Atlantic nominated for 8 Ellies in 7 categories

Only 25 magazines based outside of New York made the cut in this year's U.S. National Magazine Awards. Nominations for the 115 finalists were released this morning, with The Atlantic leading the field with 8 nominations in 7 categories. For full details of the nominees, go here.

First-time finalists include online players McSweeney's, CNET.com, Conde Nast Publications' Men.style.com, as well as Rodale’s Backpacker, Hearst’s Town & Country Travel and the recently shuttered Legal Affairs.

There were 1,643 entries submitted by 356 print and online publications.

The general-excellence nominees for titles with circulation between 1 million and 2 million are ESPN The Magazine; Time Inc.’s Fortune; Martha Stewart Living from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; and The New Yorker and Vogue, both from Conde Nast.

The Ellies (so named because winning titles receive a "stabile" of an elephant by sculptor Alexander Calder) will be named at a ceremony May 9 in New York.