Orion: Winner of the 2010 Utne Independent Press Award for General Excellence!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: H. Emerson Blake, Editor-in-Chief
Orion magazine
blake@orionmagazine.org
(413) 528- 4422 ext. 11

Orion Wins 2010 Utne Independent Press Award for General Excellence

April 26, 2010 – Great Barrington, MA – Orion magazine has been named the winner of the 2010 Utne Independent Press Award for General Excellence. The announcement was made at a conference of the Magazine Publishers of America—Independent Magazine Advisory Group (IMAG) in Washington DC on April 25th.

In an official statement about the Awards, the Utne Reader said: “Orion has it all, artfully blending gorgeous personal narratives about nature with a cast of sharp, engaging columnists that push, provoke, and engage readers on a slew of topics ranging from energy use to enlightenment. Add in fresh environmental dispatches, stunning photo essays, and the unforgettable story of a former cop finding solace in the desert, and the year in this magazine’s pages was nothing less than a natural wonder.” The Utne Independent Press Awards recognize “the excellence and vitality of alternative and independent publishing.”

Upon receiving the award, Orion’s Editor-in-Chief H. Emerson Blake said: “We publish Orion in the belief that social transformation starts with personal transformation, and that reading, reflection, and communication play an essential role in the process of personal transformation. We believe that there are many readers looking for high-quality storytelling, and that there is a bright future ahead for publications that deliver high-quality storytelling and reporting. I accept this award on behalf of readers, and on behalf of all those who do such good work in independent publishing.”

The Utne Independent Press Award marks a series of recent recognitions of Orion’s work, including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a nomination for the prestigious National Magazine Award. Orion has been a finalist for the General Excellence Award ten times since 1990, and won the award in 2004. The Utne Independent Press Awards include categories that recognize coverage of the arts, environment, health/wellness, international, political, social/cultural, science/technology, and spirituality; there is also a “best writing” category.

Orion is a bimonthly, nonprofit magazine founded in 1982 that serves as a forum for ideas and art that help shape a humane, sustainable, ethical, and inspired vision for the relationship between nature and culture. It is based in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

For more information contact H. Emerson Blake at (413) 528-4422 ext. 11, blake@orionmagazine.org.