivalent to the Pulitzer Prizes (which are far more widely known in the popular culture, but do not include a magazine category).

Recipients of awards are selected in a two-step procedure: First, entries are reviewed by a judging panel, which recommends a group of finalists; then, a second panel of judges chooses one winner in each category.

The current categories are:

• General Excellence, News, Sports and Entertainment
• General Excellence, Service and Lifestyle
• General Excellence, Special Interest
• General Excellence, Literature, Science and Politics
• Design
• Photography
• Single-Topic Issue
• Website
• Multimedia
• Video
• Public Interest
• Personal Service
• Leisure Interests
• Magazine Section
• Reporting
• Feature Writing
• Feature Photography
• Essays and Criticism
• Columns and Commentary
• Fiction
• Magazine of the Year

Winners in each of the categories are awarded an "Ellie", a copper-colored stabile sculpture by Alexander Calder, resembling an elephant, which is manufactured by New York firm Society Awards. The National Magazine Awards web site has a searchable database of all the winners and top-five finalists.

Current categories

General Excellence

Honors print and digital magazines in six categories based on content and audience.

Businessweek received the first ever award in 1973. No award was given from 1974 to 1980. When General Excellence returned as a category in 1981, it was given to four magazines per year until 1998, when five magazines received General Excellence awards. Six magazines received awards in 2002. From 2003 to 2010, the award went to seven different magazines and in 2011, to eight. Since 2012, the award has gone to six magazines.

Year	Magazine
1973	Bloomberg Businessweek
1981	Glamour, Bloomberg Businessweek , Audubon, ARTnews
1982	Science 81, Rocky Mountain, Newsweek, Camera Arts
1983	Science 82, Louisiana Life, LIFE, Harper's Magazine
1984	Outside, National Geographic, House & Garden, The American Lawyer
1985	Manhattan, Inc., American Heritage, American Health, TIME
1986	New England Monthly, Money, Discover, 3-2-1 Contact
1987	People, New England Monthly, ELLE, Common Cause
1988	The Sciences, Parents, Hippocrates, Fortune
1989	Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, The Sciences, American Heritage
1990	Metropolitan Home, 7 Days, Texas Monthly, Sports Illustrated
1991	The New Republic, Interview, Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler
1992	Texas Monthly, The New Republic, National Geographic, Mirabella
1993	Newsweek, Lingua Franca, The Atlantic, American Photo
1994	Health, Bloomberg Businessweek , Wired, Print
1995	The New Yorker, Men's Journal, I.D., Entertainment Weekly
1996	The Sciences, Civilization, Outside, Bloomberg Businessweek
1997	I.D., Wired, Vanity Fair, Outside
1998	Rolling Stone, Preservation, Outside, DoubleTake
1999	Vanity Fair', I.D., Fast Company, Condé Nast Traveler
2000	Saveur, The New Yorker, Nest, National Geographic
2001	Teen People, The New Yorker, Mother Jones, The American Scholar
2002	Vibe, Print, Newsweek, National Geographic Adventure, Entertainment Weekly
2003	Texas Monthly, Parenting, Foreign Policy, ESPN The Magazine, The Atlantic, Architectural Record
2004	Popular Science, Newsweek, Gourmet, Aperture, Budget Living, Chicago
2005	Wired, The New Yorker, Print, Martha Stewart Weddings, Glamour, Dwell
2006	The Virginia Quarterly Review, TIME, New York, Harper's Magazine, Esquire, ESPN The Magazine
2007	Wired, Rolling Stone, New York, National Geographic, Foreign Policy, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
2008	Print, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Mother Jones, GQ, Backpacker
2009	Foreign Policy, Field & Stream, Wired, Texas Monthly, Reader's Digest
2010	San Francisco, New York, National Geographic, Mother Jones', GQ, Men's Health
2011	Women's Health, Scientific American, Garden & Gun, Poetry, New York, Los Angeles
2012	Inc., House Beautiful, IEEE Spectrum, O, The Oprah Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek
2013	The Paris Review, Martha Stewart Weddings, National Geographic, Vogue, Outside
2014	New York, Poetry, Inc., Field & Stream, Bon Appétit, Sunset
2015	Garden & Gun, Glamour, The Hollywood Reporter, Nautilus, The New Yorker, Men's Health

Design

Previously known as Visual Excellence (1970-1979). Honors overall excellence in print magazine design.

Year	Magazine
1970	Look
1971	Vogue
1972	Esquire
1973	Horizon
1974	Newsweek
1975	Country Journal and National Lampoon
1976	Horticulture
1977	Rolling Stone
1978	Architectural Digest
1979	Audubon
1980	GEO
1981	Attenzione
1982	Nautical Quarterly
1983	New York
1984	House & Garden
1985	Forbes
1986	TIME
1987	ELLE
1988	LIFE
1989	Rolling Stone
1990	Esquire
1991	Condé Nast Traveler
1992	Vanity Fair
1993	Harper's Bazaar
1994	Allure
1995	Martha Stewart Living
1996	Wired
1997	I.D. Magazine
1998	Entertainment Weekly
1999	ESPN The Magazine
2000	Fast Company
2001	Nest
2002	Details
2003	Details
2004	Esquire
2005	Kids: Fun Stuff to Do Together
2006	New York
2007	New York
2008	Wired
2009	Wired
2010	Wired
2011	GQ
2012	GQ
2013	TIME
2014	New York
2015	New York

Photography

Honors overall excellence in print magazine photography.

