It's time again to shine light on the alternative press and celebrate our favorite magazines. Throughout the year, we read, skim, and glean from more than 1,300 periodicals-from hand-scribbled zines to manicured glossies-and countless Web sites in search of the most inspiring, enlightening, and meaningful prose to share with our readers. The Utne Independent Press Awards toast publications that make us laugh, cry, wonder, argue, read aloud, act out, photocopy, and even, truth be told, buy personal subscriptions.

Through a rigorous if subjective process, we've narrowed the field to the following nominees; find more about them at www.utne.com/uipa. We'll unveil the winners in the January/February 2006 issue.
-- The Editors

GENERAL EXCELLENCE: MAGAZINES

Bust
ColorLines
The Nation
New Internationalist
OnEarth
Orion
The Oxford American
Technology Review

GENERAL EXCELLENCE: NEWSLETTERS

Connection to the Americas
GeneWatch
The Hightower Lowdown
The Lay of the Land
New Urban News
PR Watch
Rock & Rap Confidential
Wedge Co-op Newsletter

GENERAL EXCELLENCE: ZINES

The Constant Rider
The East Village Inky
Kiss Machine
Salt
Sherbert Magazine
Show Me the Money!
True Story!
WAVE 2.5