Columbus Monthly Named a Finalist for a National Magazine Award

For the first time in its history, Columbus Monthly is a finalist for a National Magazine Award, the highest honor in the magazine industry.

This afternoon, the American Society of Magazine Editors, which sponsors the awards, announced on Twitter that Columbus Monthly was one of five finalists in the single-topic issue category. The award recognizes the magazine's May 2021 issue, Racial Divide, which explored in depth the experiences of Black people in Columbus and was guest edited by acclaimed journalist, historian and Columbus native Wil Haygood. This collaboration marked the first time the magazine had devoted an entire issue to a single topic.

Other finalists in the single-topic issue category are Bloomberg Businessweek, Kazoo, New York Magazine and Popular Science. ASME sponsors the National Magazine Awards, known as the Ellies, in association with the Columbia Journalism School. More than 200 magazines and websites entered the contest this year, with 209 editors, art directors and photo editors serving as judges.

The winners will be named April 5 at Brooklyn Steel in New York City. You can read a complete list of all the finalists here.