Best Cover Contest 2015 Winners & Finalists
Best Cover Awards
News and Politics | Sports and Adventure| Fashion and Beauty | Business and Technology | Family and Home | Entertainment and Celebrity | Science and Nature | Lifestyle | Brainiest | Most Delicious | Cover of the Year
Readers' Choice Awards
News and Politics | Sports and Adventure | Fashion and Beauty | Business and Technology | Family and Home | Entertainment and Celebrity | Science and Nature | Lifestyle | Brainiest | Most Delicious | Readers' Choice Awards Most Liked Cover
News and Politics
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The New Yorker, December 8, 2014, Broken Arch
By Bob Staake
The Advocate, December 2014/January 2015, Person of the Year
Wired, September 2014, Edward Snowden
"Edward Snowden didn't want to be photographed. He wanted his actions--leaking classified NSA files--to be the focus of any story, not his face. But. But. Being shot by Platon, who has photographed world leaders like Dick Cheney, George Bush (both of them), and Vladimir Putin, puts him on the same level as those subjects, elevating his message. So out of complicated motivations comes a tense and compelling photograph. As Snowden holds the flag, his face and his hands convey both respect and hurt--a flickering combination of protectiveness and vulnerability. Words would tip the reader toward a single interpretation. So. No design. No cover lines. Just an image, however you choose to look at it."
Sports and Adventure
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ESPN The Magazine, October 13, 2014, Derek Jeter
"With the New York Yankees closing in on a fall vacation, it meant that the final home game for Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter would come in late September, when ESPN The Magazine was set to celebrate all things Cleveland. The future Hall of Famer's retirement dominated the sports world; the chorus of send-offs from columnists, TV hosts and commercials served as an early-fall replacement for October playoff talk. But The Magazine chose a cover that reflects more quiet reverence than extended standing ovation. It depicts The Captain--the most iconic baseball player of his era--in his tradition of leading the Yankees onto the field before each home game. This time, though, Jeter is silhouetted out of the frame and into an all-white background. Jeter isn't only running onto the field--but into immortality."
The New Yorker, September 8, 2014, Derek Jeter Bows Out
OUT, August 2014, Michael Sam
Fashion and Beauty
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Harper's Bazaar, March 2014, Lady Gaga
"Eyes closed, surrounded by a cut-out Carolina Herrera neckpiece, Lady Gaga looks like she's ready to explode. Photographed by Terry Richardson, what compels about the cover is both the graphics and the rare stillness of a superstar. Here, cut-out means a knockout."
ESPN The Magazine, July 21, 2014, Venus Williams
"Not matter how much an athlete takes care of his or her body, it's clear that a spot on the cover of The Body Issue is for only the most confident of subjects. Venus Williams, one-half of the tennis-playing Williams sisters, accepted a request from ESPN The Magazine after having declined in the past. The pose shows Williams sans clothes, of course, but with a majesty that could be cause for her to participate again. Though sister Serena sometimes overshadows Venus, a former world No. 1 player in her own right, Venus is center state for this cover in front of the lenses of Williams + Hirakawa, a husband-and-wife photography team. They capture Venus' beauty and strength in presenting an alluring portrait from a shoot that took place amid a Miami rock quarry. The mounds of fine sand serve as a perfect backdrop for the tennis star's powerful yet graceful physique and make her appear larger than life."
New York, February 17–24, Spring Fashion
"In a stunning cover for New York’s “Spring Fashion” issue, Erik Madigan Heck created a wall-to-wall effect with the red and white floral pattern on Lupita Nyong’o’s Stella McCartney dress and a coordinated background. Nyong’o is no wallflower, seeming to pop right out of this inventive and stylish cover."
The Atlantic, November 2014, Why Kids Sext
Bloomberg Businessweek, April 7-13, 2014, The Man Who Saved Marvel
New York, November 17-23, 2014, Speaking Emoji
"What better way to illustrate a story about the “rapid evolution of a wordless tongue” than with one of that new language’s own characters? In this bold and innovative cover, the Winking Face emoji is drawn as a speech bubble by Michael Pangilinan and shows the depth of meaning these symbols have come to hold."
Family and Home
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FamilyFun, August 2014, Road Trip
"For our August 2014 issue, FamilyFun commissioned photographer Sabrina Helas to shoot our cover story on family road trips. The minute we saw this image in the film, we knew we had our cover. Shot at The Corner Store in San Pedro, CA, the photo is filled with the kind of joyful, authentic details we love — the vintage blue bottle, the candy bracelet, the world's best burger, and a side-glancing smile of delight from 6-year-old Isaac. Intriguing and spontaneous-feeling, it sums up what our brand is all about: making happy memories with your kids."
