The National Magazine Award Foundation opened up the submission process for its 2011 awards yesterday and also announced that this year digital publications can apply to nearly every category.

Digital publications can now submit work for consideration in a number of visual and integrated categories, in addition to the written categories that were opened up to them last year.

One important distinction to note is the difference between a "digital magazine" and a "magazine website." The former is "a publication that produces a complete issue of a magazine but distributes it digitally, such as a tablet edition. Like a print magazine issue it should be a static creation, as opposed to a website that is updated frequently." The latter can be "the companion website of a print magazine title or an online-only publication that self-identifies as a magazine." There are some categories that digital magazines are eligible in but not magazine websites, and vice versa.

Other changes this year:

• Fashion and beauty layouts each have their own category, rather than being paired under one.
• What was "Conceptual Photography" has a new category definition and is now "Creative Photography."
• Pieces of illustration that are smaller than half a page will now fall under the "Spot Illustration" category.
• The "Homes & Gardens" and "Photojournalism & Photo Essay" categories for visual work and "One of a Kind" and "Politics & Public Interest" categories for written have updated definitions.

See the full list of the NMA's 45 categories for 2011 here. The deadline for submissions is January 13, 2012, and awards will be handed out June 7, 2012. NMAF is also looking for volunteer judges, as well as nominations for their Outstanding Achievement award.

For more info, see the Frequently Asked Questions and Eligibility and Rules NMA pages.