Allow us to give ourselves a quick pat on the back—the Utne Reader announced the nominees for its 22nd annual Utne Independent Press Awards this week and OffBeat has been named in the group of Arts Coverage award nominees. OffBeat joins some illustrious competition in the Arts Coverage category—American Craft, Film Comment, The Oxford American, Public Art Review, Theme, Vintage Magazine, and Wax Poetics are all fellow nominees. Last year’s Arts Coverage Award was given to the Journal of Music.

Utne Reader is a bimonthly journal that celebrates writing in the independent press by reprinting articles from media around the country. According to the Reader, “editors select nominee publications through an extensive reading process and yearlong examination, rather than via a competition with entry forms and fees. This way, the magazine honors the efforts of smaller, sometimes overlooked publications that provide innovative, thought-provoking perspectives. All elements, from covers to coverage, are taken into consideration when selecting the nominees and eventually the winners.” This year’s winners will be announced May 18 at the MPA-Association of Magazine Media’s Independent Magazine Media Conference in San Francisco.

The full list of nominees can be seen here.