Real Simple, March 2014, 26 Best Beauty Products of All Time
Real Simple, December 2014, Holiday Spectacular
Entertainment and Celebrity
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The New York Times Magazine, September 14, 2014, The Culture Issue
Photographer: Victoria Diehl
Designer: Raul Aguilla
"For the cover of the magazine’s annual Culture issue, the artist Victoria Diehl rendered Lena Dunham in the style of an ancient Greek bust. This juxtaposition of the modern and the classical highlights the issue’s underlying theme: the waning of the patriarchy in art and culture, and the rise of other kinds of voices. Modern typography inspired by old-style calligraphic letterforms completes the design."
Harper's Bazaar, September 2014, Emma Ferrer
Vanity Fair, November 2014, Jennifer Lawrence
Variety, October 14, 2014, Bill Murray
Science and Nature
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New York, June 9-15, 2014, Health
"Baby Emilie was 9 minutes old when Thierry Bouët photographed her for a series on babies in the first hour of their lives. New York used the photo—along with a fresh and fun type treatment—to great effect in its amusing, and affecting, “Health”-issue cover."
5280, December 2014, Wild Places
"The entire feature well of our December issue was dedicated to our precious environment. Colorado is blessed with some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and faces both old and new challenges to keeping them pristine. This cover depicts the North Fork of the Gunnison River and breathtaking morning glow lighting the Rockies in the distance—a visual tribute to the vastness and variety of our natural wonders."
Sierra, March/April 2014, The Artist as Activist
"When Nick Brandt began capturing images in Kenya's Amboseli National Park in 2001, he primarily paid homage to the stately animals that live there. But when he realized that the creatures he was photographing were being slaughtered by poachers, his imagery, once so flattering that it verged on idolatry, slid toward the macabre. Regal portraits of lions and rhinos and elephant families gave way to an eerie oeuvre of bleached skulls, taxidermy, and (as pictured here) calcified birds. He also created a nonprofit that employs hundreds of anti-poaching rangers, blurring the line between activism and art."
Men's Health, November 2014, The Ultimate Men's Health Guy
"Too often magazine covers simply repeat one another, and we're not just talking about the last ten years of O, here. So when we launched our Ultimate Men's Health Guy Search last spring, we hoped it would produce a November cover that would be unique, inspirational, and stop readers in their tracks. Meet Noah Galloway, the double-amputee Iraq vet who is our first ever UMHG. In this shot by Peter Yang, he simultaneously broadcasts troubling disability and vibrant health, and instantly commands respect and gratitude. Corporal Galloway, we salute you--and your Men's Health cover."
Bloomberg Businessweek, April 21-27, 2014, Freeze Your Eggs, Free Your Career
"FREEZE YOUR EGGS, FREE YOUR CAREER - A NEW FERTILITY PROCEDURE GIVES WOMEN MORE CHOICES IN THE QUEST TO HAVE IT ALL
Garden & Gun, February/March 2014, Classic Southern Drinks
"If you were to distill (get it?) everything about the South in 2014, the result would be this image. G&G readers revere the classics and the only thing more classically Southern than a mint julep is sterling silver, here made modern with a sleek, curvaceous cup. Photographer Johnny Autry and stylist Charlotte Autry (the duo behind our award-winning 2012 biscuit cover) hit on every element: hand-cranked crushed ice; just the right amount of sweetened bourbon seeping up for a first sip; abundant fresh mint; and, crucially, condensation. This image leaps off the graphic dark blue background right into reader's hands."
Golf Digest, June 2014, Jimmy Fallon
"Golf Digest evolved more in 2014 than in any stretch of its 64-year history. Following a major survey that helped us understand the preferences and habits of the millennial golfer, we embarked on a thorough redesign, moving the magazine from strictly service to lifestyle and service. Our June cover succinctly captures this evolution. Not only does this issue represent the first of Golf Digest’s redesign, cover subject Jimmy Fallon, photographed by Peter Yang, perfectly speaks to Golf Digest’s new target audience and fastest-growing segment of readers—millennials. Fallon unveiled the June cover on the Tonight Show."
