Achievement in Corporate Communications, Investor Relations & Public Relations Categories
Includes all corporate communications, investor relations, community affairs, public relations, etc., functions.
Nominations that won in the 2026 ABAs may be resubmitted for consideration in the 2027 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
Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2027 competition include
1. Written answers to the following questions (excluding the PR Agency of the Year Categories), describing the nominated department’s, team’s, or individual’s achievements since January 1, 2025, 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 1,300 characters). Required
b. Outline the nominee’s achievements since the beginning of 2025 that you wish to bring to the judges’ attention (up to 1,900 characters). 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 1,900 characters). 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 1,500 characters). Optional
2. Optional (but highly recommended), add to your entry up to 10 webpage links and up to 10 document uploads to support your case to the judges. These might be press articles, press releases, videos, or images, for example.
C01. Communications Department of the Year: for in-house communications departments, across all communications functions.
C02. 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.
C03. Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year: for executive-level (VP or higher) communications, PR, and IR professionals.
C04. 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.
C05. PR Innovation of the Year: recognizes singular innovations in communications practice, research, technology, or management since the beginning of 2025.
PR Agency of the Year Category
1. Written answers to the following questions, describing the nominated agency’s achievements since January 1, 2025, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that answers all of the same questions:
- Provide an (a) essay (up to 3,000 characters) describing the nominated agency’s achievements since January 1, 2025 for clients in the selected industry subcategory. Include some discussion of the agency’s overall performance, financial or otherwise, since that date, OR (b) a video of up to five (5) minutes in length that provides the same information. Required
- Optional (but highly recommended), add to your entry up to 10 webpage links and/or up to 10 document uploads to support your case to the judges. These might be press articles, press releases, videos, or images, for example.
C06. Public Relations Agency of the Year sponsored by O’Dwyer’s (opens in new tab)
This category has been expanded for 2027, and the entry fees waived. Agencies may nominate themselves and their industry-specific achievements since the beginning of 2025 in any number of these categories.
a. Agriculture
b. Auto/Transportation
c. Beauty & Fashion
d. Consumer Products
e. Crisis Communications
f. Education
g. Energy
h. Environmental
i. Financial
j. Food & Beverage
k. Healthcare
l. Industrial
m. Nonprofits
n. Professional Services
o. Public Affairs
p. Real Estate Finance & Development
q. Sports & Entertainment
r. Technology
s. Travel
Achievement in Communications or PR Categories
Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories in the 2027 competition include
1. 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 the nominated achievement(s) was made or begun. Required
b. Describe the genesis of the nominated achievement(s): the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 1,500 characters). Required
c. Describe the development of the achievement(s): the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 1,500 characters). Required
d. Outline the activities and concrete results of this achievement(s) since the beginning of 2025. Even if your initiative started before 2025, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2025 only (up to 1,500 characters). 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 1,500 characters). Optional
2. Optional (but highly recommended), add to your entry up to 10 webpage links and up to 10 document uploads to support your case to the judges. These might be press articles, press releases, videos, or images, for example. These might be planning documents, press clippings, work samples, photographs, video clips, etc.
C07. Achievement in AI-Driven Communications Campaign: recognizes PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements undertaken to promote or raise awareness of an artistic or entertainment endeavor, event, or program.
C09. Achievement in Brand / Reputation Management: PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
a. Associations / Nonprofit Organizations
b. Business
c. Government
C14. Achievement in Consumer PR for an Existing Product: PR-related achievements/activities around a consumer product.
C15. Achievement in Consumer PR for an Existing Service: PR-related achievements/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: PR-related achievements that enhance a company’s overall reputation through corporate communications.
C18. Achievement in Corporate Responsibility: PR-related achievements demonstrating excellence in corporate social responsibility.
C19. Achievement in Country, Region or City: PR-related achievements 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: recognizes PR campaigns/achievements 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: PR-related achievements devoted to promoting inclusivity and/or dismantling discrimination for racial, ethnic, religious or sexual orientation and gender differences.
C26. Achievement in Employee Advocacy Program: honors PR campaigns/achievements that empowered employees to act as external brand ambassadors. Focus may include social media, testimonials, or public engagement.
C27. Achievement in Employer Branding Campaign: for PR campaigns/achievements that promoted an organization’s reputation as an employer of choice. Includes messaging around company culture, recruitment, and values.
C28. Achievement in Environmental: PR-related achievements focused on an environmental issue with substantial results for society.
C29. Achievement in ESG: PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements that generate awareness of or document commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations, and other types of events.
C31. Achievement in Experiential PR: 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: PR-related achievements 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 PR: PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements undertaken to deal with issues that could extraordinarily affect ongoing business strategy.
C42. Achievement in Low Budget (under $10,000): PR-related achievements that cost no more than $10,000 to plan and implement.
C43. Achievement in Marketing – Business to Business: PR-related achievements designed to introduce new products or promote existing products or services to a business audience.
C44. Achievement in Marketing – Consumer Products: PR-related achievements designed to introduce new products or promote existing products to a consumer audience.
C45. Achievement in Marketing – Consumer Services: PR-related achievements 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: PR-related achievements specifically targeted to a cultural group.
C48. Achievement in New Product or Service Launch: PR-related achievements undertaken to introduce a new product or service to the marketplace.
C49. Achievement in Nonprofit / Charity: PR-related achievements that communicate the mission or activities or nonprofit or charitable organizations.
C50. Achievement in Public Affairs: PR-related achievements specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies.
C51. Achievement in Public Service: PR-related achievements that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems or concerns.
C52. Achievement in Purpose & Social Impact Communications (New for 2027)
Recognizes communications achievements that effectively communicated an organization’s purpose or positive social impact and inspired engagement among key stakeholders since the beginning of 2025.
C53. Achievement in Real-Time PR Response: for PR-related achievements that responded quickly and creatively to trending topics or breaking news. Recognizes agility and strong audience engagement.
C54. Achievement in Social Media Focused: PR-related achievements designed to be implemented primarily through online social media.
C55. Achievement in Sponsorship: PR-related achievements that promote or create awareness of sponsorship of an event or activity.
C56. Achievement in Sport: for a PR campaign to promote a sport for itself or to a community.
C57. Achievement in Technology PR: PR-related achievements in the technology sector, including business-to-business and consumer campaigns.
C58. Achievement in Travel & Tourism: PR-related achievements designed to advance the interests of clients in the transport, travel, hotel or tourism industries.
C59. Achievement in User-Generated Content (UGC) Activation: for achievements that mobilized audiences to co-create or share content supporting a brand. Highlights community-driven content and engagement.