The National ENQUIRER Earns 'People's Choice' Award And Multiple National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award Nominations

NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- American Media, Inc.'s flagship tabloid, The National ENQUIRER, has been officially rated America's favorite celebrity news magazine.

The industry's leading trade journal, Adweek, polled magazine readers and found The ENQUIRER topped its annual "Hot List Readers' Choice Poll" with 32.7% of the nationwide vote, ahead of competitors Us Weekly (30.5%) and People (16.5%).

"2015 proved that The National ENQUIRER is more relevant to the reader than ever – with its irresistible mix of breaking news, Hollywood scandals and unforgettable stories that continue to make this brand a must read each week," said American Media, Inc. (AMI) Chairman and CEO, David Pecker.

Additionally, The ENQUIRER earned a record seven nominations at the 2015 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards announced in Los Angeles on December 6, including four of the five honors in the "Celebrity News Investigative Story of the Year" (all platforms) category.

The ENQUIRER received three honors for "Celebrity News Print Story of the Year" in the print (newspaper and magazine) category. The highest honor went to ENQUIRER Editor-In-Chief Dylan Howard for his world exclusive interview with actor Charlie Sheen, who detailed his secret cancer hell in a remarkably candid interview.

The judges noted: "Howard's absorbing interview with Charlie Sheen about his previous health crisis — a diagnosis of possible throat cancer — demonstrates the value of a second medical opinion, as Sheen discovered from a second physician that it was only a minor irritation. A surprising positive twist in the life of a controversial celebrity."

Award nominations included exclusive reporting on Mickey Rooney's tortured final days, Jay Z's secret son, Barry Manilow's surprise wedding, as well as a top Hollywood plastic surgeon's medical files being leaked and a drug ring that engulfed Tinseltown.

Staff recognized included Executive Editor and News Director Barry Levine, Executive Editor Lachlan Cartwright, Managing Editor Melissa Cronin, National Correspondent Doug Montero, and Senior Reporter James Vituscka.

The honors put The ENQUIRER up alongside Bloomberg News, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and others prestigious outlets.

Proving the reach of The ENQUIRER's brand, nationalenquirer.com has also seen an explosion of interest – and recognition – as well.

The Association Of Magazine Media's monthly "Magazine Media 360 Degree" report recently dissected publishers' online traffic and compared it with traffic from a year earlier. The report collected third-party data for 141 media properties across 31 companies.

The nationalenquirer.com ranked alongside playboy.com (Playboy), fortune.com (Fortune), and wmagazine.com (W) with the site's year-over-year growth at a remarkable 265 percent.

"We continue to build on our 89-years of investigative journalism in the celebrity market," added Howard.

"In the past year, The National ENQUIRER was responsible for bringing readers some of the biggest stories, from a two year investigation into Charlie Sheen and his HIV status, our powerful reporting of the Bill Cosby scandal, the racist rants that doomed the wrestling career of Hulk Hogan, and the underage sex abuse claims involving Britain's Prince Andrew.

"Time-and-time again, The ENQUIRER broke exclusives others outlets could only watch with envy – from Caitlyn Jenner's unforgettable transformation to the tragic demise of Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina and the criminal investigation that followed.

"It's clear this type of reporting not only engages our loyal audience and those who turn to The ENQUIRER for the unvarnished truth about Hollywood, but further establishes us as the most trusted and respected voice in the industry."

About American Media, Inc.
American Media, Inc. (AMI) owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and active lifestyle media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include National Enquirer, Star, OK!, Globe, National Examiner, Soap Opera Digest, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex and Muscle & Fitness Hers.  AMI also manages 14 different digital sites including RadarOnline.com, OKmagazine.com, MensFitness.com and MuscleandFitness.com.  AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of 2.1+ million and reach more than 35 million men and women each month.  AMI's digital properties reach 50 million unique visitors and 400 million page views.

SOURCE American Media, Inc.