Corporate and Business Public Relations

This category recognises strategic public relations projects or programmes designed to build, protect or enhance the reputation of a business, corporation or organisation among its key stakeholders. Entries should demonstrate how public relations contributed to organisational priorities, strengthened stakeholder relationships, built trust or understanding, or supported business objectives.

Eligible work may include corporate positioning, reputation-building initiatives, corporate storytelling, brand or organisational transitions, stakeholder communications, leadership profiling, corporate social responsibility communications, or programmes designed to strengthen confidence in an organisation.

Judges will look for a clear link between the organisation’s objectives and the public relations strategy, evidence of stakeholder insight, the effective use of communication to achieve the desired outcomes, and meaningful measurement of both programme success and its contribution to broader business objectives.

Choose this category if: the primary objective was to enhance the organisation’s corporate reputation or relationships with its business stakeholders, rather than promote a specific product or service, influence public policy, or manage an immediate crisis.

Community Relations and Engagement

This category recognises projects or programmes that establish, strengthen or improve mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and the communities in which it operates or has an interest. Entries should demonstrate a genuine understanding of community perspectives and a commitment to meaningful engagement, listening, collaboration and relationship-building.

Eligible work may include community consultation, local engagement programmes, initiatives supporting a new development or organisational change, partnerships with community groups, initiatives addressing community concerns, or programmes demonstrating an organisation’s social responsibility and contribution to community wellbeing.

Judges will look for evidence that communities were meaningfully involved, that their views informed the approach, and that engagement went beyond simply distributing information. Strong entries will demonstrate how trust, understanding, participation or relationships improved, with evidence of tangible benefits for both the organisation and the community where appropriate.

Choose this category if: the primary purpose was to build relationships with, listen to, involve or work alongside a community. If the principal objective was to influence government decisions or public policy, Government Relations and Public Affairs may be more appropriate.

Government Relations and Public Affairs

This category recognises public relations campaigns and programmes designed to inform, influence or contribute to public policy, government decision-making and political or regulatory affairs. Entries should demonstrate a strategic approach to engaging with decision makers and relevant stakeholders to achieve a defined policy or public affairs objective.

Eligible work may include advocacy campaigns, policy submissions supported by stakeholder engagement, government and parliamentary engagement, regulatory communications, coalition-building, public affairs strategies, or initiatives designed to raise awareness of an issue among elected representatives, officials, interest groups or the wider public.

Judges will look for a clear understanding of the political, policy or regulatory environment, well-defined objectives, thoughtful stakeholder mapping, credible evidence supporting the position being advanced, and an effective engagement strategy. Entries should demonstrate how communication helped build understanding, influence debate, strengthen relationships or contribute to a policy outcome. Where a desired outcome was not achieved, evidence of meaningful progress and learning may still demonstrate success.

Choose this category if: the primary objective was to influence or inform policy, legislation, regulation or government decision-making. General relationship building with communities or corporate stakeholders is better suited to the relevant relationship focused category.

Internal Communications

This category recognises public relations and communication programmes primarily designed to inform, engage and influence an organisation’s employees or internal stakeholders. Entries should demonstrate how communication supported organisational priorities, strengthened culture, built understanding or helped people navigate change.

Eligible work may include organisational change and transformation communications, employee engagement initiatives, leadership communications, culture and values programmes, internal campaigns, mergers and restructures, employee wellbeing initiatives, or communications supporting a new strategy, operating model or organisational direction.

Judges will look for a clear understanding of employee needs and perspectives, a strategy tailored to internal audiences, effective communication planning and delivery, and evidence of impact on employee understanding, engagement, behaviour, confidence or organisational alignment. Strong entries will show how communication was informed by employee feedback and how the organisation evaluated whether its messages were understood and its objectives achieved.

Choose this category if: employees are the primary audience and the central purpose is to inform, engage, align or support them. If employees are only one audience within a broader external reputation campaign, another category may be more suitable.

Issues, Crisis or Reputation Management

This category recognises public relations projects or programmes that proactively identify, manage or respond to issues, crises or threats to reputation. Entries should demonstrate how strategic communication helped an organisation prepare for, navigate or recover from a challenging situation, protect stakeholder confidence or minimise reputational harm.

Eligible work may include crisis preparedness and response, issues management, reputational risk mitigation, responses to public scrutiny, sensitive organisational announcements, product or service incidents, misinformation affecting an organisation, or recovery programmes designed to rebuild trust following a significant event.

