PR Awards Categories
Includes all corporate communications, investor relations, community affairs, public relations, etc., functions.
Nominations that won in the 2025 ABAs may be resubmitted for consideration in the 2026 ABAs. If they have been updated with recent achievements, they may be submitted to the same categories in which they won. If they have not been updated, they must be submitted to categories different from those in which they won.
There are a number of other ABA categories that should be of interest to communications professionals, including many of the web achievement categories, app categories, podcast categories, publications categories, video categories, and event categories.
Agency, Department, Team, Individual, and Innovation Categories
Achievement in Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year Categories
Agency, Department, Team, Individual, and Innovation Categories
Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2026 competition include
Written answers to the following questions, describing the nominated department's, team's, or individual's achievements since January 1 2024, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
a. Briefly describe the nominated agency, department, team, or individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words). Required
b. Outline the nominee's achievements since the beginning of 2024 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words). Required
c. Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words). Required
d. Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words). Optional
Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. These might be planning documents, press clippings, work samples, photographs, video clips, etc.
C01. Public Relations Agency of the Year
C02. Communications Department of the Year: for in-house communications departments, across all communications functions.
C03. Communications Team of the Year: for communications teams focused on a particular project, client, or objective. Nominated teams may be in-house, within an agency, or across a client and agency.
C04. Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year: for executive-level (VP or higher) communications, PR, and IR professionals.
C05. Communications Professional of the Year: for non-executive (director-level or lower) communications, PR, and IR professionals. There is no entry fee for this category.
C06. PR Innovation of the Year: recognizes singular innovations in communications practice, research, technology, or management since the beginning of 2024.
Achievement in Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year Categories
Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2026 competition include Written answers to the following questions, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
a. Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched. Required
b. Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words). Required
c. Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words). Required
d. Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2024. Even if your initiative started before 2024, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2024 only (up to 250 words). Required
e. Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words). Optional
Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges. These might be planning documents, press clippings, work samples, photographs, video clips, etc.
C07. Achievement in AI-Driven Communications Campaign (new for 2026): recognizes campaigns/programs that used AI technologies such as generative content, chatbots, or sentiment analysis. Entries should demonstrate how AI enhanced engagement or outcomes.
C08. Achievement in Arts & Entertainment: campaigns/programs undertaken to promote or raise awareness of an artistic or entertainment endeavor, event, or program.
C09. Achievement in Brand / Reputation Management: campaigns/programs designed to enhance, promote or improve the reputation of an organization with its publics or key elements of its publics.
C10. Achievement in Climate Change: campaigns/programs addressing, issues relevant to, or awareness of, global climate change.
C11. Achievement in Communications Research: recognizing research conducted for the development of business / communication strategies.
C12. Achievement in Community Engagement: recognizing campaigns that helped to engage or activate a community in some specific way.
C13. Achievement in Community Relations: campaigns/programs that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
a. Associations / Non-Profit Organizations
b. Business
c. Government
C14. Achievement in Consumer PR for an Existing Product: campaigns/programs/activities around a consumer product.
C15. Achievement in Consumer PR for an Existing Service: campaigns/programs/activities around a consumer service.
C16. Achievement in Content Marketing: campaigns that effectively demonstrate a strategic program that includes creating and distributing valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage target audience(s).
a. Associations/Government/Nonprofit Organizations
b. Business to Business
c. Business to Consumer
C17. Achievement in Corporate Communications: campaigns/programs that enhance a company's overall reputation through corporate communications.
C18. Achievement in Corporate Responsibility: campaigns/programs demonstrating excellence in corporate social responsibility.
C19. Achievement in Country, Region or City: campaigns/programs developed to promote a country, a region, or a city.
C20. Achievement in Crisis Communications Online: for excellence in the use of social media during a crisis.
C21. Achievement in Crisis Management: recognizing excellent communications management during a crisis.
C22. Achievement in Data-Driven Communications Strategy (new for 2026): recognizes campaigns built or optimized using data, analytics, or performance insights. Focus is on strategic adjustments and measurable results.
C23. Achievement in Digital Creativity: recognizing excellence in purely digital PR campaigns showing creativity in their use of the digital world.
C24. Achievement in Digital Media Relations: for PR campaigns showing creativity in its use of social media.
