Arizona Highways magazine wins 22 awards for excellence

PHOENIX – Arizona Highways, the world-renowned magazine highlighting Arizona’s scenery and stories, earned 22 awards for excellence in visuals, writing and production at the recent annual conference of regional magazines from across North America.

The magazine, published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, won five first-place Gold Awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year for Joel Hazelton, from the nonprofit International Regional Media Association. A panel of magazine industry experts judges its annual awards competition. 

Arizona Highways received the following awards:

Gold

• Magazine Photographer Of the Year (35,000 or more): Joel Hazelton

• Public Issues: Annette McGivney, “Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni,” October 2024

• Travel Feature: Tom Zoellner, “Beyond Words,” January 2024

• Art & Culture Feature: Ruth Rudner, “I Am Not a Visitor,” January 2024

• Profiles (35,000 or more): Kelly Vaughn, “A River Runs Through Him,” June 2024

Silver

• Website of the Year: arizonahighways.com

• Nature & Environment Feature (35,000 or more): Kathy Montgomery, “To the Bat Cave,” January 2024

• Historic Feature (35,000 or more): Kathy Montgomery, “On This Day in Rock History,” April 2024

• Photo Series (35,000 or more): Various, “Midsummer Nights,” July 2024

• Print Calendar: Classic Calendar 2024

Bronze

• Art Direction Single Story (35,000 or more): Keith Whitney and Lisa Altomare, “The Old Stomping Grounds,” September 2024

• General Feature (35,000 or more): Tom Zoellner, “The Great Bend of the Gila,” July 2024

• Headline and Dek: Robert Stieve, “On This Day in Rock History,” April 2024

• Magazine Writer of the Year: Tom Zoellner

• Single Photo: Sean Parker, “Aurora Borealis,” August 2024

• Portrait Photo: David Zickl, “Sandra Day O’Connor,” February 2024

• Department: The Journal

• Special Focus: April 2024 (Chiricahua Issue)

• Cover (35,000 or more): September 2024

• Podcast: Arizona Highways Podcast With Steve Goldstein and Robert Stieve

Finalist

• Magazine of the Year (35,000 or more)

Merit

• Overall Art Direction (35,000 or more): Keith Whitney and Lisa Altomare

Founded in 1925, Arizona Highways is dedicated to promoting travel to and through the state of Arizona. 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.

Learn more at arizonahighways.com and irmamagazines.com.