Call for Entries Deadline:

This program is now closed.

Learn more about current programs here.

Are you ready to shine a spotlight on your outstanding media relations achievements? Look no further than the prestigious PR Daily Media Relations Awards.

PR Daily’s Media Relations Awards will showcase your innovative strategies for securing media coverage, your ability to remain calm during a crisis, your knack for crafting engaging stories and more. This is the premiere program for recognizing the best media relations campaigns, events and initiatives from the past year.

The program offers a diverse range of categories that reflect the multifaceted nature of media relations. Whether you excel in crisis communications, media pitching, social media engagement, or influencer partnerships, there's a category that perfectly aligns with your expertise. If you’ve been a part of campaigns and initiatives that led to success for your organization or client, we want to hear about it.

PR Daily will honor all finalists—and announce category winners—at a special live event in December at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Winners will also receive editorial recognition on the Ragan networks, an awards trophy and profile and a marketing tool kit to help promote you and your team’s accomplishments.

Enter PR Daily’s Media Relations Awards to earn recognition for your work from the past year!

CATEGORIES

GRAND PRIZE

 Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Over $50,000

We’re seeking well-rounded and robust campaigns that were a huge success. Share with us everything you did to achieve—or surpass—your goals.

 Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $50,000

We’re seeking well-rounded and robust campaigns that were a huge success. Share with us everything you did to achieve—or surpass—your goals.

 Media Relations Campaign of the Year: Under $10,000

We’re seeking well-rounded and robust campaigns that were a huge success. Share with us everything you did to achieve—or surpass—your goals.

 Media Relations Professional of the Year

You’re a maestro of the media relations world. Your campaigns and initiatives led to outstanding coverage for your organization or clients. Maybe you were a one-person team that delivered success usually saved for larger teams. Maybe you were the leader of a media relations team that mentored colleagues and achieved success. If you believe you were the best media relations pro around, we’re looking for you.

CATEGORIES

 Brand Messaging or Positioning

We want to know how you propelled your organization’s reputation forward. How did you set your brand apart from its competitors and create buzz? Did you see an increased response from the media? Tell us about the intricacies of your brand campaign and how you got your story out into the world.

 Cause Marketing

Tell us how you’re contributing to causes that matter and raising the public profile of the issues your organization is dedicated to. Give us the details about your campaign strategy. Did you face a challenge while trying to raise awareness? What tools did you use to get past it? Share your campaign and results.

 Community Relations

Share the methods you used to create mutually beneficial relationships with your community or your client’s community. What channels did you tap into? What were the results? Share all the details.

 Content Marketing and Brand Journalism

This category recognizes compelling and valuable content that engaged your target audiences and helped build brand affinity. We’ll honor outstanding storytelling, strategic content distribution and the use of various media channels to establish thought leadership, foster brand loyalty and drive meaningful connections with your audience.

 Crisis or Reputation Management

In times of organizational strife, it helps to remain cool-headed. While under pressure, your team understood the bigger picture and didn’t get overwhelmed by chaos or criticism. How did you mitigate a potential media disaster and keep your organization’s reputation in good standing with the public? Tell us about the crisis and how you bounced back with the help of journalists.

 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

This category recognizes companies that have demonstrated outstanding commitment and contribution to social and environmental causes through their initiatives, partnerships, and sustainable practices. These organizations have leveraged their resources and influence to make a positive impact on society while aligning their business goals with ethical and responsible practices.

 Data-Driven and Measurement

Numbers don’t lie, and you built a campaign around metrics that led to success. How did you use data to tailor your campaign? How did you decide which metrics were important? What obstacles did you have to overcome? Share the results that proved your success.

 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)

This category celebrates initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion within their workforce and broader communities. We’ll recognize efforts that foster inclusive cultures, implemented equitable practices and drive meaningful change to create diverse and inclusive environments that empower individuals and foster equal opportunities for all.

 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

This category celebrates companies that have excelled in incorporating sustainable and responsible practices into their core business strategies. These organizations have demonstrated exceptional performance in environmental stewardship, social impact, and governance practices, showcasing their commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable future.

 Exclusive Content Strategy

You found media relations success without wide distribution. Tell us how the lure of exclusivity made your strategy a success. Did you provide an exclusive to one media outlet or seek to drive traffic to only one platform? Tell us about your strategy and what made it a success.

 Global Media Relations

Your campaign and message reached audiences far and wide. We want to know how you gained the momentum to take your brand international. How does your message cross geographical boundaries? How do you make your message relevant and interesting where you live and useful to those across oceans? What was your story? Where did it travel?