C25. Achievement in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: campaigns/programs devoted to promoting inclusivity and/or dismantling discrimination for racial, ethnic, religious or sexual orientation and gender differences.
C26. Achievement in Employee Advocacy Program (new for 2026): honors campaigns that empowered employees to act as external brand ambassadors. Focus may include social media, testimonials, or public engagement.
C27. Achievement in Employer Branding Campaign (new for 2026): for PR campaigns that promoted an organization's reputation as an employer of choice. Includes messaging around company culture, recruitment, and values.
C28. Achievement in Environmental: campaigns/programs focused on an environmental issue with substantial results for society.
C29. Achievement in ESG: campaigns/programs that enhance an organization’s reputation and demonstrate a business approach to initiatives that positively impact society. Campaigns to highlight the positive impact that they have had delivering environmental and social benefits to stakeholders.
C30. Achievement in Events & Observances: campaigns/programs that generate awareness of or document commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations, and other types of events.
C31. Achievement in Experiential PR (new for 2026): recognizes immersive campaigns designed to create memorable brand experiences. Can include physical or digital. activations that drive public interest.
C32. Achievement in Financial Services & Investor Relations: for use of PR for a financial product or service or in investor relations.
C33. Achievement in Food & Beverage: for a PR campaign to promote a new or existing food or beverage.
C34. Achievement in Gaming & Virtual Reality: for a PR campaign that launched a development in the gaming or VR industry.
C35. Achievement in Global Communications: campaigns/programs that demonstrate effective global communications implemented in at least two countries.
C36. Achievement in Healthcare: campaign/programs in the healthcare sector, including business-to-business and consumer campaigns.
C37. Achievement in Influencer Management: for a PR campaign that made use of identified influencers beyond traditional media.
C38. Achievement in Influencer Marketing: campaigns/programs that established or furthered the reach and reputation of social media influencers.
C39. Achievement in Integrated Communications: includes creative and effective integrated campaigns, along with other marketing or communications including paid, earned, shared and owned efforts. Demonstrate the meaningful PR/communications components and how they integrated with other disciplines.
C40. Achievement in Internal Communications: campaigns/programs undertaken to inform or educate an internal audience, such as employees or members.
a. At organizations with up to 100 employees
b. At organizations with 100 or more employees
C41. Achievement in Issues Management: campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with issues that could extraordinarily affect ongoing business strategy.
C42. Achievement in Low Budget (under $10,000): campaigns/programs that cost no more than $10,000 to plan and implement.
C43. Achievement in Marketing – Business to Business: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products or services to a business audience.
C44. Achievement in Marketing – Consumer Products: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products to a consumer audience.
C45. Achievement in Marketing – Consumer Services: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new services or promote existing services to a consumer audience.
C46. Achievement in Media Relations: recognizing effective traditional media relations in a PR campaign.
C47. Achievement in Multicultural: campaigns/programs specifically targeted to a cultural group.
C48. Achievement in New Product or Service Launch: campaigns/programs undertaken to introduce a new product or service to the marketplace.
C49. Achievement in Non-Profit / Charity: campaigns/programs that communicate the mission or activities or non-profit or charitable organizations.
C50. Achievement in Public Affairs: campaigns/programs specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies.
C51. Achievement in Public Service: campaigns/programs that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems or concerns.
C52. Achievement in Real-Time PR Response (new for 2026): for campaigns/programs that responded quickly and creatively to trending topics or breaking news. Recognizes agility and strong audience engagement.
C53. Achievement in Social Media Focused: campaigns/programs designed to be implemented primarily through online social media.
C54. Achievement in Sponsorship: campaigns/programs that promote or create awareness of sponsorship of an event or activity.
C55. Achievement in Sport: for a PR campaign to promote a sport for itself or to a community.
C56. Achievement in Technology: campaigns/programs in the technology sector, including business-to-business and consumer campaigns.
C57. Achievement in Travel & Tourism: campaigns/programs designed to advance the interests of clients in the transport, travel, hotel or tourism industries.
C58. Achievement in User-Generated Content (UGC) Activation (new for 2026): for campaigns that mobilized audiences to co-create or share content supporting a brand. Highlights community-driven content and engagement.