Best & Worst Magazine Covers of 2020

Year in Review: The Best (and Worst!) Magazine Covers of 2020

This year was definitely an interesting one for our favorite glossies. It kicked off with news of Glenda Bailey departing Harper’s Bazaar after 19 years. Then the pandemic hit forcing magazines to get creative when it came to producing content. Vogue Paris’ Emmanuelle Alt and InStyle‘s Laura Brown rose to the occasion. Other editors also stepped things up. Edward Enninful thanked frontline workers with a trio of British Vogue covers, while American Vogue‘s Anna Wintour delivered a symbolic cover featuring a previously unpublished Irving Penn photo.

Social injustice also had an impact on glossies this year. Two black artists illustrated covers for American Vogue‘s all-important September issue. Meanwhile, British Vogue‘s September cover focused on activism.

We’re also pleased to see diversity increase across all categories this year. There was a record-breaking bump in racial inclusivity. Along with smaller spikes in size, age and gender representation. Bottom line? The numbers are encouraging. But there’s real concern that these hikes are only temporary. We’ll have to wait and see what 2021 brings.

Now that 2020 is coming to a close, it’s time to look back at its highs and lows. Here are the best and worst 2020 magazine covers.

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