Sonoma Magazine won top awards for “general excellence” and “best feature story” in its circulation category at the 31st National City and Regional Magazine Awards competition. The awards were announced Monday at the City and Regional Magazine Association’s annual conference in Denver.
The judges, in honoring Sonoma Magazine with the overall award for general excellence, highlighted the magazine’s diverse and evocative coverage of Sonoma County:
“From the beautiful to the quirky, Sonoma Magazine captures the essence of this region with an editorial mix that celebrates its many facets; urban and rural, sophisticated yet authentic, personal but community minded, the magazine’s strong voice, charming writing style, inspiring photography and fresh design make Sonoma compelling.”
Sonoma Magazine also took home the top award for feature story for “Up Against the Wall,” Phil Barber’s gripping account of the historic Dawn Wall climb in Yosemite last winter by Santa Rosa resident Kevin Jorgeson and climbing partner Tommy Caldwell. “Up Against the Wall” earlier this month was also recognized as the best interview/profile story at the 65th annual Maggie Awards in Los Angeles.
“This is a huge honor amid great company and strong competitors,” said Sonoma Magazine Editor-in-Chief Catherine Barnett. “These awards value above all capturing a sense of place, and I am proud we are doing that for Sonoma. So many people here put their hearts into this and it is great to see that commitment to excellence recognized.”
In addition to Sonoma Magazine, other publications honored with multiple awards Monday included Texas Monthly, Portland Monthly, Denver-based 5280, Los Angeles Magazine, Boston Magazine, D Magazine, and Philadelphia Magazine.
The prestigious CRMA competition attracted nearly a thousand submissions from magazines throughout North America. The finalists were selected by more than 100 judges, representing a host of international publications including: ELLE, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Food Network Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Marie Claire, National Geographic, O (The Oprah Magazine), Rolling Stone, Southern Living and the Washington Post.