Year	Magazine
1985	LIFE
1986	Vogue
1987	National Geographic
1988	Rolling Stone
1989	National Geographic
1990	Texas Monthly
1991	National Geographic
1992	National Geographic
1993	Harper's Bazaar
1994	Martha Stewart Living
1995	Rolling Stone
1996	Saveur
1997	National Geographic
1998	W
1999	Martha Stewart Living
2000	Vanity Fair
2001	National Geographic
2002	Vanity Fair
2003	Condé Nast Traveler
2004	City
2005	Gourmet
2006	W
2007	National Geographic
2008	Gourmet
2009	GQ
2010	Vanity Fair
2011	W
2012	Vogue
2013	National Geographic
2014	Bon Appétit
2015	National Geographic

Feature Photography

Previously known as Photo Portfolio/Photo Essay (2004-2006) and Photo Portfolio (2007-2010). Honors the use of original photography in a feature story, photo-essay or photo portfolio.

Year	Magazine
2004	W
2005	TIME
2006	Rolling Stone
2007	City
2008	Vanity Fair
2009	The New Yorker
2010	The New Yorker
2011	ESPN The Magazine
2012	The New York Times Magazine
2013	W
2014	W
2015	TIME

Single-Topic Issue

Honors magazines that have devoted a single issue to the comprehensive examination of one subject. No award was given in 2000 or 2001.

Year	Magazine
1979	Progressive Architecture
1980	Scientific American
1981	Bloomberg Businessweek
1982	Newsweek
1983	IEEE Spectrum
1984	Esquire
1985	American Heritage
1986	IEEE Spectrum
1987	Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
1988	LIFE
1989	Hippocrates
1990	National Geographic
1991	The American Lawyer
1992	Bloomberg Businessweek
1993	Newsweek
1994	Health
1995	Discover
1996	Bon Appétit
1997	Scientific American
1998	The Sciences
1999	The Oxford American
2002	TIME
2003	Scientific American
2004	The Oxford American
2005	Newsweek
2006	TIME
2007	Departures
2008	The Virginia Quarterly Review
2009	Saveur
2010	Wired
2011	National Geographic
2012	New York
2013	Saveur
2014	Bloomberg Businessweek
2015	San Francisco

Magazine Section

Honors a regularly published front- or back-of-the-book department or section.

Year	Magazine
2005	Popular Science
2006	Backpacker
2007	New York
2008	Condé Nast Portfolio
2009	Wired
2010	New York
2011	New York
2012	New York
2013	New York
2014	Modern Farmer
2015	New York

Personal Service

Previously known as Service to the Individual (1974—1985). Honors the use of print to serve readers’ needs and aspirations. No award was given in 1981.

Year	Magazine
1974	Sports Illustrated
1975	Esquire
1976	Modern Medicine
1977	Harper's Magazine
1978	Newsweek
1979	American Journal of Nursing
1980	Saturday Review
1982	Philadelphia
1983	Sunset
1984	New York
1985	The Washingtonian
1986	Farm Journal
1987	Consumer Reports
1988	Money
1989	Good Housekeeping
1990	Consumer Reports
1991	New York
1992	Creative Classroom
1993	Good Housekeeping
1994	Fortune
1995	SmartMoney
1996	SmartMoney
1997	Glamour
1998	Men's Journal'
1999	Good Housekeeping
2000	PC Company (renamed Smart Business for the New Economy)
2001	National Geographic Adventure
2002	National Geographic Adventure
2003	Outside
2004	Men's Health
2005	BabyTalk
2006	Self
2007	Glamour
2008	Popular Mechanics
2009	Esquire
2010	New York
2011	Men's Health
2012	Glamour
2013	Los Angeles
2014	Cosmopolitan
2015	O, The Oprah Magazine

Leisure Interests

Previously known as Special Interests (1986-2001). Honors the use of print to provide practical information about recreational activities and special interests.

Year	Magazine
1986	Popular Mechanics
1987	Sports Afield
1988	Condé Nast Traveler
1989	Condé Nast Traveler
1990	Art & Antiques
1991	New York
1992	Sports Afield
1993	Philadelphia
1994	Outside
1995	GQ
1996	Saveur
1997	Smithsonian
1998	Entertainment Weekly
1999	PC Computing
2000	I.D.
2001	The New Yorker
2002	Vogue
2003	National Geographic Adventure
2004	Consumer Reports
2005	Sports Illustrated
2006	Golf Magazine
2007	O, The Oprah Magazine
2008	New York
2009	Esquire
2010	New York
2011	Men's Journal'
2012	Saveur
2013	Wired
2014	O, The Oprah Magazine
2015	Backpacker

Website

Honors magazine websites and online-only magazines.

Year	Magazine
2012	New York
2013	The Atlantic
2014	New York
2015	Nautilus

Multimedia

Previously known as Multimedia Feature or Package (2010) and Multimedia Package (2011). Honors digital storytelling and the integration of magazine media.

Year	Magazine
2010	New York
2011	The Virginia Quarterly Review
2012	Foreign Policy
2013	National Geographic
2014	National Geographic
2015	The Texas Observer in partnership with The Guardian US

Video

Honors the outstanding use of video by magazines published on digital platforms.

Year	Magazine
2010	Yale Environment 360
2011	The Oxford American
2012	The New York Times Magazine
2013	Mother Jones'
2014	Glamour
2015	Vice News

Public Interest

Known as Public Service (1970-1985). Honors magazine journalism that illuminates issues of national importance. No award was given in 1973.

