December 2023: Cover Search Winners

Photography is a powerful medium, one that we celebrate at New Jersey Monthly in every issue of the magazine. But no issue honors the photographers of the Garden State and the images they capture quite like our December edition.

Every year since 2018, the magazine, in partnership with Unique Photo, has hosted a contest to find a reader-submitted image to grace the December cover. The photograph can be taken by an amateur, student or professional photographer and must represent life here in New Jersey. This year, we received 1,310 entries.

The editorial team at NJM, in conjunction with Unique and our carefully chosen panel of expert judges, reviewed each and every submission before choosing the grand-prize winner (whose image you see on this month’s cover) and runner-up, and bestowing 10 awards of excellence and 25 honorable mentions.

View more back issues

GARDEN VARIETY

Molli Dowd with a gingerbread house modeled after a mansion from Netflix's "Bridgerton," from her business, Edible Estates

NJ Artist’s Jaw-Dropping Gingerbread Houses Range from ‘Bridgerton’ Mansion to Your Own Home

Molli Dowd's Basking Ridge-based company, Edible Estates, sells custom, luxury gingerbread houses and DIY kits that would wow Willy Wonka. Read more

Collage of books by New Jersey authors or about New Jersey stories

New Jersey-Themed Books That Make Great Holiday Gifts

Captivating novels and nonfiction volumes by Jersey authors—or about Jersey stories—for all the bibliophiles on your list. Read more

NJ’s Christmas Bird Count Is Humane Alternative to Holiday Hunting Tradition

An Englewood bird enthusiast started the event, which has since gained global traction, in 1900. This year's Jersey count will take place December 14-January 5. Read more

Camp Liberty founder Carmine Tabone with campers at Jersey City's Liberty State Park

This Jersey City Camp Is an Arts-Centric Safe Space for Kids

Artist/educator Carmine Tabone founded Camp Liberty so that children of all ages could explore their identities in an emotionally healthy environment. Read more

Bobby Darin archivist Jimmy Scalia at home in Lodi

Legendary Singer Bobby Darin’s Archivist Is a Former NJ School Custodian

Jimmy Scalia lovingly preserves the legacy of the pop legend, who died 50 years ago this December. Read more

Holiday Gift Guide: Cheer-Filled, Thoughtful and Unexpected Items for Everyone on Your List

These goodies are sure to coax smiles. Read more

The New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus.

New Jersey’s Veterans Deserve Better

New Jersey's leaders say they are committed to improving long-term care for veterans, but now they must prove it. Read more

FEATURES

Black-and-white promotional photo of the Shirelles around 1962

’60s Girl-Group Members Reflect on Jersey Roots and Barrier-Breaking Moments

The Shirelles' Beverly Lee and the Angels' Peggy Santiglia Ricker also shared their stories in But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?, a recently released oral history. Read more

Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino Battled Darkness, Then Found Light With His Wife and Kids in NJ

Jersey Shore star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino gets candid about everything from his drug addiction to his time in prison to his relationship with his wife, Lauren. Read more

Cover of New Jersey Monthly's December 2023 issue

The Winners of New Jersey Monthly and Unique Photo’s 2023 Cover Search Contest

See the stunning results of our annual search for local photographers' best images. Read more

Photographer and taxidermist Kimberly Witham with a taxidermied squirrel

Taxidermy Isn’t Dead! And For These NJ Women, It’s Cooler Than Ever Before

This curious subculture has evolved from deer heads in hunting lodges to more artistic oddities that are often playful, sometimes creepy and frequently beautiful. Read more