Ellies '08: The Live Blog

In a revolutionary move we only semi-regret, we live-blogged the 2008 National Magazine Awards using Twitter. To follow FishbowlNY's ongoing Twitter reports, click here. Elliepalooza. Start your engines. Time to get party-dressed! [Rebecca] Struggling to get a cab! [Glynnis] The one train to the Ellies. Class all the way. Hoping the coat check's not out of control. Peeping Tina Brown here now! Adam Moss flitted by Maer Roshan moving through the crowd Will Anna Wintour show? Official word is maybe Chasing Annie Leibowitz Nat Ives (AdWeek), Irin Carmon and Stephanie Smith (WWD), Rachel Sklar and Danny Shea (HuffPo), Dylan Stableford and Jason Fell (Folio:), Jon Fine (BusinessWeek): the media on media gang's all here Padma Lakshmi=ravishing in champagne silk. We have wireless connection. As the lady in the lav said, "It's gonna be a long one." [Glynnis] Sitting on the mezzanine courtesy of Playboy. Good seats. Sharp seatmate. [Rebecca] Seated with Noah in a box like on the Muppets. [Glynnis] Never understood why the editor accepts and not the writer. My seatmate says the editors give the awards the editors accept. Aha. First general excellence for Print While presenting, Anderson Cooper outs TelePrompters Reporting award to National Geographic More Anderson, now presenting reviews and criticism award Ellie goes to The Atlantic yeah Caitlin Flanagan, Rebecca's junior high's former English teacher [Glynnis] Seatmate makes good point. Is this the first year for newspaper mags? [ED. NOTE: Yes!] Louis Lapham presenting feature writing award. Will New York sweep start here? Winner is Atlanta. As a New York editor told us earlier 'expectations are modest' for its Ellie wins tonight Adam Moss onstage now to present next largest general excellence award Mother Jones dominates, leaving Radar Ellie-less [Glynnis] [Visibly] pregnant editor of Mother Jones says this is the second most exciting thing to happen for me this year. Big laughs. And they're hiring. [Rebecca] Pregnant EIC accepts, calling win the second most exciting thing to happen to me this year. Noah, in all seriousness: What was the first? Profile winner: Vanity Fair, presented by Tina Brown EIC Graydon Carter had an emergency root canal earlier today, warns he might drool. If we had a penny, pal... Padma presents fiction award to Harper's [ED. NOTE: Glynnis later points out Salman Rushdie-related irony in a statement we're way too tired to parse now] Departures EIC Richard Story presents General Excellence award to next bigger circulation [Glynnis] Backpacker takes down the Moss! [Rebecca] Backpacker wins to major staff hoots'n'hollers. Its EIC wants to doublecheck the envelope at beating New York. [Copping to nightmares about losing to Moss]: 'Sorry Adam, but at least you dominated my dreams for a month.' George Lois presenting art direction award in best grampa-ish New York accent ever: 'When the lustah (luster) has faded...' Wired wins [Rebecca] Lenny Dykstra, a baseballer who has Noah chortling asks the obvi question: What am I doing here? [Glynnis] Lenny Dykstra is a funny guy. Who knew? Personal service (print) winner: Popular Mechanics. People are starting to take bathroom breaks. Dykstra back to present personal service online [for work that's] 'wildly creative but still journalism' Can Grub Street break New York's losing streak? No, since BusinessWeek wins Stephen Adler, EIC, accepts: On the Web, you have to keep improving.' Touts 60,000 discussion forums on the site. That's no typo, folks. Not this time, at least. General excellence some more: GQ takes it home first general excellence win for it. [Rebecca] Mary Ellen Mark presents photojournalism award. She is striking, with big jewelry, reminding us of our 5th grade piano teacher. Winner isssssss: National Geographic we've got multiple wins, friends. [Glynnis] [After Nat Geo wins for its malaria-related coverage], my seatmate says silly him he [gets] a pitch a month on malaria and always turns it down. Three 30 Rock cast members presenting leisure interest, attempt at comedy sinking; Judah Friedlander says he's into 'medium-core porn' as one of his leisure interests. Overheard: Was Tina Fey busy so they had to get three of them? [Glynnis] My seatmate is questioning the use of the word actionable re: a Self mag description [during personal service online category]. Oh, for a dictionary. My money is on Men's Health...and...wrong! Moss takes his first of the night. [Rebecca] Will New York win yet? PHEW FINALLY Voiceover says 'winner of five ellies in 2007' way to rub it in Obama Girl presents, pimps own Webby nomination while presenting interactive feature category. And the Ellie goes to: Bicycling.com's GPS somethinsomethin. The EIC says he's 'stumped' by winning, thanks judges for their attu to magazines in vertical niches. Attu=attention. We're not drunk, we're just Twittering, we promise. [Glynnis] Future Noo Yawk mayor? Ray Kelly presenting... seatmate says first baseball player, then police chief, maybe cowboy next? Boys' occupations... [Rebecca] Ray Kelly presents public service. Winner is: The Nation [Rebecca] iPhone's dangerously low on juice Glynnis, hope your connection is ok. [Rebecca] The New Yorker wins. Dejuicing Noah's phone now. Remnick's a talker [Glynnis] [New York EIC Adam] Moss and [New Yorker EIC David] Remnick = one for one. Accepting, Remnick says 'I kind of forgot how to do this.' Best single topic issue. We've chewed the flavor out of our gum timewise, we're entering Oscars territory here. Virginia Quarterly Review takes it. It's freezing in here. Best mag section will it be a first win for Portfolio? You betcha, and here's embattled EIC Joanne Lipman. Congratulates 'most amazing staff.' Doesn't know how to exit, runs offstage. [As a colleague of hers says later: 'I thought it was kind of cute.'] Hands pretty much losing feeling due to frigid temps or all the typing? Who cares it's best photo portfolio time. New York to reclaim more of its rep with a win? Nah Vanity Fair, bringing Grayson the drooler again. Graydon, that is he drools, we misspell. Photography honors to: Gourmet, beating W, National Geographic and New York. It's the mag's second photography Ellie. Self EIC presents general excellence online to... wait for it... Runner's World, beating The New Yorker. We love an underdog, even if it's ASME's own new prez David Willey accepting. He calls some [of his site's] users insane. We're sure they won't mind. Feeling shifty, like during some, ok, all, musicals. Charlie Rose presents columns and commentary award. [Glynnis] Matt Taibbi takes the Ellie! Watch out flabby arms everywhere. [Rebecca] And le Ellie goes to: Matt Taibbi [for a piece in] Rolling Stone. Glynnis swoons a bit. [Rebecca] More Rose, this time doling out best essay to: New Letters, eliciting a blood-curdling scream from audience. The article? 'I Am Joe's Prostate' [Glynnis] Aha! The man with the leopard-print hat is the writer Tom Kennedy. [Rebecca] EIC clears things up, as he accepts award: 'I am not Joe's prostate.' Willey returns [to present] finale award: General excellence for circulation above 2 million. Survey says: National Geographic, biggest winner of the night, earning the mag's 5th General Excellence award ever. [Glynnis] Standing alone at the cheese bar...priceless. [Rebecca] Bracing for that cheap champagne hangover only an Ellies afterparty can bring. Insert alcohol, water, prayer. Chocolate fountains, redux. And we're out (at least from this part). Follow FishbowlNY on Twitter for all of our updates.

Fishbowl

Ellies '08: The Live Blog

Seamus

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Seamus