Vogue was named magazine of the year at the annual National Magazine Awards ceremony on Monday night, earning the award that honors brands excelling in both print and digital media as well as areas such as events and branded content. But it was Nautilus -- an indie science magazine published quarterly that costs $49 a subscription -- that set a record for the evening. Established in 2013 with a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, it became the first to win two National Magazine Awards in its first year of eligibility.
The awards were presented at the Marriott Marquis in New York and hosted by David Muir, anchor and managing editor of ABC News' "World News Tonight."
Let's hope Nautilus doesn't meet the same fate as last year's indie darling Modern Farmer, which drew roaring applause when it won a National Magazine Award in its first year of eligibility. Last month the quarterly magazine lost its entire editorial staff and canceled its spring issue, though the title's owner has promised it will return in summer with new writers and editors.
Bestowing praise upon an upstart indie title was among two echoes from last year's awards. The other was the judge's preference for ink-on-paper titles. Despite the nominations for several digital-only publishers -- including The Atavist, Refinery29, Grantland and Matter, which is owned by the blogging platform Medium -- the sole winner from this batch was The Atavist.
Vogue, meanwhile, beat out Better Homes and Gardens, Cosmopolitan, The Hollywood Reporter and New York for the night's top award, which is presented by the American Society of Editors in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The awards are known as the Ellies for the Alexander Calder elephant sculptures that serve as trophies.
Two perennial favorites at the magazine awards -- New York and The New Yorker -- walked away (once again) with the most awards, each taking home three Ellies. New York earned the trophies in design, magazine section (for "Strategist") and columns and commentary. The New Yorker won a General Excellence award for general interest magazines as well as the Ellie for essays and criticism and fiction.
Last year, Fast Company won the Ellie for Magazine of the Year, but The New Yorker walked away with the most awards at four. New York followed with three Ellies.
Overall, 18 publications won awards in 24 categories during this year's event. During the ceremony, photojournalist James Nachtwey was honored with the Creative Excellence Award.
Four titles went home with multiple awards. Beside New York and The New Yorker, National Geographic captured Ellies for photography and tablet magazine. Nautilus won the General Excellence award for literature, science and politics magazines as well as for best website.
There were six first-time winners: The Hollywood Reporter, Pacific Standard, Nautilus, Vice News, The Texas Observer and The Atavist.
Bon Appetit magazine, which went into the night with six nominations, walked away empty-handed.
Here's the full list of all the night's winners:
General Excellence
General Interest Magazines: New Yorker
Service and Lifestyle Magazines: Glamour
Style and Design Magazines: Garden & Gun
Active Interest Magazines: Men's Health
Special Interest Magazines: The Hollywood Reporter
Literature, Science and Politics Magazines: Nautilus
Other Categories
Design: New York
Photography: National Geographic
Single-Topic Issue: San Francisco for "The Oakland Issue," June
Magazine Section: New York for "Strategist"
Website: Nautilus
Tablet Magazine: National Geographic
Multimedia:
Video: Vice News for "The Islamic State," by Medyan Dairieh, Aug. 15
Public Interest: Pacific Standard for "Women Aren't Welcome Here," by Amanda Hess, January/February
Personal Service: O, The Oprah Magazine, for "Ready or Not: The Caregiver's Guide," November
Leisure Interests: Backpacker for "The Complete Guide to Fire," edited by Casey Lyons, October
Reporting: GQ for "Inside the Iron Closet," by Jeff Sharlet, February
Feature Writing: The Atavist for "Love and Ruin," by James Verini, February
Feature Photography: Time for "Crime Without Punishment," photographs by Jerome Sessini, July 24
Essays and Criticism: The New Yorker for "This Old Man," by Roger Angell, Feb. 17 and 24
Columns and Commentary: New York for "Zombies on the Walls: Why Does So Much New Abstraction Look the Same?," June 16-29; "Taking in Jeff Koons, Creator and Destroyer of Worlds," June 30-July 13; and "Post-Macho God: Matisse's Cut-Outs Are World-Historically Gorgeous
Fiction: The New Yorker for "The Emerald Light in the Air," by Donald Antrim, Feb. 3
Magazine of the Year: Vogue