Year	Magazine	Article(s)	Author(s)
1970	LIFE	"Fortas: A Question of Ethics”	William Lambert
1971	The Nation	“The Wired Nation” ”The Cops Hit the Jackpot”	Ralph Lee Smith Joseph C. Goulden
1972	Philadelphia	“The River Pirates ”
1974	Scientific American	“Life and Death in Medicine”	Kerr L. White
1975	Consumer Reports	“Is the Water Safe to Drink? (three-part series)”	Irwin Landau
1976	Bloomberg Businessweek	“The Corporate Woman: Up the Ladder, Finally ”	Irene Pave
1977	Philadelphia	“The Forgotten Children”	Loretta Schwartz
1978	Mother Jones'	“Pinto Madness”	Mark Dowie
1979	New West	“Hell on Wheels”	Moira Johnson
1980	Texas Monthly	“Why Teachers Can’t Teach”	Gene Lyons
1981	Reader's Digest	“The Murder of Robbie Wayne, Age 6” “Marijuana Alert II: More of the Grim Story”	Mary Jane Chambers Peggy Mann
1982	The Atlantic	“The Education of David Stockman (December)”	William Greider
1983	Foreign Policy	“Nuclear Weapons and the Atlantic Alliance (Spring)”	McGeorge Bundy, George F. Kennan, Robert s. McNamara and Gerard C. Smith
1984	The New Yorker	“Breaking the Spell”	George Kennan
1985	The Washingtonian	“Where Have All the Warriors Gone?”	Nick Kotz and Nancy B. Nathan and Cathryn Donohoe
1986	Science 81	“Technology for Peace: High-Tech Vigilance” “Technology for Peace: The Politics of Mistrust Technology for Peace: The Inspectors”	R. Jeffrey Smith Roger Bingham Carl Posey
1987	Money	“Inside the Billion-Dollar Business of Blood”	Andrea Rock
1988	The Atlantic	“The Morning After”	Peter G. Peterson
1989	California	“Halcion Madness; Halcion: Prescription for Trouble?”	Cindy Ehrlich
1990	Southern Exposure	“Don’t Count Your Chickens” “Inside the Slaughterhouse the Fox Guarding the Hen House”	Barry Yeoman Barbara Goldottas, Tom Devine
1991	Family Circle	“Toxic Nightmare on Main Street”	Stephanie Abarbanel
1992	Glamour	“Teenage and Pregnant: Where are the Doctors Who Will Do Abortions?” “A Town Held Hostage”	Le Ann Schreiber Francis Wilkinson
1993	The Family Therapy Networker	“Whatever Happened to Community Mental Health?—Revising the Dream” Steering through the Storm Making House Calls”	Mary Sykes Wylie James Carlin, Laura M. Markowitz
1994	Philadelphia	“Less Than One Percent; Floxin Follow-Up; Floxin Update”	Stephen Fried
1995	The New Republic	“No Exit; She’s Baaack!”	Elizabeth McCaughey
1996	Texas Monthly	“Not What the Doctor Ordered”	Mimi Swartz
1997	Fortune	“How Bill Ruckelshaus is Taking on the New York Mob”; “Carting Away New York City’s Garbage Cartel”	Richard Behar
1998	The Atlantic	“The Computer Delusion”	Todd Oppenheimer
1999	TIME	“Corporate Welfare”; “Paying a Price for Polluters”; “The Empire of the Pigs”	Donald L. Bartlett and James B. Steele
2000	The New Yorker	“The Demon in the Freezer”	Richard Preston
2001	TIME	“Big Money & Politics: How the Little Guy Gets Crunched”; “Soaked by Congress”; “Throwing the Game”	Donald L. Bartlett and James B. Steele
2002	The Atlantic	“Bystanders to Genocide”	Samantha Power
2003	The Atlantic	“The Fifty-First State?”	James Fallows
2004	The New Yorker	“Lunch with the Chairman”; “Selective Intelligence”; “The Stovepipe”	Seymour M. Hersh
2005	The New Yorker	“Torture at Abu Ghraib”; “Chain of Command”; “The Gray Zone”	Seymour Hersh
2006	The New Yorker	“The Climate of Man: Part 1”; “The Climate of Man: Part II”; “The Climate of Man: Part III”	Elizabeth Kolbert
2007	Vanity Fair	“Rules of Engagement”	William Langewiesche
2008	The Nation	“How Specialist town Lost His Benefits”; Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington”	Joshua Kors
2009	Bicycling	“Broken”	David Darlington
2010	The New Yorker	“The Cost Conundrum”	Atul Gawande
2011	The New Yorker	“Letting Go”	Atul Gawande
2012	The New Yorker	“The Invisible Army”	Sarah Stillman
2013	Texas Monthly	“Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, Wives”	Mimi Swartz
2014	TIME	“Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us”	Steven Brill
2015	Pacific Standard	"Why Women Aren't Welcome on the Internet"	Amanda Hess

Reporting

Previously known as Reporting Excellence (1970-1980) and New Reporting in 1988. Honors reporting excellence as exemplified by one article or a series of articles.

