March 24, 2008 — The Virginia Quarterly Review, the literary and current affairs quarterly published at the University of Virginia, once again scored big as the finalists for the National Magazine Awards were announced on March 19 in New York City. The awards, known as "Ellies," are likened to the Pulitzers of the magazine world. They are sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

VQR received three nominations:

• General Excellence (circulation under 100,000)
• Single-Topic Issue for its Fall issue titled "South America in the Twenty-First Century" (see http://www.vqronline.org/south-america/)
• Photojournalism for Chris Hondros's photo essay "A Window on Baghdad" (see http://www.vqronline.org/articles/2007/summer/hondros-window-on-baghdad/)

VQR is one of only 24 magazines to receive multiple nominations, and this marks the fourth consecutive year that VQR has been named a finalist in the General Excellence category.

Ted Genoways, who took over as editor of VQR five years ago, said, "It's remarkable what we've been able to accomplish given our modest size and financial resources. We have an annual budget that's smaller than what Vanity Fair spends on their Oscar party and a staff of only five people, but we've been able to put out a magazine that is consistently among the best in the country."

In the past four years, VQR has produced an impressive track record, earning 13 nominations, more than many larger and well-known magazines. Testifying to the breadth and quality of the magazine, VQR's nominations have ranged across six different categories: General Excellence, Fiction, Essay, Reviews & Criticism, Photojournalism, and Single-Topic Issue.

Genoways adds, "We're honored to be nominated once again for General Excellence, but we're especially thrilled to be recognized in two new categories for us: Single-Topic Issue and Photojournalism. Those nominations really recognize the quality of the reporting in VQR, both in long-form reporting from South America and innovative photojournalism from Iraq." Genoways gives special thanks to Daniel Alarcón, co-editor of the South America issue.

"After we proposed the South America issue to Daniel, he really took the lead and made it happen. It was a great collaborative effort, but it would not have been possible without Daniel's hard work. Most importantly, he was the one who continually insisted that this had to be a full issue, not just a section of the magazine. … I'm eternally grateful to Daniel for his unwavering belief in what was possible."

The American Society of Magazine Editors, the premier organization for editors of print and online U.S.-based magazines, will present the National Magazine Awards on May 1 in New York City. The awards, or "Ellies," are named after the Alexander Calder Stabile “Elephant,” which is ASME’s symbol of the award. More information can be found at ASME's website at http://www.magazine.org/Editorial/National_Magazine_Awards/Winners_and_….

For more information on VQR, contact Kevin Morrissey at (434) 924-3675 or k.morrissey@virginia.edu, or visit our W ebsite at http://www.vqronline.org/.