Kinfolk, Spring 2014, The Home Issue
"The cover of Kinfolk Issue Eleven: The Home Issue was shot by Maia Flore, a Paris-based photographer we love working with because of her interesting conceptual ideas and dreamy style. The cover image was part of Maia’s photo essay inside titled “Becoming Your Home.” After a long, cold winter, the image seemed to express that feeling of cabin fever, climbing the walls, sinking into the furniture. At the same time, the image has a warm color and a childlike feeling of play. The Home Issue was one of our more straightforward themes, but the photography displayed on our simply designed cover marked a change in direction toward more artful content."
Bloomberg Businessweek, August 4-10, 2014, Coke Finally Admits It Has a Fat Problem--And a Plan to Fix It
The Chronicle Review, October 3, 2014, Why Your Writing Stinks
"Some part of our audience must have read this quip by Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker with chagrin: “The curse of knowledge is a major reason that good scholars write bad prose. It simply doesn’t occur to them that their readers don’t know what they know.” This is one of the candid observations in Pinker’s essay, Why Your Writing Stinks. The cover was a real struggle. We kicked around a number of ideas without success. We hit on this simple solution two hours before deadline. Fifteen minutes later, with the help of Multimedia Producer Julia Schmalz, we had our cover."
Wired, December 2014, Beyond.
"Interstellar director Christopher Nolan guest-edited this special Wired issue about time, space, and multiple dimensions; we aimed to create a cover that evoked the content within as well as Nolan's incredible visual vernacular. Created by Hugo & Marie, the black density mirrors both a black hole and a tear between dimensions--the richness and endlessness of the shape pulls the reader into the pages that follow. Typographically we picked a beautifully classic style to respect our cover concept and showcase Christopher Nolan's partnership."
Most Delicious
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Bon Appétit, June 2014, Sour Cherry Pie
Los Angeles, November 2014, Food Lovers Guide
"For our November Food Lovers issue, we wanted to capture the powerful beauty of the ingredients that go into making great food in Los Angeles. We featured three covers, each highlighting one item: a pomegranate, a loaf of bread, and the mushroom shown here. All three were exquisitely shot by still-life photographer Craig Cutler, whose images are a masterful study oflight and texture, elevating simple food staples into art."
New York, November 10-16, 2014, Eat Me
"To illustrate a special issue devoted entirely to food and drink and holiday indulgence, New York’s staff photographer Bobby Doherty created an enticing tableau of prosciutto that is ready to eat—and indeed the cheeky cover line invites just that."
Cover of the Year
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The New Yorker, December 8, 2014, Broken Arch
By Bob Staake, December 8, 2014
"After news of the grand jury’s decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson for the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Bob Staake sent us his cover, “Broken Arch.” “I wanted to comment on the tragic rift that we’re witnessing,” Staake had said. “I lived in St. Louis for seventeen years before moving to Massachusetts, so watching the news right now breaks my heart. At first glance, one might see a representation of the Gateway Arch as split and divided, but my hope is that the events in Ferguson will provide a bridge and an opportunity for the city, and also for the country, to learn and come together.”
Best Cover Contest Readers' Choice Award
Voting for the ASME Best Contest Readers’ Choice Award began on Facebook on Monday, January 19, 2015, and ended on Sunday, April 12, 2015. A new category was posted every Monday through March 23. The top 10 entries were posted for two weeks from March 30 to April 12. The most “liked” cover won the ASME Best Cover Contest Readers’ Choice Award.
Vice, April 2014, Saving South Sudan
Finalist
The Hollywood Reporter, April 25-May 2, 2014, The New York Issue
"Donning I love New York socks on the cover of THR’s April 25, 2014 New York issue, HBO’s Last Week Tonight star John Oliver was photographed by Andrew Hetherington atop the CBS Broadcast Center with the New York City skyline as his backdrop. The comedian, who filled in as host on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and received immense praise for the substitute stint, is now recognized as a show’s anchor versus correspondent. “As a comedian, you’re kind of trained to avoid authority,” says Oliver. “So to suddenly be the authority is a very, very bizarre situation.”
Mother Jones, July/August 2014, Koch vs. Koch
"Our July/August cover was a stark departure from the past: Ivylise Simones threw out the standard logo and layout to design a National Enquirer inspired cover worthy of Daniel Schulman’s story into the tabloid-ready lives of the Koch brothers. The result is eye-catching and amusing, full of bold colors, grainy photos, and block quotes, poking fun at the lavish, litigious world of Koch. It received widespread praise: Design guru Robert Newman called it: “fun, engaging, provocative and viral-ready,” noting: “It takes a strong partnership between the editors and the visual team to create this kind of high-level, sophisticated cover design.”