Year	Magazine	Article(s)	Author(s)
1970	The New Yorker	”Annals of Politics” “Casualties of War”	Richard Harris Daniel Lang
1971	The Atlantic	”Soldiers”	Ward Just
1972	The Atlantic	”The 8,000,000: Report from China”	Ross Terrill
1973	New York	”The Landlords of Hell’s Bedroom”; “The Old Man in the Bronx”	Gail Sheehy
1974	The New Yorker	”Annals of Industry: Casualties of the Workplace” “Reporter at Large: The Plundered Past”	Paul Brodeur John McPhee, Karl E. Meyer
1975	The New Yorker	”Supertanker”	Noel Mostert
1976	Audubon	”Dr. Strangelove Builds a Canal” “Song of the Seal”	Alvin Josephy George Rieger
1977	Audubon	”Cheap Chemicals and Dumb Luck”	Curtis K. Stadtfeld
1978	The New Yorker	A six-part series on Alaska	John McPhee
1979	Texas Monthly	A three-part series on life in three disparate areas of Texas	Richard West
1980	Mother Jones'	”The Corporate Crime of the Century”	Mark Dowie
1981	National Journal	”Money Makes the World Go Round: But What If It Can’t Any More?”	Robert J. Samuelson
1982	The Washingtonian	”The Saving of Mr. President”	John Pekkanen
1983	Institutional Investor	”Drysdale: What Really Happened?”	Chris Welles
1984	Vanity Fair	”When Memory Goes”	Francine du Plessix Gray
1985	Texas Monthly	”The Man in the Black Hat”	Paul Burka
1986	Rolling Stone	”The Plague Years”	David Black
1987	LIFE	”The Liberation of Lolly and Gronky”	Anne Fadiman
1988	The Washingtonian and Baltimore	”Life and Death on the Fast Track”	Steven D. Kaye Ramsey Flynn
1989	The New Yorker	”A Reporter at Large: Teheran Summer”	Robin Wright
1990	The New Yorker	“A Reporter at Large: Beyond the Mountains”	Mark Danner
1991	The New Yorker	”The World of Business: Deal of the Year”	Connie Bruck
1992	The New Republic	”Highway to Hell”; “Rolls-Royce Revolutionaries”; “Back to the Hills”	Michael Kelly
1993	IEEE Spectrum	“Iraq and the Bomb” “Halting Proliferation”	Glenn Zorpette John A. Adam
1994	The New Yorker	“A Reporter at Large: Remember Satan”	Lawrence Wright
1995	The Atlantic	”Reefer Madness: Marijuana and the Law”	Eric Schlosser
1996	The New Yorker	”The Politics of Perception”	Connie Bruck
1997	Outside	”Into Thin Air”	Jon Krakauer
1998	Rolling Stone	”The True Story of John/Joan”	John Colapinto
1999	Newsweek	”Clinton and the Intern”; “The Secret War”; “The Tripp Trap?”	Michael Isikoff and Evan Thomas
2000	Vanity Fair	“Madness Visible” “Forensic of War”	Janine di Giovanni Sebastian Junger
2001	Esquire	”The Perfect Fire”	Sean Flynn
2002	The Atlantic	”Crash of Egypt Air 990”	William Langewiesche
2003	The New Yorker	”In the Party of God”	Jeffrey Goldberg
2004	Rolling Stone	”The Killer Elite”	Evan Wright
2005	The New Yorker	”Dying in Darfur”	Samantha Power
2006	Rolling Stone	”The Man Who Sold the War”	James Bamford
2007	Esquire	”The School”	C.J. Chivers
2008	National Geographic	”China’s Instant Cities”	Peter Hassler
2009	The New York Times Magazine	”Right at the Edge”	Dexter Filkins
2010	The New York Times Magazine	”The Deadly Choices at Memorial”	Sheri Fink
2011	Harper's Magazine	”The Guatanamo ‘Suicides’”	Scott Horton
2012	The New Yorker	”The Apostate”	Lawrence Wright
2013	GQ	”18 Tigers, 17 Lions, 8 Bears, 3 Cougars, 2 Wolves, 1 Baboon, 1 Macaque, and 1 Dead Man in Ohio”	Chris Health
2014	The New York Times Magazine	”The Dream Boat”	Luke Mogelson
2015	GQ	”Inside the Iron Closet”	Jeff Sharlet

Feature Writing

Honors original, stylish storytelling. Incorporates Profile writing as of 2013.

Year	Magazine	Article(s)	Author(s)
1988	The Atlantic	”The Man Who Loves Only Numbers”	Paul Hoffman
1989	Esquire	”The Transformation of Johnny Spain”	Chip Brown
1990	The Washingtonian	”Like Something the Lord Made”	Katie McCabe
1991	U.S. News & World Report	”Vietnam Story”	Joseph L. Galloway
1992	Sports Illustrated	”Shadow of a Nation”	Gary Smith
1993	The New Yorker	”Whose Art Is It?”	Jane Kramer
1994	Harper's Magazine	”The Last Shot”	Darcy Frey
1995	GQ	”The Abortionist”	Tom Junod
1996	GQ	”The Rapist Says He’s Sorry”	Tom Junod
1997	Sports Illustrated	”Crime and Punishment”	Gary Smith
1998	Harper's Magazine	”Driving Mr. Albert”	Michael Paterniti
1999	The American Scholar	”Exiting Nirvana”	Clara Claiborne
2000	Sports Illustrated	”Moment of Truth”	Gary Smith
2001	Rolling Stone	”The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys and the Shrub”	David Foster Wallace
2002	The Atlantic	”Moonrise”	Penny Wolfson
2003	Harper's Magazine	”Horseman, Pass By”	John Jeremiah Sullivan
2004	The New Yorker	”The Marriage Cure”	Katherine Boo
2005	Esquire	”Home”	Chris Jones
2006	The American Scholar	”Genome Tome”	Priscilla Long
2007	GQ	”The Other Side of hate”	Andrew Corsello
2008	Atlanta	”You Have Thousands of Angels Around You”	Paige Williams
2009	Esquire	”The Things That Carried Him”	Chris Jones
2010	Texas Monthly	”Still Life”	Skip Hollandsworth
2011	Los Angeles	”The End”	Ben Ehrenreich
2012	Esquire	”Joplin!”	Luke Dittrich
2013	Texas Monthly	”The Innocent Man: Part I”; “The Innocent Man: Part II”	Pamela Colloff
2014	The New Yorker	”A Loaded Gun”	Patrick Radden Keefe
2015	The Atavist	”Love and Ruin”	James Verini

Essays and Criticism

Category previously known as "Criticism & Belle-Lettres" (1977) and Essays (2000–10). Honors "long-form journalism that presents the opinions of the writer on topics ranging from the personal to the political".

