ASME ANNOUNCES 2023 BEST COVER CONTEST WINNERS

Magazine editors pick New York’s “The Pleasures of Outdoor Dining” as Cover of the Year; Entertainment Weekly Wins Readers’ Choice Award for “Boys on Fire”

New York, NY (May 11, 2023)—The American Society of Magazine Editors today announced on Twitter the finalists and winners of the 2023 ASME Best Cover Contest. New York’s “The Pleasures of Outdoor Dining,” depicting rats enjoying a meal at a local restaurant, was named Cover of the Year. Entertainment Weekly’s “Boys on Fire,” celebrating the Amazon series “The Boys,” won the Readers’ Choice Award.

Now in its 17th year, the ASME Best Cover Contest recognizes magazine covers in 10 categories, ranging from Best News and Politics Cover and Best Entertainment and Celebrity Cover to Best Illustrated Cover and Best Conceptual Cover. The finalists and winners are chosen by leading editors, art directors and photo editors. The ASME Board of Directors selects the Cover of the Year. Covers entered in the ASME Best Cover Contest are also posted on Twitter, where users like their favorites in each category. The most popular cover overall wins the Readers’ Choice Award.

“Whether it’s news or opinion, sports or entertainment, fashion or food, the place to find out what’s happening in America right now is the cover of your favorite magazine,” said Sidney Holt, the executive director of ASME. “This year’s Best Cover Contest finalists and winners say it all, ranging from The Economist’s ‘The Coming Food Catastrophe’ and The New York Times Magazine’s ‘The Future of Work When No One Wants to Work’ to TIME’s ‘The Greatest,’ featuring Serena Williams, and W Magazine’s stylish ‘Zendaya’ cover. The members of ASME congratulate each of the 32 magazines and websites that won recognition this year, either from the judges or the readers who voted for their favorites on social media.”

This year’s Cover of the Year was photographed for New York by Beth Sacca with photo-manipulation by Joe Darrow. Kristen Harding photographed the “Boys on Fire” cover for Entertainment Weekly.

Best Cover Contest winners also included The Economist for “The Coming Food Catastrophe,” illustrated by Ricardo Rey (Best Conceptual Cover); New York for “This Magazine Can Help You Get an Abortion” (Best News and Politics Cover) and “Reasons to Love New York,” photographed by Pelle Cass (Best Local Magazine Cover); The New York Times Magazine for “The Future of Work When No One Wants to Work” (Best Business and Technology Cover) and “Boxed In,” illustrated by Todd St. John (Best Illustrated Cover); TIME for “The Greatest,” photographed by Paola Kudacki (Best Sports and Adventure Cover) and “The Planet We Made . . . The Planet We Need,” illustrated by Olafur Eliasson (Best Digital Cover); and W for “Zendaya,” photographed by Jack Davison and directed by Denis Villeneuve (Best Fashion and Style Cover).

Readers' Choice winners included Concealed Carry Magazine for “Situational Awareness,” photographed and illustrated by Dave Gruentzel, Keith Kamikawa and Kyle Rathjen (Best News and Politics Cover); Mother Jones for “Blood Sport,” illustrated by Lisa Sheehan (Best Sports and Adventure Cover); New Scientist for “Making a Mind,” illustrated by Julia Lee (Best Business and Technology Cover) and “Do We Create Space-Time?,” illustrated by Stephan Schmitz (Best Conceptual Cover); NYLON for “Natasha Lyonne,” photographed by AB+DM (Best Fashion and Style Cover); Oklahoma Today for “The Animal Issue,” illustrated by John Paul Brammer (Best Illustrated Cover); Rolling Stone for “Daddy Yankee,” photographed by Carlos Jaramillo (Best Digital Cover); Texas Monthly for “A Year for the Birds,” photographed by Zachary Scott (Best Local Magazine Cover); and Virtuoso for “Global Cool,” photographed by Thandiwe Muriu (Best Food and Travel Cover).

The ASME Best Cover Contest began in 2005, when ASME members chose the top 40 covers of the previous 40 years. To see the top 40 covers, click here. This year, the ASME Best Cover Contest was judged by 157 editors, art directors, photo editors and educators. Readers’ Choice voting began March 1 on Twitter and ended March 31. Finalists receive certificates of recognition; winners receive ASME Best Cover Contest awards.

To view the ASME Best Cover Contest 2023 finalists and winners, click here. To view the Twitter stream, with images of each of the honorees, click here. To view past honorees, click here. 

