Arizona Highways magazine earns 23 awards for excellence

Arizona Highways magazine, published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, won 23 awards for excellence in writing, photography, design, and digital content at the 46th annual International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) conference. 

The magazine, which has been publishing for 101 years, received nine Gold Awards, including back-to-back Magazine Photographer of the Year honors for Joel Hazelton. 

"Winning 23 IRMA awards is a phenomenal honor that belongs to everyone who loves this magazine," Publisher Kelly Mero said. “Our deepest thanks go out to the readers worldwide who champion our work alongside our dedicated team. Even after more than 100 years of publication, we’ve barely scratched the surface of the landscapes left to photograph and the voices left to share."

The honors were announced on Sept. 18 during the association's annual gathering in Calgary, Alberta. A panel of magazine industry experts judge the annual IRMA award competition.

Arizona Highways received the following awards:

Gold

• Magazine Photographer of the Year (35,000 or more): Joel Hazelton
• Website of the Year: ArizonaHighways.com
• Podcast: Arizona Highways Podcast
• Public Issues: “Home of the Clouds”
• Historic Feature: “Staring Into Space”
• Travel Feature: “Arizona Unplugged”
• Column: “Editor’s Letter”
• Portrait Photo: “Bill Anton”
• Portrait Series: “The Young’Uns”

Silver

• Magazine Writer of the Year: Annette McGivney
• Nature and Environment (35,000 or more): “As Different As Night and Day”
• General Feature (35,000 or more): “Alternative Energy”
• Photo Series (35,000 or more): “Different Point of View”
• Illustration – Feature or Series: “Back Where They Belong”
• Special Focus: “Arizona Highways One Hundred Years 1925 to 2025”

Bronze

• Cover (35,000 or more): Arizona Highways, April 2025
• Best Print Calendar: Classic Calendar 2025
• Art and Culture Feature (35,000 or more): “She’s a Relative Unknown”
• Profile (35,000 or more): “Standing Perfectly Still”
• Hed & Dek: “Neither Hide Nor Hair”
• Single Photo: “Ashley Riggs”
• Department: “The Journal”

Merit

• Essay: “Painful Lessons”

The awards continue a long history of recognition for Arizona Highways, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025. In addition to the world-renowned magazine known for spectacular landscape photography, Arizona Highways publishes travel guide books, calendars and other products to promote travel in Arizona. The magazine has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.