National Magazine Awards Finalists Announced

The American Society of Magazine Editors announced the finalists Wednesday for the 2006 National Magazine Awards, also called the Ellies. Winners will be announced May 9 in New York.

The photography and photo portfolio/photo essay categories had few surprises, with many perennial favorites again nominated this year. Field & Stream, recognized for a photo essay by Erika Larsen, is the only magazine on the list that hasn't been a finalist for a photo-related Ellie in recent years.

In the photography category, which recognizes overall excellence in magazine photography, the finalists are:

• Departures, for its September, October and November/December issues. Jennifer Martin is the director of photography. The luxury travel magazine was a finalist in the 2005 contest for photo portfolio/photo essay.



• Gourmet for its May, July and September issues. Amy Koblenzer is the photo editor. Gourmet won this category last year.



• New York Magazine, for its April 4, Aug. 29-Sept. 5 and Dec. 19 issues. Jody Quon is the photography director. New York was also a finalist in this category last year.



• Texas Monthly, with photo editor Leslie Baldwin. Texas Monthly was last nominated for this category in 1990, when it won. It was a finalist for photo portfolio/photo essay in 2004. Texas Monthly is also nominated for general excellence and public interest.



• Time with director of photography Michele Stephenson, for its Jan. 10, Sept. 12 and Nov. 7 issues. Time won the photo portfolio/photo essay category last year. Time is also nominated this year for general excellence and single-topic issue.



• W for its July, September and October issues. Dennis Freedman is the vice chairman and creative director. W is the only magazine this year to be nominated in both photography categories.

For the photo portfolio/photo essay category, which honors either a series of photos that expresses a concept or a documentary photojournalism project, the finalists are:

• Aperture for "A Procession of Them: The Plight of the Mentally Disabled," by Eugene Richards in the spring issue. Yolanda Cuomo is the art director. Aperture was a finalist in this category last year. Aperture was also nominated for the general excellence for magazines with circulations under 100,000 this year, a category it won in 2004.



• Field & Stream for "How We Hunt," a portfolio by Erika Larsen published in December/January. Amy Berkley is the photography editor.



• National Geographic for "Tracking the Next Killer Flu," with photographs by Lynn Johnson, published in October. David Griffin is senior editor, photography & illustrations. National Geographic, a frequent nominee in the Ellie photo categories, was nominated for five awards this year, including the single-topic issue category for its issue last September on Africa.



• Rolling Stone for "The Edge of the World," by Sebastião Salgado, in the Nov. 17 issue. Jodi Peckman is director of photography. Rolling Stone is also frequently nominated for Ellie photo awards, and is nominated this year for reporting and profile writing as well.



• Vanity Fair for "Hell and High Water" by Jonas Karlsson, published in November. Susan White is the photography director. Vanity Fair is frequently nominated for photography Ellies and also picked up nominations this year for essays and columns and commentary.



• W for "Domestic Bliss" by Steven Klein, in the July issue. W won this category in 2004.

In the design category, three of the five magazines nominated are published by Martha Stewart Living: Everyday Food, Kids: Fun Stuff To Do Together (now discontinued), and Martha Stewart Living. The other two design nominees are GQ and New York Magazine.

A complete list of finalists is available online here.