ASME BEST COVER CONTEST 2023 FINALISTS AND WINNERS

Cover of the Year

New York for “The Pleasures of Outdoor Dining,” October 24–November 6

Best News and Politics Cover

Winner: New York for “This Magazine Can Help You Get an Abortion,” May 23–June 5

Finalists: Bloomberg Businessweek for “Biden’s Student Loan Plan Won’t Fix What’s Wrong With Higher Education,” September 5; The Economist for “The Horror Ahead,” March 5–11; High Country News for “Making Refuge,” October; TIME for “How Zelensky Leads,” May 9/May 16

Readers' Choice: Concealed Carry Magazine for “Situational Awareness,” February/March

Best Entertainment and Celebrity Cover

Winner: Entertainment Weekly for “Boys on Fire,” May

Finalists: Better Homes & Gardens for “Welcome to Harry’s House,” June; Glamour for “It’s Jane . . . Again!,” July; New York for “She Has Her Mother’s Eyes. And Agent.,” December 19, 2022–January 1, 2023; The New York Times Magazine for “Great Performers: Featuring Michelle Yeoh,” December 11

Readers' Choice: Entertainment Weekly for “Boys on Fire,” May

Best Business and Technology Cover

Winner: The New York Times Magazine for “The Future of Work When No One Wants to Work,” February 20

Finalists: Bloomberg Businessweek for “The Baristas’ Rebellion,” May 16; The Economist for “The Fed That Failed,” April 23–29; WIRED for “Never Grow Up,” July/August; WSJ. Magazine for “The Innovators Issue,” November

Readers’ Choice: New Scientist for “Making a Mind,” February 19–25

Best Sports and Adventure Cover

Winner: TIME for “The Greatest,” September 12/September 19

Finalists: Garden & Gun for “Saving the Wild South,” October/November; Mother Jones for “Blood Sport,” November + December; The New Yorker for “All Rise!,” October 3; Texas Monthly for “Sex, Scandal & Sisterhood,” September

Readers’ Choice: Mother Jones for “Blood Sport,” November + December

Best Fashion and Style Cover

Winner: W for “Zendaya,” Volume 2, The Directors Issue 2022

Finalists: GQ for “Brad Pitt Opens Up His Dream World,” August; The New Yorker for “High Style,” February 14 and 21; NYLON for “Natasha Lyonne,” December; Vanity Fair for “Lizzo,” November

Readers’ Choice: NYLON for “Natasha Lyonne,” December

Best Food and Travel Cover

Winner: New York for “The Pleasures of Outdoor Dining,” October 24–November 6

Finalists: Condé Nast Traveler for “Yellowstone at 150,” March; Food & Wine for “Born to Rum,” May; Virtuoso for “Global Cool,” September/October; WSJ. Magazine for “Timeless Travel,” June 29

Readers’ Choice: Virtuoso for “Global Cool,” September/October

Best Local Magazine Cover

Winner: New York for “Reasons to Love New York,” December 5–18

Finalists: 5280 for “Stargazing in Colorado,” May; Adirondack Life for “Let it Snow,” December; The New Yorker for “Stellar Night,” April 4; Texas Monthly for “A Year for the Birds,” June

Readers’ Choice: Texas Monthly for “A Year for the Birds,” June

Best Conceptual Cover

Winner: The Economist for “The Coming Food Catastrophe,” May 21–27

Finalists: Bloomberg Businessweek for “The Breaking Point,” August 8; MIT Technology Review for “Beyond the Binary,” September/October; The New York Times Magazine for “The New York Issue,” June 5; The New Yorker for “No Photos, Please!,” August 29

Readers’ Choice: New Scientist for “Do We Create Space-Time?,” February 5–11

Best Illustrated Cover

Winner: The New York Times Magazine for “Boxed In,” December 4

Finalists: The Atlantic for “This Is Not Justice,” November; Bloomberg Businessweek for “The Lord of Lanai,” June 13; New York for “At Home in Asian America,” September 26–October 9; The New Yorker for “Ups and Downs,” December 26

Readers’ Choice: Oklahoma Today for “The Animal Issue,” September/October

Best Digital Cover

Winner: TIME for “The Planet We Made . . . The Planet We Need,” November 7/November 14

Finalists: Bustle for “Kourtney Was Right All Along,” March 3; Insider for “Serena Williams,” April; Mother Jones for “Looted,” May + June; Rolling Stone for “Daddy Yankee,” September 19

Readers’ Choice: Rolling Stone for “Daddy Yankee,” September 19

Readers’ Choice Awards Top Vote-Getters

Winner: Entertainment Weekly for “Boys on Fire,” May

Finalists: Better Homes & Gardens for “Welcome to Harry’s House,” June; Concealed Carry Magazine for “Situational Awareness,” February/March; Rolling Stone for “Harry Styles,” September; Rolling Stone for “Daddy Yankee,” September 19

All publication dates 2022 unless otherwise indicated 

About ASME 

The American Society of Magazine Editors is the principal organization for the editorial leaders of magazines and websites published in the United States. Founded in 1963, ASME strives to defend the First Amendment, support the development of journalism and promote the editorial integrity of print and digital publications. ASME sponsors the National Magazine Awards in association with the Columbia Journalism School, conducts training programs for reporters and editors and publishes the ASME Guidelines for Editors and Publishers.