 Governmental or Public Affairs Media Relations

This category recognizes campaigns and initiatives that have demonstrated effective communication strategies in navigating political landscapes, engaging stakeholders and fostering transparency to advance public understanding and participation in key policy issues and decision-making processes.

 Influencer Relations

This category recognizes organizations that have effectively leveraged relationships with influential individuals to amplify their brand message and reach their target audience. We’ll celebrate successful collaborations with influencers, showcasing strategic planning, authentic partnerships and measurable results in terms of increased brand visibility, engagement and positive brand perception.

 Innovation in Media Relations

You were tired of taking the same ineffective, repetitive route when it comes to your organization’s media relations strategy. How did you execute your vision for creating a new process, concept or slogan? What results did your idea bring that changed the way people or the media think about you or your product, service or cause? Show us.

 Integrated Marketing Communications

How did you put together a well-coordinated mix of promotional messages that reinforced your brand awareness to the media? Did you use content marketing and storytelling in your media relations blitz? What were the results?

 Investor Relations

This category honors organizations that have excelled in effectively communicating and building relationships with their investors and stakeholders. These awards recognize outstanding strategies in investor communication, financial transparency and relationship management, demonstrating the ability to inspire investor confidence, enhance shareholder value and foster long-term partnerships.

 Issues Management

This category recognizes organizations that have demonstrated exceptional skills in managing and mitigating complex issues through effective media relations. These awards celebrate strategic planning, timely communication and proactive engagement, showcasing the ability to navigate challenging situations and build public trust through transparent and impactful messaging.

 Media Relations

This category honors innovative and successful campaigns that have effectively used media channels to achieve specific objectives. These campaigns demonstrate strategic planning, creative storytelling and impactful engagement with the media, resulting in significant media coverage, positive brand exposure and the desired impact on target audiences.

 New Product or Service Launch

Tell us how your PR department or client impressed the media with the launch of a new product or service. Describe the tactics and strategy and brag about how sweet the outcome proved to be.

 Newsjacking

What’s happening in the news or in the world of pop culture that tied in perfectly with your brand? How did you capitalize on a fleeting trend to get attention for your brand, product or service? Share how you crafted the pitch and the results.

 Pitch

Something new and exciting is happening at your organization or for your clients, and you wanted to share it with the media. What were you announcing? How did you craft a pitch that was relevant to a writer’s beat and made him or her want to learn more? What outlets covered your announcement and how did that draw audiences to your brand or your client’s brand?

 Press Event or Media Tour

Not only did you handle the chaos of producing a live or virtual event, you thrived under pressure and created an unforgettable experience. Tell us how you selected your guest list, promoted your event across channels and encouraged social media engagement. Give us the inside story of how you pulled it all together so that outstanding media coverage resulted.

 Public Health

This category recognizes exemplary campaigns and initiatives that were influential in raising awareness, promoting behavior change and improving public health outcomes. These campaigns demonstrate innovative strategies, impactful messaging and effective delivery of information, inspiring individuals and communities to adopt healthier practices and contribute to the overall well-being of society.

 Purpose-Driven

You or your client took a stand on important issues, and consumers appreciated your response. What was the issue you advocated for? What was the response from consumers? How did you deliver the messaging? Share the goals, obstacles and results.

 Research

This category recognizes exceptional research and the use of media relations to effectively communicate findings and insights to audiences. We’ll honor your ability to showcase research excellence, engage with the media to disseminate key findings and drive meaningful conversations and actions based on evidence-based knowledge.

 Social Media

Tell us how you successfully used social media platforms to achieve your communication objectives and engage with your audiences. This category recognizes the campaigns that demonstrate creativity, strategic planning and measurable impact through the effective use of social media channels, resulting in increased brand awareness, audience engagement and positive brand sentiment.

 Speechwriting

This category honors exceptional speechwriting efforts that effectively deliver compelling messages and resonate with audiences. They’ll showcase the skillful crafting of speeches, impactful storytelling and the ability to engage, inspire and influence audiences through powerful oratory and well-crafted narratives.

 Stunt or Special Event

How did your publicity stunt or special event directly or indirectly generate interest from the media for your organization or client—or highlight your message? What ideas inspired its creation? What led to its success? How did you measure results—and what were they?

 Technology

This category celebrates groundbreaking advancements and exceptional applications of technology and artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT or other forms of AI. This award recognizes work that has demonstrated innovation, creativity and tangible impact through the development, implementation or use of technology or AI solutions.