Judges will look for a clear assessment of the issue or risk, an evidence-informed strategy, sound decision-making, timely and appropriate communication, effective stakeholder engagement and the ability to adapt as circumstances evolved. Entries should demonstrate the role communication played alongside wider organisational actions, supported by evidence of outcomes such as reduced uncertainty, stakeholder reassurance, improved understanding, risk mitigation or reputation recovery.

Both proactive issues management and reactive crisis response are eligible. Strong entries will explain the context, the decisions made, the rationale behind the response and the lessons learned.

Choose this category if: the central challenge was an identifiable issue, crisis or reputational risk requiring a deliberate management or response strategy. A routine corporate reputation programme without a specific issue or risk may be better suited to Corporate and Business Public Relations.

Marketing Communication

This category recognises strategic and creative public relations campaigns that promote a cause, product, service, brand or offering, with the aim of influencing audience perceptions, generating interest or motivating action.

Eligible work may include integrated marketing communications, cause-related campaigns, product or service launches, brand awareness initiatives, behaviour-change campaigns, audience acquisition, consumer engagement or campaigns designed to shift perceptions and drive measurable action.

Judges will look for a strong understanding of the target audience, clear objectives, an insight-led strategy, creative and effective use of communication channels, and evidence that the campaign achieved meaningful results. Entries should explain how the communications approach connected with audiences and contributed to outcomes such as increased awareness, consideration, participation, enquiries, sales, adoption or behaviour change, where relevant.

Strong entries will demonstrate the contribution of public relations to the overall campaign rather than relying solely on advertising reach or promotional activity as evidence of success.

Choose this category if: the primary objective was to promote a cause, product, service or brand and influence the attitudes or behaviours of a defined audience. If the main purpose was corporate reputation, public policy influence or crisis management, consider the relevant specialist category.

Experiential and Activation

This category recognises experiential and activation projects that use participation, interaction or memorable experiences to bring a brand, organisation, cause or message to life. The experience may be the central feature of a campaign or form part of a broader public relations programme.

Eligible work may include live events, interactive installations, pop-up experiences, community activations, immersive experiences, participatory campaigns, product demonstrations, virtual events, or initiatives that encourage audiences to engage directly with an organisation, idea or message.

Judges will look for a compelling concept grounded in audience insight, a clear role for the experience within the wider communication strategy, thoughtful execution and evidence that participation contributed to the intended objectives. Strong entries will demonstrate how the experience encouraged meaningful engagement, created memorable interactions, generated conversation, strengthened relationships or prompted a desired response.

Entries should explain why an experiential approach was appropriate for the audience and objective, how participation was encouraged, and how results were measured beyond attendance or the number of people who encountered the activity.

Choose this category if: a live, virtual or interactive experience was a defining feature of the work and played a material role in achieving the communication objectives. An event that simply provided a setting for media coverage may be better suited to Best Use of Media Relations.

Best Use of Media Relations

This category recognises projects, campaigns or ongoing programmes that use media relations strategically and creatively to achieve defined communication and organisational objectives. Entries should demonstrate an understanding of the media environment and how effective relationships with journalists and media organisations helped communicate a story, issue or message to relevant audiences.

Eligible work may include proactive media campaigns, news generation, media briefings, journalist engagement, media events, thought leadership, strategic storytelling, responses to emerging news opportunities, or sustained programmes that secure meaningful coverage in relevant media.

Judges will look for a clear media strategy, compelling and newsworthy storytelling, an understanding of the needs and interests of relevant media, effective relationship management, and the ability to adapt to changing newsroom priorities and media formats. Entries should demonstrate the quality and relevance of coverage, how it reached the intended audiences, and its contribution to the campaign or organisational objectives.

Strong entries will go beyond counting media clippings or estimating reach. They will explain why the coverage mattered, whether it conveyed the intended messages, how audiences or stakeholders responded, and what the media activity contributed to the overall outcome.

Choose this category if: media relations was the primary strategic tool used to achieve the objectives. If digital and social channels were the central mechanism for audience engagement, Best Use of Digital and Social Media may be more appropriate.

Best Use of Digital and Social Media

This category recognises public relations campaigns or projects that use digital channels, social media platforms or online tools strategically to engage audiences, build relationships, influence perceptions or achieve measurable communication outcomes.

Eligible work may include social media campaigns, digital storytelling, online communities, influencer engagement, creator partnerships, interactive digital content, digital advocacy, online engagement programmes, or innovative uses of digital platforms to reach and involve target audiences.

Judges will look for a clear understanding of the audience and platform environment, a well-defined digital strategy, creative and purposeful content, effective channel selection, and evidence that digital activity contributed to the intended outcomes. Strong entries will demonstrate how the work encouraged meaningful interaction, participation, sharing, conversation or behaviour change, rather than relying on impressions, follower growth or content volume alone.