Year	Magazine	Article(s)	Author(s)
1977	Mother Jones'	"Peking! Peking!"	Li-li Ch'en
1978	Esquire	"High on War"	Michael Herr
1979	LIFE	"The View from 80"	Malcolm Cowley
1980	Natural History	Columns on evolutionary biology	Stephen Jay Gould
1981	TIME	"Back to Reticence", "Return to Patriotism", "Rediscovering America"	Lance Morrow
1982	The Atlantic	"Designer Dancing", "Balanchine's Tchaikovsky", "Moving Pictures"	Holly Bruback
1983	The American Lawyer	"Headnotes" (column)	Steven Brill
1984	The New Republic	"The End of the World", "Crosscurrents: Pseudo-Private Lives", "The Politics of a Plague"	Charles Krauthammer
1985	Boston	"Politics"	Howard Carr
1986	The Sciences	"The Information Age: bsohligrimtyhplrylvdb", "The Computer Behind the Curtain", "His Voice's Master"	Robert Wright
1987	Outside	"The Same River Twice", "Out of the Noösphere", "Chambers of Memory"	David Quammen
1988	Harper's Magazine	"The Next Panic"	L. J. Davis
1989	Harper's Magazine	"The Urge for an End", "Who Won the West? Apologies to the Water Birds and Ranchhands", "I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent"	Edward Hoagland, William Kittredge, Shelby Steele
1990	Vanity Fair	"Darkness Visible"	William Styron
1991	The Sciences	"The Aesthetic Equation", "A Ripple in Gravity's Lens", "Dead Ringer"	Hans Christian von Baeyer
1992	The Nation	"Naming and Blaming: Media Goes Wilding in Palm Beach", "Why We Read: Canon to the Right of Me..."	Katha Pollitt
1993	The American Lawyer	"Maybe the Jury Was Right"	Roger Parloff
1994	Harper's Magazine	"Mirrorings", "A Woman's Work", "The Crash of Blue-Sky California"	Lucy Grealy, Louise Erdrich, David Beers
1995	Harper's Magazine	"Robert Barons Redux", "Morte de Nixon", "Terms of Endearment"	Lewis H.Lapham
1996	The New Yorker	"True Grid", "Did He Do It?", "Modes of Seduction"	Simon Schama
1997	The New Yorker	"Escaping Picasso"	Adam Gopnik
1998	The New Yorker	"Who Owns Anne Frank?"	Cynthia Ozick
1999	The Atlantic	"Hymn"	Emily Hiestand
2000	The Sciences	"Clock of Ages"	Brian Hayes
2001	The New Yorker	"Like a King"	Adam Gopnik
2002	The New Yorker	"My Father's Brain"	Jonathan Franzen
2003	The American Scholar	"A Piece of Cotton"	Anne Fadiman
2004	The New Yorker	"A Sudden Illness"	Laura Hillenbrand
2005	National Geographic	"Was Darwin Wrong?"	David Quammen
2006	Vanity Fair	"A Matter of Life and Death"	Marjorie Williams
2007	The Georgia Review	"Russell and Mary"	Michael Donohue
2008	New Letters	"I Am Joe's Prostate"	Thomas E. Kennedy
2009	Backpacker	"The Source of All Things"	Tracy Ross
2010	National Geographic	"Top Ten State Fair Joys"	Garrison Keillor
2011	The Paris Review	"Mister Lytle: An Essay"	John Jeremiah Sullivan
2012	New York	"Paper Tigers"	Wesley Yang
2013	The Atlantic	"Fear of a Black President"	Ta-Nehisi Coates
2014	The New Yorker	"Thanksgiving in Mongolia"	Ariel Levy
2015	The New Yorker	"This Old Man"	Roger Angell

Columns and Commentary

Honors political and social commentary; news analysis; and reviews and criticism.

