The Grim Reaper loves awards.
Why?
Because awards are a great vehicle for celebrating magazine quality and design... but they don't mean anything for the bottom line.
If you look at the list of National Magazine Award nominees, you'll notice that Legal Affairs magazine, nominated in the general excellence and public interest categories, is no more and exists in our Museum of Dead Magazines.
People are not safe either -- Lesley Jane Seymour is out of a job, but she received a general excellence nomination for Marie Claire.
Last year, the NY Times advertising column made a big fuss about the awards, but there has never been a proven correlation between winning a National Magazine Awards and garnering more advertisements.
Think of the Adweek "Launch of the Year" winners who went under within a few years of their victories: P.O.V. and Budget Living are just two recent victims.
We believe that when the National Magazine Awards ceremony is held tomorrow night, a moment of silence should be given for Legal Affairs and the magazines who were nominated and are no more... and the ones who may be following suit if they are under the illusion an award will bring them more money, unfortunately.
The Reaper will be listening for all those silent prayers.
