Any magazine or website edited and published in the United States is eligible to enter the National Magazine Awards. Other creators and publishers of magazine-like content, including newspapers, newsletters, independent newsrooms, audio and video production companies and websites associated with radio and television stations and networks, are eligible to enter every category except General Excellence. Marketing and promotional magazines and websites are not eligible. No entry may be submitted without the approval of the editors of the publication in which the work appeared. The administrators of the awards reserve the right to determine if a media organization qualifies for entry.

The following conditions also apply:

1. Print content must be dated 2024. Entries consisting in whole or in part of print issues may include one issue dated December 2024/January 2025 (but not December 2023/January 2024). Print issues with comparable dates, such as Fall 2024/Winter 2025, may also be included. Entries consisting of two or more articles or examples of work may include one article or example dated January 2025 or an equivalent, such as Winter 2025.

2. Digital content must have been largely produced in 2024. Screenshots may be requested to verify publication dates.

3. Any use of artificial intelligence in the creation of an entry must be described in the entry statement that is part of each submission.

4. No entry can duplicate an entry in another category. An article or example of work may, for example, be entered alone in one category and as part of an editorial package in a second category but may not be entered alone or as part of the same package in still another category.

5. Entries may include content from special-interest and newsstand-only publications.

6. Excerpts from previously published fiction and nonfiction books are not eligible except as part of an entry in General Excellence, Design, Photography and Single-Topic Issue.

7. A website channel may submit entries separately from its parent site if the channel has an independent brand identity.

8. Only one “Ellie” will be awarded to each winner. Media organizations that fund or partner in the publication of a finalist or winner will receive certificates of recognition.

9. Entries found to be in violation of commonly accepted editorial standards, including the ASME Guidelines for Editors and Publishers, may be disqualified at any time.

10. The administrators of the National Magazine Awards may at their own discretion extend the deadline for entry in any category.

See the Rules and Eligibility section for each category for more information.

Selection of Finalists and Winners Five finalists, including a winner, are traditionally selected in each category by a panel of judges chosen by the administrators of the awards in consultation with the members of the ASME Board of Directors. Seven finalists will, however, be chosen in Reporting, Feature Writing, Profile Writing, Columns and Essays, Reviews and Criticism, and Public Interest. No magazine or website will be nominated more than once in any category except as the partner of another publication. Judges include the chief editors, art directors and photo editors of leading magazines and websites. Most are members of ASME. A list of the judges is published when the winners of the awards are announced.

Judging results are subject to the approval of the National Magazine Awards Board, which is composed of current and former officers of ASME, representatives of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and veteran judges. Awards may be withheld in any category in which the entries fall below the standard of excellence set by the ASME Board of Directors or in which the number of entries is deemed insufficient by the administrators of the awards. PDFs of or links to finalists and winners are distributed to all entrants and judges after the announcement of the awards.

Multipart Entries Entries in some categories may consist of as many as three thematically linked articles. Articles published under a common rubric such as “Health” or “Money” do not qualify as thematically linked unless the articles address a specific topic, such as ways to stop smoking or saving for retirement. Entries composed of two or more articles are judged in part on their consistency. Magazines and websites may wish to enter a single strong article rather than a series of uneven quality.