Year	Magazine	Article(s)	Author(s)
2002	New York	”Russert to Judgment”; “Sullivan’s Travels”; “The Stupids”	Michael Wolff
2003	The Nation	”God Changes Everything”; “Backlash Babies”; “As Miss World Turns”	Katha Pollitt
2004	New York	”Life from Doha”; “My Big Fat Questions”; “Al Jazeera’s Edge”	Michael Wolff
2005	National Journal	”On Same-Sex Marriage”; “Bush Failed the Public and Himself”; “Fix the McCain-Feingold Law”; Oops—Can I Say That?”; “Good Plan, Republicans. But It Didn’t Work in Britain”	Jonathan Rauch
2006	The New Yorker	”Landmarks”; “Mired”; “Bah Humbug”	Hendrik Hertzberg
2007	Vanity Fair	”Childhood’s End”; “The Vietnam Syndrome”; “Oriana Fallaci and the Art of Interview”	Christopher Hitchens
2008	Rolling Stone	”Worse Than Bush”; “My Favorite Nut Job”; “Obama’s Moment”	Matt Taibbi
2009	Automobile	”They Fought the Laws (of Supply and Demand), and the Laws Won”; “Lease Me to the Moon: The Rise and Fall of Consumer Finance?”; “Bailout Time for the Big Three”; “None Dare Call Them Republicans”	Jamie Kitman
2010	Newsweek	”Worthwhile Canadian Initiative”; “The Way Out of Afghanistan”; “Theocracy and Its Discontents”	Fareed Zakaria
2011	Vanity Fair	”Topic of Cancer”; “Unanswerable Prayers”; “Miss Manners and the Big C”	Christopher Hitchens
2012	Vanity Fair	”When the King Saved God”; “Unspoken Truths”; “From Abbottabad to Worse”	Christopher Hitchens
2013	Slate	”It’s Not About the Law, Stupid”; “The Supreme Court’s Dark Vision of Freedom”; “Where Is The Liberal Outrage?”	Dahlia Lithwick
2014	The New Yorker	”Shark Week”; “Difficult Women”; “Private Practice”	Emily Nussbaum
2015	New York	”“Zombies on the Walls: Why Does So Much New Abstraction Look the Same?,” “Taking in Jeff Koons, Creator and Destroyer of Worlds,” “Post-Macho God: Matisse's Cut-Outs Are World-Historically Gorgeous"	Jerry Saltz

Fiction

Previously known as Fiction & Belle-Lettres (1974 -1976). Honors fiction originally published in magazines.

Year	Magazine	Article(s)	Author(s)
1970	Redbook	”Tonight at 9:36” “Troubadour” “The Magic Mama”	Alfred Gillespie Rick Sterry Lucille Clifton
1971	Esquire
1972	Mademoiselle	”A Most Incredible Meal”	William Kotzwinkle
1973	The Atlantic	”Enormous Changes at the Last Minute”	Grace Paley
1974	The New Yorker	”A Bad Boy” “A Story in an Almost Classical Mode” “Burial”	Robert Silman Harold Brodkey Larry Woiwode
1975	Redbook	”Swimmer in the Secret Sea”	William Kotzwinkle
1976	Essence	”Isom”	Hortense Spillers
1977	Mother Jones'	”Peking! Peking!”	Li-li Ch’en
1978	The New Yorker	”In the Miro District” “Potter” “The Kugelmass Episode”	Peter Taylor Mavis Gallant Woody Allen
1979	The Atlantic	”Oh, Joseph, I’m So Tired”	Richard Yates
1980	Antaeus	”The Farm”	Joy Williams
1981	North American Review	”Every Day a Visitor” “A Guide to the Geography of Vermont” “Summer Opportunity”	Richard Abrons Ward Just Maria Thomas
1982	The New Yorker	”A Correspondence Course” “Sister Imelda” “The City”	Nadine Gordimer Edna O’Brien John Updike
1983	North American Review	“Scales” “Putting and Gardening The Novitiate”	Louise Erdrich William F. VanWert Erica Liederman
1984	Seventeen	”An Eighty Percent Chance” “The Education of Esther Eileen “Teenage Wasteland”	Elizabeth Benedict Roberta Silman Anne Tyler
1985	Playboy	”The Trail of Your Blood on the Snow” “Forky” “Julius Caesar and the Werewolf”	Gabriel García Márquez Andre dubus III John Gardner
1986	The Georgia Review	”Time and Fear and Somehow Love” “Something Good for Ginnie” “Somewhere Geese are Flying”	Lee K. Abbott Mary Hood Gary Gildner
1987	Esquire	”Fleur” “Doc’s Story” “The Things They Carried”	Louise Erdrich Edgar Wideman Tim O’Brien
1988	The Atlantic	”A Farm at Raraba” “The Man Who Knew Belle Starr” “The Halfway Diner”	Ernst Havemann Richard Bausch John Sayles
1989	The New Yorker	”White Angel ” “I Read My Nephew Stories” “We”	Michael Cunningham Ethan Mordden Mary Grimm
1990	The New Yorker	”Goodness and Mercy” “The Trick of It” “Letter to the Lady of the House”	Alice Munro Michael Frayn Richard Bausch
1991	Esquire	”Something to Remember Me By” “Faces of Madness” “Serious Need”	Saul Bellow Rachel Ingalls Reynolds Price
1992	Story	”It’s Come to This” “Silver Water” “The Greatest Living Mayan Speller Extant”	Annick Smith Amy Bloom W.D. Wetherell
1993	The New Yorker	”A Wilderness Station” “Career Move” “Parachute Silk”	Alice Munro Martin Amis Emily Carter
1994	Harper's Magazine	”The Prophet from Jupiter” “The 400-Pound CEO” “The Practical Heart”	Tom Earley George Saunders Allan Gurganus
1995	Story	”Waiting for the Evening News” “Kingdom of the Sun” “The Story of My Life”	Tim Gautreaux Alice Schell Kim Edwards
1996	Harper's Magazine	”The Woodcarver’s Table” “Bounty” “The Lost Girl”	Mark Slouka George Saunders Tova Reich
1997	The New Yorker	”New York Girl” “Baster” “Save My Child!”	John Updike Jeffrey Eugenides Cynthia Ozick
1998	The New Yorker	”People Like THAT? US? Are the Only People Here” “A Visit” “Brokeback Mountain”	Lorrie Moore Steven Millhauser Annie Proulx
1999	Harper's Magazine	”The Whore’s Child” “Lucky Ducks” “Son of the Wolfman”	Richard Russo Lorrie Moore Michael Chabon
2000	The New Yorker	”The Third and Final Continent” “The Barber’s Unhappiness” “Dominion”	Jhumpa Lahiri George Saunders Robert Stone
2001	Zoetrope: All-Story	”Fialta” “Fair Warning” “The Cavemen in the Hedges”	Rebecca Lee Robert Olen Butler Stacey Richter
2002	The New Yorker	”What is Remembered” “A House on the Plains” “Surrounded by Sleep”	Alice Munro E.L. Doctorow Akhil Sharma
2003	The New Yorker	”Baader-Meinhof” “The Thing in the Forest” “Jolene: A Life”	Don DeLillo A.S. Bryant E.L. Doctorow
2004	Esquire	”Presence” “The Red Bow” “Rest Stop”	Arthur Miller George Saunders Stephen King
2005	The Atlantic	”An Incomplete Map of the Northern Polarity” “Foaling Season” “The One in White”	Nathan Roberts Aryn Kyle Robert Olen Butler
2006	The Virginia Quarterly Review	”Peacekeeper” “Smother” “Ina Grove”	Alan Heathcock Joyce Carol Oates R.T. Smith
2007	McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern	”Wild Child” “To Sit, Unmoving” “The Strange Career of Dr. Raju Gopalarajan”	T.C. Boyle Susan Steinberg Rajesh Parameswaran
2008	Harper's Magazine	”Death of the Pugilist” “Fiction” “A Report on Our Recent Troubles”	Daniel Mason Alice Munro Steven Millhauser
2009	The New Yorker	”Them Old Cowboy Songs” “The Noble Truths of Suffering”	Annie Proulx Alexsandar Hermon
2010	McSweeney’s Quarterly	”Memory Wall” “Raw Water” “Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events”	Anthony Doerr Wells Tower Kevin Moffett
2011	The Virginia Quarterly Review	”Minor Watt”	Paul Theroux
2012	Zoetrope: All-Story	”The Hox River Window”	Karen Russell
2013	Harper's Magazine	”Batman and Robin Have an Altercation”	Stephen King
2014	The New Yorker	”The Embassy of Cambodia”	Zadie Smith
2015	The New Yorker	”The Emerald Light in the Air”	Donald Antrim

