ASME best cover finalists named by Amazon visitors

Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated and Harper’s Bazaar were among the ten magazine covers chosen by Amazon.com customers as “Best Magazine Cover of the Year” in their respective categories, the American Society of Magazine Editors have announced.

According to a story in Audience Development, this is the first time ASME has had consumers, rather than ASME members, choose the winners and it was done through the online bookseller's poll of its visitors.

Magazine covers were eligible if they appeared in issues dated from June 1, 2008, through May 30, 2009. More than 100,000 votes were counted.

A second round of public voting now through September 30 on www.amazon.com/bestcovers, will pick “Best Cover of the Year” among the 10 category winnersto be announced by ASME President David Willey on Oct. 14 at the Magazine Innovation Summit in New York.

Here’s the full list of category winners:

Entertainment & Celebrity: Vanity Fair
(January 2009 issue)

Sports & Fitness: Sports Illustrated
(December 12, 2008 issue)

Fashion & Beauty: Harper’s Bazaar
(March 2009 issue)

House & Home: Veranda
(October 2008 issue)

Lifestyle: Condé Nast Traveler
(August 2008 issue)

News & Business: New York
(March 2, 2009 issue)

Science, Technology & Nature: Audubon
(August 2008 issue)

Most Delicious: Bon Appétit
(August 2008 issue)

Sexiest Cover: ELLE
(December 2008 issue)

Best Obama Cover: Rolling Stone
(July 10-24, 2008 issue)