The Scottish Magazine Awards reward outstanding companies and individuals in the following categories (click here to see the 2009 shortlist):
- Best Magazine Design: Business and Professional
- Best Magazine Design: Consumer
- Brand Development of the Year
- Best Online Magazine or Presence
- Sales Performance of the Year
- Editor of the Year: Business and Professional
- Feature Writer of the Year: Business and Professional
- Editor of the Year: Consumer
- Feature Writer of the Year: Consumer
- Columnist of the Year
- Publisher of the Year
- Best Small Publishing Company Magazine
- Member Magazine of the Year
- Staff Magazine of the Year
- Business and Professional Magazine of the Year
- Customer Magazine of the Year
- Consumer Magazine of the Year
- Scottish Magazine of the Year (chosen by judges from other relevant category entries above)