 Thought Leadership

Your organization is staffed by experts with a wealth of knowledge about your industry. How did you make sure that customers and competitors alike knew this? Did a team member author a piece for a notable publication? Tell us how you used brand storytelling to prove your talent in a particular industry and brand your organization as an industry thought leader.

 Traditional and New Media Integration

We’ll recognize organizations that have seamlessly integrated traditional media channels with emerging digital platforms to enhance their media relations efforts. This category celebrates strategies that leverage the strengths of both traditional and new media, demonstrating effective storytelling, increased audience reach and impactful engagement across media channels for maximum visibility and impact.

 Use of a Celebrity or Personality

Tell us how you successfully collaborated with influential celebrities or personalities to enhance your media relations efforts. We’ll recognize strategic partnerships that leveraged the star power, credibility and reach of renowned individuals, resulting in increased brand visibility, positive media coverage and enhanced public perception.

 Video

We want to hear how you demonstrated exceptional storytelling and visual communication skills through the use of video in your media relations efforts. We’ll celebrate the creation of impactful videos that effectively engage audiences, deliver compelling messages and contribute to brand awareness, reputation enhancement and successful media campaigns.

 Virtual Event

Tell us how you successfully planned, executed and leveraged virtual events to engage audiences, deliver impactful experiences and achieve your media relations goals.

HOW TO ENTER

On the entry form, be sure to include a thorough synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your entry. The synopsis should be 350 to 900 words and include the following sub-headings (when applicable):

  • Goals
  • Strategy and tactics
  • Execution
  • Evaluation: success, results or ROI

Be sure to follow the guidelines laid out in the category descriptions, as the judges will look for those elements when they select the winners.

You will be able to upload additional documents, links, videos and URLs to your submission. Proprietary or internal information can also be attached and will not be shared with the public.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The award program is open to in-house teams, agencies and individual practitioners in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Vendors may also submit their work or their client’s work. Enter your work, the work of your organization or submit entries on behalf of your clients.

Companies from around the world are welcome to enter as long as the entry is submitted in English.

Contact Brendan Gannon to find the perfect category for your campaign or project. You can email him at brendang@ragan.com or call 312-960-4407.

This year’s program is open to any work executed between Aug. 1, 2022, and Aug. 18, 2023, inclusive.

ENTRY FEES

The fee for this program is $475 per entry into standard categories, and $550 per entry into Grand Prize categories.

A late fee of $250 per entry will be added to all entries received after 11:59 p.m. Central time, Aug. 18, 2023.

Do you have a campaign, project or team you'd like to enter into multiple categories? Pay the original entry fee, and then only $250 for each additional category!

All entries are non-returnable and non-refundable.

W-9 Form / Tax ID Number Request

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should you apply?

The Ragan Media Relations Awards are the pinnacle of recognition in the field of media relations. By participating in these awards, you will:

  • Elevate Your Brand: Gain well-deserved recognition for your organization's media relations efforts, demonstrating your expertise and commitment to excellence.
  • Stand Out from the Crowd: Differentiate yourself from competitors and peers by highlighting your successful media relations strategies and campaigns.
  • Inspire Your Team: Celebrate the hard work and dedication of your media relations team, motivating them to continue pushing boundaries and achieving extraordinary results.
  • Gain Industry-wide Exposure: Showcase your achievements to a global audience of industry leaders, journalists, and influencers, amplifying your reach and opening doors to new opportunities.
Who can enter?
Entries may be submitted by organizations worldwide. The only requirement is that entries be submitted in English. The program is open to in-house, agency, independent communication practitioners and vendors in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors.
What does it take to be a winner?
We look for top-quality work that shows clear, bold and creative ideas that benefit your business or client. Please provide metrics or results that back up your claims, and share creative collateral such as videos, visual design or websites that were a part of your project. Please look at our past award winners to see what gets recognized and rewarded. We encourage you to submit the same campaign to multiple categories, if you feel they are relevant. Doing so increases your chances of winning. You'll also save on multiple submissions of the same campaign or project.
Why are some deadlines extended?
We extend deadlines based on applicant needs and upcoming promotional opportunities.
When will I find out results?
Ragan will recognize all finalists—and announce category winners—at a special live event in December 2023. All entrants will be notified in advance of this live event.

Additional Questions

If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please call Brendan Gannon at 312-960-4407 or email brendang@ragan.com.

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact Hannah Lavelle at 312-960-4628 or email hannahl@ragan.com.

Ragan Communications is not responsible for international shipping fees related to trophies or certificates.