How to busy yourself in this, the low period betwixt St. Patrick's Day and the first day of spring? Perusing the just-released finalists for the National Magazine Awards, bestowed annually by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), should do the trick. Below, the nominations in the design/photo categories, including a first nod for Good. Notable shutouts include Vogue and City, both nominees last year in the photo portfolio category (City went on to win for its Horacio Salinas portfolio). We've denoted last year's winner (if re-nominated) with an asterisk and have posted specifics of each nomination after the jump. The winners will be announced on May 1.

DESIGN: The award honors the effectiveness of overall design, artwork, graphics, and typography in enhancing a magazine's unique mission and personality.
Good
GQ
New York Magazine*
T, The New York Times Style Magazine
Vanity Fair
Wired

PHOTOGRAPHY: The award honors the effectiveness of photography, photojournalism and photo illustration in enhancing a magazine's unique mission and personality.
Gourmet
GQ
Martha Stewart Living
National Geographic*
New York Magazine
W

PHOTOJOURNALISM: This category recognizes the informative photographic documentation of an event or subject in real-time.
Aperture
Mother Jones
National Geographic
The New Yorker
The Virginia Quarterly Review

PHOTO PORTFOLIO: This category honors creative photography and photo illustration (including portraiture or specially produced layouts on fashion, food, decorating, travel, design, the arts, etc.).
New York Magazine
Newsweek
T, The New York Times Style Magazine (two nominations)
Vanity Fair

UPDATE: Below, the full details from FishbowlNY:

DESIGN
Good: Zach Frechette, editor-in-chief; Scott Stowell, design director, for July/August, September/October, November/December issues.

GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief; Fred Woodward, design director; Jim Moore, creative director, for January, September, October issues.

New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Chris Dixon, design director, for March 26, June 25, December 17 issues.

T: The New York Times Style Magazine: Stefano Tonchi, editor; Janet Froelich, creative director; Christopher Martinez, art director, for September 16, August 26, December 2 issues.

Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor; David Harris, design director, for March, September, November issues.

Wired: Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief; Scott Dadich, creative director, for August, October, November issues; Wyatt Mitchell, design director, for November issue.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Gourmet: Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief; Richard Ferretti, creative director; Erika Oliveira, art director; Amy Koblenzer, photo editor, for September, October, December issues.

GQ: Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief; Fred Woodward, design director; Jim Moore, creative director; Anton Ioukhnovets, art director; Dora Somosi, director of photography, for September, October, December issues.

Martha Stewart Living: Martha Stewart, founder; Gael Towey, chief creative officer; Margaret Roach, editorial director; Michael Boodro, editor-in-chief; Eric A. Pike, creative director; James Dunlinson, design director; Heloise Goodman, director of photography and illustration, for May, October, November issues.

National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief; David Griffin, director of photography; Susan A. Smith, deputy director, photography, for March, April, June issues.

New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Chris Dixon, design director; Jody Quon, photography director, for January 15, October 29, November 12 issues.

W: Patrick McCarthy, chairman and editorial director; Dennis Freedman, creative director; Edward Leida, group design director; Nathalie Kirsheh, art director; Nadia Vellam, photo editor, for March, September, November issues.

PHOTOJOURNALISM
Aperture: Melissa Harris, editor-in-chief; Yolanda Cuomo, art director, for Mikhael Subotzky: Inside South Africa's Prisons, by Michael Godby; photographs by Mikhael Subotzky, Fall.

Mother Jones: Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, editors-in-chief; Susan Scandrett, creative director; Tim J. Luddy, art director; Sarah Kehoe, photo director, for The Hidden Half, by Elizabeth Gettelman; photographs by Lana Slezic, July/August.

National Geographic: Chris Johns, editor-in-chief; David Griffin, director of photography; Charles Blow, art director; Susan A. Smith, photography deputy director, for Bedlam in the Blood: Malaria, by Michael Finkel; photographs by John Stanmeyer, July.

The New Yorker: David Remnick, editor; Elisabeth Biondi, photo director, for The Interpreter, by John Colapinto; photographs by Martin Schoeller, April 16.

The Virginia Quarterly Review: Ted Genoways, editor, for A Window on Baghdad, photographs and text by Chris Hondros, Summer.

PHOTO PORTFOLIO
New York: Adam Moss, editor-in-chief; Chris Dixon, design director; Jody Quon, photography director; Kate Elazegui and Randy Minor, art directors, for Leaps and Bounds, photographs by Rodney Smith; styling by Harriet Mays Powell, August 27.

Newsweek: Jon Meacham, editor; Amid Capeci, assistant managing editor, design, for Faces of a Fiery Year, photographs by Nigel Parry, November 19.

T, The New York Times Style Magazine: Stefano Tonchi, editor; Janet Froelich, creative director; Christopher Martinez, art director; Kathy Ryan, photography director, for A Cultivated Eye, photographs by Fabrizio Coppi and Lucilla Barbieri, April 15.

T, The New York Times Style Magazine: Stefano Tonchi, editor; Janet Froelich, creative director; Christopher Martinez, art director; Kathy Ryan, photography director, for Snow Bound, by Jeffries Blackerby; photographs by Raymond Meier, November 18.

Vanity Fair: Graydon Carter, editor; David Harris, design director; Susan White, photography director, for Killers Kill, Dead Men Die: A 2007 Hollywood Portfolio, Michael Roberts, fashion and style director; photographs by Annie Leibovitz, in collaboration with Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer, March.