Magazine of the Year

Honors magazines for editorial excellence as demonstrated in print and on digital platforms for the quality and consistency of magazine-branded content and services produced by or associated with the publication, including but not limited to conferences and events; books; and radio and television programs.

Year	Magazine
2010	Glamour
2011	National Geographic
2012	TIME
2013	New York
2014	Fast Company
2015	Vogue

Former categories

National Magazine Award

For the first four years of the National Magazine Awards, only one award was given.

1966

• Look "for its skillful editing, imagination and editorial integrity, all of which were reflected particularly in its treatment of the racial issue during 1965.”

1967

• LIFE "in recognition of skillful, imaginative and constructive editing as reflected particularly in vivid photo reporting of the war in Vietnam, outstanding coverage of the civil rights issue, and effective support for the preservation of great works of art—in keeping with an admirable tradition of public education on cultural subjects.”

1968

• Newsweek "in recognition of that magazine's development of a new form of editorial analysis and advocacy in its major effort to present America's racial problems. The 'program of action,' published in Newsweek's issue of November 20, 1967, was a 23 page article combining reportage, analysis and opinion under the title 'The Negro in America: What Must Be Done.' The judges considered the project, clearly labeled as a departure from Newsweek’s standard policy, to have been skillfully and responsibly executed. They consider it a useful and important form, when sparingly used, in the news magazine field.”

1969

• American Machinist Magazine, a McGraw-Hill trade publication, which was recognized for its special issue, “Will John Garth Make It?” The study of U.S. industry’s role in combating unemployment, especially among those that companies might consider unemployable, included Mr. Garth, a 26-year-old high school dropout and parolee.

Certificates of Special Recognition

Identifying one winner was no doubt a challenge for the judges in the first years of the National Magazine Awards. It was decided from the start that Certificates of Special Recognition as well as commendations would be given.

1966

• Scientific American “for general excellence in its field and, particularly, for its special issue, drawing on many disciplines, dealing with the broad subject of urbanization”

• Grade Teacher “for its high quality treatment of important new subjects, conspicuously improved use of illustration and practical service to its readership—all within the limitations of a modest budget”

• Ebony “for imaginative and forceful treatment of social questions as reflected particularly in its issue on 'The White Problem in America'”

1967

• Motive “for editorial vitality, for tasteful innovation in design, and for forthright treatment of delicate issues that once would have been taboo in religious-affiliated publications"

1968

• Esquire “for its editorial creativity and diversity its original typographical and pictorial presentation, and its penetrating reporting of character and social trends as exemplified in its submitted article about Jack Ruby”

• LIFE “for its uncompromising and well documented series exposing the scale of organized crime in the United States and for its pursuit of new facets of the subject”

• Vogue “for visual grace, wit and innovation accompanied by printed content in harmony with its high graphic standard”

Commendation

Nine titles were commended at the first annual National Magazine Awards. This was the only year such recognition was given.

