SPORTS ILLUSTRATED AND GQ LEAD THE CATEGORY WINNERS IN ASME BEST COVER CONTEST, HOSTED BY AMAZON.COM

The Winning Magazine Covers in 12 Categories Now Contend for the Best Cover of the Year Award

NEW YORK, NY (September 21, 2010)—Twelve magazine covers were chosen by Amazon.com customers as the Best Magazine Covers of the Year in their respective categories, in the fifth annual Best Cover Contest presented by American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). This is the second year that Amazon.com has hosted the ASME Best Cover Contest.  Sports Illustrated and GQ were the only magazines with multiple wins, leading the voting in two categories each.

Covers were eligible if they appeared in issues dated from June 1, 2009, through May 30, 2010.  Amazon.com customers voted through the first three weeks of September in an online poll featuring six finalist covers in each of 12 categories.  In the second round of public voting, which will take place from now until September 30 on www.amazon.com/bestcovers, consumers will pick the Best Cover of the Year among the 12 category winners.  The ultimate winner will be announced on October 4 in Chicago, Illinois, at the American Magazine Conference, the premier meeting for industry leaders hosted by Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) and ASME.

The Best Cover Contest category winners are:

Winner: News & Business 
The Atlantic, May 2010: “Fat Nation”
Marc Ambinder uses the story of his own battle with obesity to comment on America's long and losing war against fat. We wanted an image that presented obesity as a truly national epidemic, one that would plant the problem squarely at the feet of Americans. Alex Ostroy's image of an obese Statue of Liberty highlights the national scope of the problem with a dash of wit.

Other Finalists in News and Business:

The Advocate, February 2010: “Gays to the DNC: ‘Kiss My Ass’”
Foreign Policy, March/April 2010: “Killer Apps”
Fortune, November 9, 2009: “Obama & Google: A Love Story”
The New Yorker, February 1, 2010: “First Anniversary”
Time, April 12, 2010: “Inside Steve’s Pad”

Winner: Entertainment & Celebrity
GQ, December 2009: “Clint Eastwood”
Each month, GQ does its best to put a celebrity on our cover who embodies the moment – In both culture and style. And like many magazines, those celebrities tend to be fresh-faced and on-the-rise. Every once in a while, though, as evidenced by GQ’s December 2009 Clint Eastwood cover (by photographer Martin Schoeller, who shot every portrait in the issue), the magazine recognizes men who can confidently be deemed GQ Icons. Men whose cracks, and veins, and wrinkles (those hands, that face) convince you not to glance away – but to peer closer.

Other Finalists in Entertainment and Celebrity:

Esquire, March 2010: “Leonardo DiCaprio”
Harper’s Bazaar, April 2010: “Demi Moore”
New York, September 21, 2009: “Neil Patrick Harris”
The New York Times Magazine, October 25, 2009: “The Audacity of ‘Precious’”
Rolling Stone, April 15, 2010: “Glee Gone Wild”

Winner: Fashion & Beauty
The New Yorker, March 29, 2010: “Homage”
For "Homage," the cover of The New Yorker's Style Issue, Ana Juan featured Alexander McQueen's signature butterfly hat in a stark array of black, white and red. In her haunting image, Juan unerringly portrays the loss suffered by the fashion world when, earlier in February, the extraordinary McQueen had tragically ended his own life.

Other Finalists in Fashion & Beauty

Departures, March/April 2010: “The Fashion Issue”
ELLE, January 2010: “Lady Gaga”
Harper’s Bazaar, September 2009, “Agyness Deyn”
New York, August 24, 2009: “Fall Fashion”
Out, February 2010: “Swimsuit Issue”

Winner: Lifestyle
GQ, February 2010: “The 25 Most Stylish Men in the World 2010”
Every once in a while it makes sense to forgo a new shoot in order to publish the perfect vintage photograph. And for the February 2010 issue, GQ did just that. As the lead image for the "25 Most Stylish Men in the World" feature, no picture spoke more convincingly to the GQ aesthetic of style than the one by Patrick Demarchelier of Johnny Depp. The hair in the eyes. The tattoos. The casual eccentricity and dripping confidence. The half-finished glass of wine. This is who and where we want to be. And this photo is the one we show friends who ask, "Who's the coolest guy you know?"

