Originally limited to print magazines, the awards now recognize magazine-quality journalism published in any medium.

The winner in each category receives a reproduction of Alexander Calder's stabile "Elephant", the symbol of the awards since 1970.

Among the notable changes for 2017 are the expansion of the Design and Photography categories to include digital entries and the suspension of the Fiction award.

Starting 2016, it is defined into four groups: "News, Sports and Entertainment", "Service and Lifestyle", "Special Interest", "Literature, Science and Politics".

Divided awards into "News and Opinion" – Honors the visual excellence of print and digital magazines covering politics, business, technology and entertainment.

– and "Service and Lifestyle" – Honors the visual excellence of print and digital magazines covering fashion, food, travel and design.

Scott Photographs by Steven Klein Jackie Nickerson, Sharna Osborne, Alex Prager, Viviane Sassen and Sam Taylor-Johnson Honors publications that have devoted a single print issue or a major digital package to the comprehensive examination of one subject No award was given in 2000 or 2001.

"Kidney Stone" "The Knife" "There is Life after Farming," February "Bootstrap Plans to Beat Tough Times," April "Rescue from Suicide," by Bonnie Pollard, September "What Distressed Farmers Need Most," by Dick Braun, November "How to Talk about Substance Abuse," September "Teachers Against Child Abuse," January/February 1992 "Home Truths," by Liz Comte Reisman, November "Lessons in Life," by Laura M. Holson and Liz Comte Reisman, December "Part 2: Mom, Can You Spare $100,000?," by Walecia Konrad, October "Making Managed Care Work for You," by Tessa DeCarlo, September "The New Erector Set," by Jim Thornton, May "The Ache a Guy Aches: My Hernia," by Jim Thornton, December/January John Rasmus, Editor "The Stories of Three Families Left Behind," by Sondra Forsyth "The Preventable Cancer," by Lisa Collier Cool "Small-Business Secret Weapons, Part II," by Bonny L. Georgia, October "Small-Business Secret Weapons, Part III," by Bonny L. Georgia, November Wendy Taylor, Editor "The Shape of Your Life, Part II," by Paul Scott, June "The Shape of Your Life, Part V," by Paul Scott, September "100 Ways to Live Forever," by Adam Campbell and Brian Good "Death by Exercise," by Lou Schuler "Know Your Footprint: Water," by Alex Hutchinson, September "Know Your Footprint: Waste," by Alex Hutchinson, December "Seventy-Five," by Susan Casey, May Peter Moore, Editor Tess Koman, Rachel Mosely, Rebecca Nelson and Helen Zook, November Geoff Van Dyke, Editorial Director Previously known as Special Interests (1986–2001).

"Getting Started: Rifle Shooting," July "Getting Started: Outdoor Photography," August "Bush Intelligence," November "Bring the Kids," December "The Ear: Twin Tweaks," July 16 "The Ear: Speakers of the House," December 10 "One Animal Year," by Donald Katz, May Mark Bryant, Editor "Feeding the Infidel," July "Play it Again, Lam," September "Clyde Roper Can't Wait to be Attacked by the Giant Squid," May "Dragonflies are an Odd Combination of Beautiful Things," July Mary Kaye Schilling and Ken Tucker, May 30 "Salt Chic," July "High Steaks," September Amy Gross, Editor in Chief Will Dana, Editorial Director Brad Wieners, Editor Greg Ferro, John Mariani, Rina Oh, James Oseland, Marne Setton and Jane and Michael Stern, December Lucy Kaylin, Editor in Chief Honors magazine websites and online-only magazines.

Divided into two categories in 2019: "News and Opinion"-Honors magazine websites covering politics, business, technology and entertainment- and "Service and Life Style" – Honors magazine websites covering fashion, food, travel and design.

Chad Stevens, Filmmaker Dave Anderson, Videographer David Corn, Washington Bureau Chief James West, Producer "Recovery: Meds.

Honors "long-form journalism that presents the opinions of the writer on topics ranging from the personal to the political".

Scott Stossel, Editor Honors political and social commentary; news analysis; and reviews and criticism.

Honors excellence in profile writing by recognizing the vividness and perceptiveness with which the writer brings his or her subject to life.

1966 1967 1968 1969 Identifying one winner was no doubt a challenge for the judges in the first years of the National Magazine Awards.

Honors a site’s effective use of multimedia technology to deliver information that users can act on to improve the quality of their personal lives or enjoy recreational pursuits.

Honors an outstanding app, feature or section of a website that uses multimedia technology, tools, community platforms or other interactive formats to deliver or share content such as news, information and entertainment, rather than practical instruction or advice.

Ben Williams, editorial director, NYMag.com Elliott D. Woods, Reporter and Multimedia Production Jesse Dukes, Multimedia and Audio Production Bluecadet Interactive, Web Design and Product Coordination Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, Guardian US Honors magazines for editorial excellence as demonstrated in print and on digital platforms for the quality and consistency of magazine-branded content and services produced by or associated with the publication, including but not limited to conferences and events; books; and radio and television programs.