Outside, August 2014, The End of Everest
"The cover subject is Mount Everest and was photographed by Grayson Schaffer from Everest Base Camp. The cover story follows the devastating events of Everest's deadliest day, when an avalanche took the lives of 16 Sherpas. The image, depicting Everest in a black-on-black monochrome, with a few headlamps trailing up the mountain under a sky full of stars, set the mood."
Garden & Gun, December 2014/January 2015, Best of the Sporting South
Runner's World, October 2014, Nutrition Special
"Runner's World's October 2015 issue featured our first major redesign in six years--and a new cover approach to go with it. We redesigned the magazine to be, among other things, more visual, more fun, and more reflective of what's happening in the sport and in the running community, which has been growing at a hectic pace as more people of all types have taken up the sport. That means fresh typefaces, bolder tones, and a series of new sections to evoke a more contemporary, useful, and delightful experience for our readers.
Harper's Bazaar, March 2014, Lady Gaga
"Eyes closed, surrounded by a cut-out Carolina Herrera neckpiece, Lady Gaga looks like she's ready to explode. Photographed by Terry Richardson, what compels about the cover is both the graphics and the rare stillness of a superstar. Here, cut-out means a knockout."
The Fader, June/July 2014, Lana Del Rey
W, October 2014, Cara Delvingne
"Devoted to women who rule their fields with originality and determination, "The New Royals" portfolio in the October 2014 issue featured a cast of tough cookies, ranging from the actress Angelica Houston to the comedienne Joan Rivers, who passed away shortly after the shoot. To properly capture these powerhouses, W enlisted photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, who have long celebrated strong women; the result was a series of elegant, soulful portraits, such as this cover of model-of-the-moment Cara Delevingne. Styled in mod fashion by W's Edward Enninful and seated in a girlish pose, the image is a nod to Richard Avedon's iconic portraiture from the '60s."
Vice, December 2014, The Wall Street Issue
MIT Technology Review, November/December 2014, Inequality
Successful Farming, November 2014, The Robots Are Coming!
"With the continued improvements made in agriculture related robotics, American farmers will experience the biggest changes in farm operations since the advent of the motorized tractor and mechanical harvester. Successful Farming covered the latest ideas and prototypes being developed that will make farmers more productive, more efficient and help them save money.
FamilyFun, August 2014, Road Trip
"For our August 2014 issue, FamilyFun commissioned photographer Sabrina Helas to shoot our cover story on family road trips. The minute we saw this image in the film, we knew we had our cover. Shot at The Corner Store in San Pedro, CA, the photo is filled with the kind of joyful, authentic details we love — the vintage blue bottle, the candy bracelet, the world's best burger, and a side-glancing smile of delight from 6-year-old Isaac. Intriguing and spontaneous-feeling, it sums up what our brand is all about: making happy memories with your kids."
NYC&G, New York Cottages and Gardens, December 2014/January 2015, European Style
Parents, April 2014, Life in a Special-Needs World
"The April 2014 cover of PARENTS reflects the issue’s 24-page section, “Life in a Special-Needs World.” Our cover models, siblings Chloe and Daniel Molina, both have autism, and this is the first time that a child with autism has appeared on our cover. Despite the best efforts of photographer Chris O’Shea, 5-year-old Daniel wouldn’t look at the camera—but the image accurately reflects the social challenges of children with autism. Their mother wrote to us afterwards to tell us that the cover shoot was an incredible experience for their whole family."
Paper, Winter 2014, Kim Kardashian
"The cover of PAPER magazine’s Winter (December) 2014 issue features Kim Kardashian photographed by Jean-Paul Goude, a living legend best known for his indelible shots of Grace Jones. As our cover tagline promised, the provocative image really did “Break the Internet,” crashing our analytics and igniting a global conversation. Rants, raves, memes and parodies appeared everywhere from Twitter, where commenters included Kanye West, Chelsea Handler and Lorde, to Saturday Night Live. It proved that, with the right combination of subject, design team and concept, a magazine cover can still cut through the noise and dominate a cultural moment."
The Edit, August 21, 2014, Maria Sharapova
W, March 2014, Miley Cyrus
"It might seem as if we've already seen everything there is of Miley Cyrus, but when she appeared naked between the sheets, with shoulder-length hair and bleached eyebrows in a revealing, intimate shoot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, we could be forgiven for barely recognizing the transformed Cyrus. It was the year she was the most Googled person in America and her drastic image redo--from teen idol to hyper-sexual Internet bait--made her the perfect leading lady for W's March 2014 social media issue."
