The Martha’s Vineyard Magazine last week was a finalist for the 2009 National City and Regional Magazine Awards in two categories: general excellence and ancillary publications for its Home and Garden magazine.

“Martha’s Vineyard succeeds at its mission to capture the character of the Island while focusing on issues for locals and visitors alike. Each issue offers an eclectic mix of features, a bit of history and good service information,” judges wrote in their comments on general excellence.

In the comments on ancillary publications, the judges wrote: “A beautifully photographed and visually stunning magazine, Home and Garden brims with an interesting mix of stories. We visit formal gardens and highly personal ones, traditional homes and modern modular ones, and we see artists inspired by Vineyard nature and lore. The reporting, writing, art direction and editing all combine to make for a polished, inviting publication.”

Owned and published by the Vineyard Gazette, the magazine was founded in 1985 by former owner William Marks. Eight editions are published annually; in addition to five regular issues, there are two special Home and Garden issues and one that focuses on Island weddings and celebrations. The magazine Web site is mvmagazine.com.

Magazine editor Nicki Miller, who attended the conference in New Orleans last week, said the awards, which are the magazine’s first, mark an important moment. “The magazine has been growing in recent years, in circulation and in quality, and it’s wonderful to have this confirmation of that. Those of us in the office are so happy to be able to share these kudos with all the freelance writers and photographers from every corner of the Island who are the soul of the magazine,” she said.