The 2025 IRMA Awards will begin accepting entries on December 16. Please check back for the Call for Entries form, instructions, and other details.

Changes for the 2025 IRMA Awards

New Categories!

ARTS AND CULTURE has been split into two circulation categories (under 34,999 / 35,000+)

BEST BRAND INNOVATION honours the brand that has launched an innovative initiative sometime in the previous calendar year.

BEST NEW WRITER honours a journalist in the early stages of their career (within 5 years of their first byline) who has made an exceptional contribution to a member magazine. Entry fees are waived in this introductory year.

Categories removed from competition:

SOCIAL MEDIA is no longer a stand alone category, however, new initiatives on this channel would qualify for entry under brand innovation.

Fees: Fees remain $75 for written, design, and combined categories, and are $45 for digital categories. A buy one get one fee discount applies to the digital categories for 2025.

2025 Categories

1 Public Issues

2 Historic Feature 34,999 or less Circ

3 Historic Feature 35,000 or more Circ

4 Nature and Environment 34,999 or less Circ

5 Nature and Environment Feature 35,000 or more Circ

6 Travel Feature

7 Art and Culture Feature 34,999 or less Circ

8 Art and Culture Feature 35,000 or more Circ

9 Recreation Feature

10 General Feature 34,999 or less Circ

11 General Feature 35,000 or more Circ

12 Profile 34,999 or less Circ

13 Profile 35,000 or more Circ

14 Reader Service Article

15 Hed & Dek

16 Essay

17 Column

18 Magazine Writer of the Year

19 Best New Writer

20 Single Photo

21 Photo Series 34,999 or less Circ

22 Photo Series 35,000 or more Circ

23 Portrait Photo

24 Portrait Series

25 Magazine Photographer of the Year

26 Illustration — Feature or Series

27 Spot Illustration

28 Home and Garden

29 Art Direction of a Single Story 34,999 or less Circ

30 Art Direction of a Single Story 35,000 or more Circ

31 Overall Art Direction 34,999 or less Circ

32 Overall Art Direction 35,000 or more Circ

33 Department

34 Food Feature

35 Special Focus

36 Editorial Package

37 Cover 34,999 or less Circ

38 Cover 35,000 or more Circ

39 Magazine of the Year 34,999 or less Circ

40 Magazine of the Year 35,000 or more Circ

41 Best Print Calendar

42 Best Brand Innovation

43 Website of the Year

44 Newsletter

45 Podcast