Other Finalists in Lifestyle:

Departures, July/August 2009: “The Ultimate Summer Black Book”
Guitar Aficionado, Holiday 2009: “Cars, Guitars, Style”
More, November 2009: “Diane Keaton”
New York, December 21-28, 2009: “Reasons to Love New York”
The New York Times Magazine, April 18, 2010: “The Science of Living a Healthy Life”

Winner: Science, Technology & Nature
National Geographic, April 2010: “Water: Our Thirsty World”
To create a just-dunked effect for the cover of National Geographic's April 2010 special issue, "Water: Our Thirsty World," executive editor William Marr and staff photographer Mark Thiessen started with a shiny slab of white Formica coated with car polish. Artfully spritzed water drops beaded up and posed through many lighting experiments and photos, then the famous yellow rectangle and the cover type took their places in the image. That's not all that happened, but the rest has something to do with magic.

Other Finalists in Science, Technology & Nature:

Columbia Magazine, October 2009: “Untangling Swine Flu”
New York, October 12, 2009: “Swine Flu and You”
The New York Times Magazine, June 14, 2009: “Infrastructure!”
The New Yorker, November 2, 2009: “Unmasked”
Outside, November 2009: “Survival” 

Winner: Sports & Fitness 
Sports Illustrated, December 11, 2009: “Pictures of the Year”
What is so unique about Morry Gash's shot of Wisconsin running back John Clay is that it gives fans an immediate view of the game from Clay's eyes as he stands behind the line of scrimmage. When the SI photo staff cropped in further on Gash's photo, the clarity of the reflection was still amazing - no small feat for something that was just 10% of the original picture. This photo demonstrates the value of SI's treasure trove of previously unpublished photos and the shelf life they have for later on.

Other Finalists in Sports & Fitness:

ESPN The Magazine, January 11, 2010: “New Year/New Rules”
Field & Stream, June 2009: “Cheap Thrills”
Garden & Gun, December 2009/January 2010: “Best of the Sporting South”
The New York Times Magazine, February 7, 2010: “Winter (Fun and) Games!”
Rolling Stone, March 18, 2010: “Shaun White” 

Winner: House & Home
Coastal Living, April 2010: “Weekend Paradise”
Coastal Living's April 2010 cover captures the essence of the magazine’s mission – an escape from everyday life and dreams of the good life by the sea. Our objective is to transport readers to a peaceful, stress-free place through excellent photography and design. This image embodies the magazine's laid-back vibe, nothing too formal or precious. Shot by freelancer Annie Schlechter at a refurbished sugar mill on St. Croix, this clean, crisp photograph has it all – a place to rest, a cool breeze and a killer view. You just want to be there.

Other Finalists in House & Home:

Architectural Record, December 2009: “Design Vanguard 2009”
GreenSource, January/February 2010: “Curves Over Chicago”
House Beautiful, March 2010: “All About Blue”
Martha Stewart Living, May 2010: “Color for Everyone”
Real Simple, May 2010: “Speed Cleaning” 

Winner: Funniest
Playboy, November 2009: “Marge Simpson”
When Playboy's editors learned “The Simpsons” was celebrating its 20th anniversary and the upcoming season would feature an episode about Marge Simpson disrobing for a modeling gig, they knew they had to honor her with a Playboy pictorial! America's most-beloved matriarch was featured on the November 2009 cover, which was Playboy's first cover to feature an animated character. The much-buzzed-about cover image, which was created with the help of Matt Groening and Julius Preite from The Simpsons, was a recreation of Playboy's iconic October 1971 cover featuring Darine Stern.