1966

• TIME "for the innovation of its well researched, expertly written and balanced series of ‘TIME Essays.’”
• The New Yorker “for its skillful editing and for its flair for dramatic innovation as demonstrated by its publication of Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood.’"
• American Machinist Magazine “for its comprehensive treatment of the balance of payments problem as it affects industry.”
• Continuum “for its role, as a Roman Catholic magazine of small circulation, in delving into controversy and presenting strong conviction and thorough research in a handsome format.”
• Motive “for skillful and dramatic presentations of major issues in a small-circulation Protestant magazine.”
• Vogue “for its effective use of color in editorial pages.”
• Fortune “for its clear and thoughtful presentations, including its series offering a fresh look at the influence of automation.”
• TV Guide “for dealing thoughtfully with controversial topics in a setting where others might have settled for fan-appeal trivia.”
• LIFE “for overall skill in dealing with contemporary civilization, cultural subjects and public affairs.”

Special Award

Year	Magazine
1976	TIME, Bicentennial Issue
1989	Robert E. Kenyon, Jr.

Specialized Journalism

Year	Magazine
1970	Philadelphia
1971	Rolling Stone
1972	Architectural Record
1973	Psychology Today
1974	Texas Monthly
1975	Medical Economics
1976	United Mine Workers Journal
1977	Architectural Record
1978	Scientific American
1979	National Journal
1980	IEEE Spectrum

Profile Writing

Previously known as Profiles (2000-2001). Honors excellence in profile writing by recognizing the vividness and perceptiveness with which the writer brings his or her subject to life.

Year	Magazine
2000	Sports Illustrated
2001	The New Yorker
2002	The New Yorker
2003	Sports Illustrated
2004	Esquire
2005	The New Yorker
2006	Esquire
2007	New York
2008	Vanity Fair
2009	Rolling Stone
2010	Esquire
2011	The New York Times Magazine
2012	D Magazine

Reviews and Criticism

Honors excellence in criticism of art, books, movies, television, theater, music, dance, food, dining, fashion, products and the like by recognizing the knowledge, persuasiveness and original voice that the critic brings to his or her reviews.

Year	Magazine
2000	Esquire
2001	The New Yorker
2002	Harper's Magazine
2003	Vanity Fair
2004	Esquire
2005	The New Yorker
2006	Harper's Magazine
2007	The Nation
2008	The Atlantic
2009	The New Yorker
2010	The New Yorker

News and Documentary Photography

Previously known as Photojournalism (2007-2010) and News Photography (2011-2012). Honors excellence in the informative photographic documentation of an event or subject in real-time.

Year	Magazine
2007	The Paris Review
2008	National Geographic
2009	National Geographic
2010	National Geographic
2011	The New York Times Magazine
2012	Harper's Magazine

Photography, Digital Media

Honors overall excellence in the design of magazine websites and online-only magazines.

Year	Magazine
2010	National Geographic
2011	LIFE

General Excellence in Digital Media

Previously known as General Excellence in New Media (1997-2000), General Excellence Online (2001-2009) and General Excellence, Digital Media (2010-2013).

Year	Magazine
1997	Money
1998	The Sporting News
1999	Cigar Aficionado
2000	Bloomberg Businessweek
2001	U.S. News & World Report
2002	National Geographic
2003	Slate
2004	CNET News
2005	Style.com
2006	National Geographic
2007	Beliefnet
2008	Runner's World
2009	New York Backpacker
2010	New York
2011	Slate
2012	New York
2013	Pitchfork

Design, Digital Media

Previously known as Best Interactive Design (2001). Honors overall excellence in the design of magazine websites and online-only magazines.

Year	Magazine
2001	SmartMoney
2010	Billboard.com
2011	The New York Times Magazine
2012	Wired

Reporting, Digital Media

Previously known as News Reporting (2010-2011). Honors overall excellence in the design of magazine websites and online-only magazines.

Year	Magazine
2010	The Virginia Quarterly Review
2011	Foreign Policy
2012	Wired

Personal Service, Digital Media

Previously known as Interactive Service (2007) and Personal Service Online (2008-2008). Honors a site’s effective use of multimedia technology to deliver information that users can act on to improve the quality of their personal lives or enjoy recreational pursuits.

Year	Magazine
2007	Businessweek
2008	Businessweek
2009	Backpacker
2012	MensHealth.com

Commentary, Digital Media

Previously known as Blogging (2010-2011). Honors excellence in opinion journalism on digital platforms.

Year	Magazine
2010	Foreign Policy
2011	Tablet Magazine
2012	The American Scholar

Website Department

Previously known as Regular Department or Section (2010) and Online Department (2011). Honors a regularly updated, clearly branded department or channel.

Year	Magazine
2010	Sports Illustrated
2011	Fast Company
2012	The Daily Beast

Utility App

Previously known as Interactive Feature (2007-2009) and Interactive Tool (2010-2011). Honors an outstanding app, feature or section of a website that uses multimedia technology, tools, community platforms or other interactive formats to deliver or share content such as news, information and entertainment, rather than practical instruction or advice.

Year	Magazine
2007	New York
2008	Bicycling
2009	AARP The Magazine
2010	Men's Health
2011	Epicurious
2012	TIME

Community

Year	Magazine
2010	National Geographic

Podcasting

Honors outstanding audio podcasts on a magazine website or online-only magazine.

Year	Magazine
2010	Tablet Magazine
2011	Poetry

Tablet Magazine

Previously known as Mobile Media (2010), Mobile Edition (2011) and Tablet Edition (2012). Honors magazines published on tablets and e-readers, including digital-only magazines.

Year	Magazine
2010	Epicurious
2011	Esquire
2012	National Geographic
2013	National Geographic
2014	National Geographic
2015	National Geographic

See also

• List of literary awards

External links

• NMA Searchable Database