Audubon, September/October 2014, Birds & Climate Change
"Artist Charis Tsevis was an inspired choice to create the cover for Audubon's special issue on Birds and Climate Change, which was conceived around an Audubon report that identified 314 North American birds at particular risk in a warming world. Tsevis, working closely with Audubon creative director Kevin Fisher and using only fragments of paintings from John James Audubon's Birds of America, constructed this stunning mosaic of a Golden Eagle. Each tile is from one of the 314 birds in the Audubon report. All in all, says the artist, who's based in Greece, he spent 60 hours on the project."
Popular Science, September 2014, Bill Nye
Vice, August 2014, Coral
The Humongous Fungus Among Us Issue; August 2014
Cover by Coral Morphologic
"Coral Morphologic is a Miami-based organization that studies new growth of coral in the surrounding area, but it has also been successful in turning its research into an art form that spans the disciplines of photography, filmmaking, and installation. The name is derived from corallimorphs, a strange breed of “urban coral” that has evolved without skeletons in order to adapt to climate change. August’s VICE cover transforms these ecologically relevant critters into a psychedelic blacklight poster using neon pantone inks."
Boys' Life, September 2014, Go, Dog. Go!
"Photographer Patrick Schneider knew he was setting up his two sons for a long goodbye when the family agreed to help train Kajsa to be a guide dog. The Labrador retriever went everywhere, including Scout outings, with Quinn and Ethan for 18 months. Eventually the Schneiders had to say “so long” to the dog that had become a member of the family — not to mention a great canoe partner — but they know Kajsa is helping others. This fantastic photo helped draw young Boys’ Life readers into Kajsa’s tale to learn about how guide dogs are trained (and loved)."
Coastal Living, July/August 2014, The Summer Issue
Vice, July 2014, The Photo Issue
Variety, January 2014/December 2015, Breakfast Battle
"For this conceptual story, we decided to pass on photographing subjects from each show in favor of illustrating the idea of them epically clashing. The cup of coffee plays off the idea of morning rituals and the branded mugs on set. Craig Cutler was hired to show the colliding cups of coffee that really spoke to the competitiveness of these shows vying for audiences."
MIT Technology Review, September/October 2014, What's Your Problem
"The September/October cover was designed by my predecessor, Eric Mongeon. It’s a humorous decision tree that guides the reader into our popular annual 35 Innovators under the age of 35 feature."
Popular Science, May 2014, The Invention Awards
"Popular Science has a long history of outstanding cover art. For the magazine’s annual Invention Awards issue, we decided to honor that heritage by recreating an iconic Norman Rockwell cover from October 1920. With the help of craftsman and actor Nick Offerman, we replicated the scene of a puzzled inventor in his workshop, propping it exactly like the original—except for one modern twist: The object in Offerman’s hands glows. The image perfectly captures the intersection of Popular Science’s past and future, projecting a deep-rooted American passion for invention forward, through the lens of a celebrity today’s readers love."
Garden & Gun, August/September 2014, Best Dishes in Dixie
"In the land of collards and fried chicken, breakfast might seem like a surprising choice for G&G's Southern Food issue. That's what we hoped for, and this cover, shot by photographer and stylist duo Johnny and Charlotte Autry, delivered, becoming our best seller (so far) in 2014. First, the eggs--their solar yolks beg to be pricked and their whites mirror the antique plate. Colorful tomatoes, both garden-fresh and as a relish, add the visual acidity of brightness. Starchy potatoes are perfectly browned. But the true star here is the luscious, mahogany slab of Virginia-made country ham. (Most-valuable supporting player: That vintage bone-handled fork.)"
Saveur, December 2014, Let's Celebrate
Washingtonian, June 2014, The 25 Best Burgers
Readers' Choice Awards Most Liked Cover
Paper, Winter 2014, Kim Kardashian
"The cover of PAPER magazine’s Winter (December) 2014 issue features Kim Kardashian photographed by Jean-Paul Goude, a living legend best known for his indelible shots of Grace Jones. As our cover tagline promised, the provocative image really did “Break the Internet,” crashing our analytics and igniting a global conversation. Rants, raves, memes and parodies appeared everywhere from Twitter, where commenters included Kanye West, Chelsea Handler and Lorde, to Saturday Night Live. It proved that, with the right combination of subject, design team and concept, a magazine cover can still cut through the noise and dominate a cultural moment."