Other Finalists in Funniest:

The Economist, January 30, 2010: “Book of Jobs”
The New York Times Magazine, April 4, 2010: “They Gay?”
The New Yorker, September 7, 2009: “Required Texts”
Rolling Stone, September 17, 2009: “The Joy of Colbert”
Sports Illustrated, December 21, 2009: “Stephen Colbert”

Winner: Most Controversial
New York, September 28, 2009: “HATE”
New York's Obama "HATE" cover takes Shepard Fairey's campaign "HOPE" poster and turns it on its head to reflect the political realities of fall 2009. A collection of words used on signs at Obama protests ("imposter . . . Hitler . . . parasite-in-chief") were hand-painted and then digitally placed onto a photograph of Obama, while the word "hate" replaces "hope" at the base of the image. The cover caused controversy for scrawling hateful words across the face of the president, and it certainly showed in stark fashion the public vitriol that emerged so loudly in some quarters in the months since Obama's election.

Other Finalists in Most Controversial:

The Advocate, September 2009: “President Barack Obama”
GQ, July 2009: “Sacha Baron Cohen”
Los Angeles, June 2009: “Failure.”
The New Yorker, December 14, 2009: “Season’s Greeting”
Vanity Fair, February 2010: “Tiger Woods” 

Winner: Most Delicious
Texas Monthly, August 2009: “The 50 Best Burgers”
When it comes to your average Texan's diet, there's Tex-Mex, there's barbecue, there's chicken-fried steak – and then there's everything else. So to glorify a foodstuff not found within that holy trinity was somewhat risky. Yet through an inviting color palette of sunshiny yellows and crisp, cool blues; inspired location-scouting and spot-on food-styling; and in-your-face photography from Randal Ford,  Texas Monthly  made the case to readers that the hamburger no doubt belongs in the pantheon of classic Texas dishes. 

Other Finalists in Most Delicious:

Atlanta, April 2010: “Eat Cheap”
Bon Appétit, August 2009: “The Ultimate Turkey Burger”
Edible Manhattan, July/August 2009: “Hot Dogs”
Food & Wine, January 2010: “Best Recipes for 2010”
Saveur, August/September 2009: “The Burger Bible” 

Winner: Sexiest
Sports Illustrated, February 12, 2010: “Swimsuit 2010”
2010 was a return to the iconic, attention-grabbing SI Swimsuit covers of years past. Set amidst the simple yet breathtaking waters on the Maldives, there is nothing to clutter the focus on Brooklyn Decker's flowing blond hair, piercing blue eyes and all-American smile. Her girl next door charm jumps right out of the photo; it's easy to understand her leap into the pop-culture stratosphere. And for legendary photographer Walter Iooss Jr., this is old hat. 2010 marks the 11th cover shot for the man whose name has become synonymous with the Swimsuit franchise. 

Other Finalists in Sexiest:

Entertainment Weekly, June 26-July 3, 2009: “Must List”
GQ, November 2009: “January Jones”
Harper’s Bazaar, January 2010: “Kate Hudson”
New York, February 22-March 1, 2010: “Spring Fashion”
Vanity Fair, November 2009: “Penélope Cruz” 

Winner: Best Vampire
Harper’s Bazaar, December 2009: “Twilight”
People of all ages sunk their teeth into the Twilight saga. At the forefront of the vampire phenomenon were Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who graced Harper’s Bazaar’s December subscriber cover in a rare shot together. Harper's Bazaar was the only monthly magazine to feature the couple on a cover. While the epic image played on the idea of courtship, it was given extra heat due to their real-life romance. 

Other Finalists in Best Vampire:

Details, March 2010: “Robert Pattinson”
Entertainment Weekly, November 20, 2009: “Team Twilight”
Martha Stewart Living, October 2009: “Halloween”
People, November 2009: “Twilight Returns”
Vanity Fair, December 2009: “Robert Pattinson”

To view the winners and vote for the Magazine Cover of the Year, go to www.amazon.com/bestcovers. 

The Amazon.com Magazine Store sells more than 40,000 titles across all categories, from general-interest consumer titles to trade magazines.

About American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME)
The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is the principal organization for magazine journalists in the United States. The 700 members of ASME include the editorial leaders of most major consumer and business magazines published in print and online. Founded in 1963, ASME works to defend the First Amendment, protect editorial independence and support the development of journalism. ASME sponsors the National Magazine Awards in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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