The American Society of Magazine Editors announced nominations for their annual National Magazine Awards last week, and for the first time included a brand new category: Magazine of the year. The official press release from the Magazine Publishers of America, defines the new award as, “honor(ing) publications that successfully use both print and digital media in fulfilling the editorial mission of the magazine.” Let’s take a look at the first time honorees: The Atlantic; Fast Company; Glamour; Men’s Health; and New York.

2009 was a remarkably troubled year for magazine publishing. But a few titles were able to eke out some positive attention and influence over the field — thanks, in part, to the vision and leadership of their editors. In our first end-of-year media poll, we ask our loyal, smart, and attractive users to share their thoughts on who had the biggest year in various media categories. Our first category: Magazine Editors.

Continuing to attract the spotlight after the sensation the “girl on page 194″ caused, Glamour magazine’s Fashion Week launch of its new ad campaign is bright, cheerful, and optimistic. The New York Times calls the cupcake themed ads an attempt to reach out to media buyers and heighten their ad sales by “refresh[ing] their idea of the Glamour reader.”

After a strong showing in The September Issue, Vogue‘s Anna Wintour tops Forbes‘ “2009′s Most Powerful Fashion Magazine Editors” list. But more interesting than the number one spot are the multimedia moves Wintour and her fellow editors made to retain relevance, not to mention Forbes‘ overlap with our own Power Grid rankings.

In the realm of women’s magazine, readers have grown accustomed to page after page of faultless models airbrushed to oblivion — unblemished and rail thin, with nary an extra hair, crease or pound. So imagine the shock when ladies thumbing through the September issue of Glamour happened upon page 194 and saw model Lizzi Miller, in all of her size 12-14 glory. But the risk worked and the magazine’s Editor in Chief Cindi Leive comes out ahead, specifically in her Power Grid ranking.

According to New York Times Stlye columnist Guy Trebay, this summer’s look is pretty much the same as last summer’s, except for one addition: The people have spoken and pot bellies are in.

Or are they? Cintra Wilson stirred up a storm by saying otherwise; Glamour followed up with a spread of a naked plus-sized model. Fat, it seems, is phat.

A small photo of a “full figured” model in the recent issue of Glamour has made a plus-sized splash with readers. Is all the positive feedback be a sign of things to come? Or is Glamour‘s plus-sized roll-out just a play to afford readers a sense of comfort in the world of flat bellies and diet tips? “Trust me, Glamour‘s listening, and this only strengthens our commitment to celebrating all kinds of beauty,” writes editor-in-chief Cindi Leive.

Cindi Leive is the editor-in-chief of Glamour, Conde Nast’s 2.35-million circ juggernaut with a balance sheet as healthy as a cover girl’s flowing mane. Under Leive, the magazine has enjoyed tremendous success and critical acclaim, racking up over 170 journalism awards, including numerous “General Excellence” nominations at the National Magazine Awards (it won in 2005, [...]