Best Magazine Covers of the Year Finalists

Every year, the American Society of Magazine Editors selects the best covers in the industry. They can range from simply beautiful to hilarious, but they're all pretty cool regardless. I usually like to go through their list of the Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years to see what designers have come up with in the past and how new ones play off of them. For example, one of this year's finalists for Best Coverline, Wired, played off their June 1997 cover on Apple (see below).

Some of my faves in the Top 40 include #4: The New Yorker (I even have that Steinberg illustration, along with several others, in postcard form), #6: The New Yorker (that 9/11 cover is haunting), and #10: National Geographic (when I first saw this photo in graphics class, I couldn't get those eyes out of my head!). And below are my picks for this year's Best Magazine Covers. At work we're über-excited we're in the running for Best Celebrity Cover!!! And it happens to be the first issue of the mag's redesign. I guess it paid off, huh?

Cover of the Year: Interview
June/July 2008 "Andy is 80!"













Best Celebrity Cover: Latina
March 2008 Jessica Alba Quote cover
sidenote: The other two are amazing as well, but I just love this cover too much - not that I'm biased or anything!













Best Concept Cover: Wired
November 2007 "Manga Conquers America"













Best Fashion Cover (tied because I think Eric Bana is too cute): GQ, March 2008 Eric Bana and Departures, April 2008 International Style

Best Leisure Interest Cover: New York
June 30, 2008 John McCain and Barack Obama at the beach













Best News Cover: The New Yorker
March 17, 2008 Clinton-Obama 3am phone call













Best Service Cover: New York
November 12, 2007 "Airport Hell and How to Escape It"













Best Coverline: Wired
April 2008 "Evil/Genius" (and to the right, the June 1997 issue)

Do you agree with my picks? We'll find out how wrong/right I was with my selections when the winners are picked and posted on October 6!