The New Yorker’s Ava Kofman Wins a 2026 National Magazine Award
The is from new yorker Ava Kofman received the 2026 National Magazine Award for profile writing, recognizing her portrayal of influential far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin. The article, Kofman’s first as an author, traces the trajectory and political reach of his subject, whose supporters include Vice President JD Vance and a coterie of Silicon Valley billionaires. The organization that presented the award, the American Society of Magazine Editors, last month honored “Power Houses,” a collection of New Yorkers images taken by photographer Gillian Laub.
To report on the winning profile, Kofman took a deep dive into the writings of Yarvin, who popularized the concept of the “red pill” — a riff on a scene from “The Matrix” — and made it a rallying cry among conservatives. A former technology designer, Yarvin advocated for “the liquidation of democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law” and called for the establishment of an American monarchy, arguing in 2011 that Donald Trump was “biologically fit” to rule as king. Kofman’s article traces the journey of these ideas from the margins to the mainstream, highlighting their influence on figures such as Peter Thiel, Stephen Miller and Elon Musk. Toward the end of the article, Kofman joins Yarvin, whom she describes as “America’s most famous living monarchist,” at the “Coronation Ball,” an event in Washington celebrating Trump’s second inauguration. She and other journalists were then removed by security.
“Power Houses”, which received the 2026 prize ASME The award for best entertainment and celebrity photography takes readers into the living rooms of notable New Yorkers, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Spike Lee and Gloria Steinem. Furniture, pets, and the residents themselves lend the images both ambiguity and meaning, creating a rich mosaic of urban life across ages, backgrounds, and neighborhoods.
The National Magazine Awards, first presented in 1966, are presented in association with the Columbia University School of Journalism. The New Yorker has won sixty, including the 2026 Kofman Prize.
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