Mark it down: Portland Monthly is generally excellent. On Monday, May 22, the City and Regional Magazine Association announced its 2017 award winners. Out of eight nominations, PoMo took home two awards: one for our Design Annual, and another in the top category of General Excellence II, for publications with circulations ranging from 30,000 to 60,000.

CRMA notes that "General Excellence winners are honored for consistently high-caliber work in all aspects of journalism: writing, editing, photography, illustrations, other art and design. Winners should show a sense of community connection and service."

We submitted three 2016 issues for consideration—April, May, and September—with coverage that included a look at our city's future, top new bars, love and romance, an expansive survey of Portland food history, a profile of Portland State's football team, and a peek into the local vogue dance community (with some incredible photos shot at the Pittock Mansion).

Here's what the judges said: "Energetic, inventive, connected. Through fresh storytelling and lively presentation, Portland Monthly delivers the service readers crave while reflecting the smart, quirky community around it. Its attention-grabbing covers invite readers inside to experience content that often goes deeper than expected but is always easy to absorb."

We also took home the top prize in the Ancillary: Home/Shelter category for our Design Annual, which featured great new Portland homes, envy-inducing kitchens, and a maverick local developer.

Six other stories or issues from 2016 scored nominations, too:

• Food or Dining Writing: “High Chairs & Hard Core,” “The X-Files,” “Isn’t She Lovely” (Karen Brooks)
• Feature Story: “The Battle of ’86,” November 2016 (Brent Walth)
• Feature Design: “Love, Portland,” May 2016
• Reader Service: “The Portland Culture Cheat Sheet,” December 2016
• Special Issue: The Outdoors Issue, June 2016
• Ancillary: Weddings: Bride & Groom, Summer/Fall 2016