Entries should explain the role of each channel, how the campaign adapted to audience responses and platform dynamics, and how success was evaluated against the original objectives. Evidence might include engagement quality, audience sentiment, community growth, referral activity, participation, message retention or other relevant measures.

Choose this category if: digital or social channels were central to the strategy and their distinctive capabilities were instrumental in achieving the results. If traditional media relations or a live experience was the defining feature, consider those specialist categories instead.

Best Use of Small Budget for Impact (<10K)

This category recognises campaigns that demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking, creativity and results despite having a total campaign budget of $10,000 or less. It is particularly suited to campaigns delivered for not-for-profit organisations, charities and community-focused causes, where resources may be limited but the need for effective communication is significant.

Eligible work may include awareness-raising campaigns, fundraising communications, volunteer recruitment, community engagement, advocacy, behaviour-change initiatives or other public relations projects that achieve meaningful outcomes with modest resources.

Judges will look for a clearly defined objective, a strong understanding of the audience, a resourceful and creative strategy, and evidence that the campaign maximised its available budget. Strong entries will demonstrate how limited resources shaped the approach, how partnerships or alternative channels were used effectively, and how the results compared with the resources invested.

The total budget must include all campaign-related costs, including agency fees, contractor fees, production, media spend and external services associated with strategy, implementation and evaluation. Pro bono contributions, donated services and discounted components must be clearly disclosed and quantified so judges can understand the true value of the resources used.

Entries should state the total cash expenditure, identify any donated or discounted inputs, and explain the results achieved relative to the investment. A small spend alone does not make a campaign outstanding; the entry must demonstrate the impact created through strategic and creative choices.

Choose this category if: the total campaign budget was $10,000 or less and the defining strength of the work was the impact achieved with limited resources. Entries must meet the budget cap, including all campaign-related expenses, to be eligible.

Long Term Value

This category recognises public relations campaigns or sustained communication programmes that demonstrate lasting value over an extended period. It is designed for work that may span multiple years, continue indefinitely, or involve ongoing strategic communication around a specific event, issue, initiative or topic that cannot be adequately represented within the standard 1 January to 31 December Awards timeframe.

Eligible entries may include long-running advocacy campaigns, sustained behaviour-change programmes, ongoing reputation-building initiatives, multi-year community engagement, or strategic communication programmes that continue to deliver value, adapt to changing circumstances and demonstrate enduring impact.

Judges will look for a clear long-term strategy, evidence of sustained impact, and how the programme has evolved to remain relevant and deliver value over time.

Choose this category if: your campaign or communication programme extends beyond a single calendar year, or represents sustained, ongoing PR activity around a specific event, issue or topic, and its long-term value cannot be adequately captured within the standard Awards timeframe. This category is intended for campaigns and programmes with demonstrable enduring impact, not testimonials or expressions of satisfaction about client relationships, service delivery or team performance. Those are better suited to the PR Consultancy of the Year or PR In-house Team of the Year categories. 

PR Consultancy of the Year

This award recognises outstanding public relations consultancies that demonstrate excellence in client service, staff satisfaction and sustainable business performance, alongside a meaningful contribution to the wider PR and communications profession.

Judges will assess entries against three primary criteria: client satisfaction, staff satisfaction, and profitability as a percentage of revenue, recognising that a successful consultancy must deliver value for its clients, create an environment where its people thrive, and maintain the financial sustainability needed for long-term success.

These core criteria will be complemented by consideration of the consultancy’s contribution to the wider PR and communications community, including its support for professional development, collaboration, knowledge-sharing and the advancement of the profession. Judges will also recognise contributions to PRINZ as the industry body, including engagement with its initiatives, support for its objectives and commitment to strengthening the profession in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Entries should provide evidence to support their claims across these areas, demonstrating not only what the consultancy has achieved, but how it creates lasting value for clients, its people and the profession. Consultancies of all sizes are eligible, with the emphasis on the quality, sustainability and wider contribution of the business, rather than its number of employees.

Choose this category if: the entry showcases the overall performance and capability of a consultancy rather than the success of an individual campaign.

PR In-house Team of the Year

This category recognises in-house public relations and communications teams that make an outstanding contribution to their organisation’s objectives, reputation, relationships and success.

Eligible entries should demonstrate the team’s collective contribution over the relevant assessment period, including its strategic role, the quality of its advice, its ability to work across the organisation and the value it creates for internal and external stakeholders.

Judges will look for evidence that the team operates as a strategic partner rather than solely as a delivery function. Strong entries will demonstrate how the team aligns communication with organisational priorities, provides effective counsel to leaders, builds stakeholder trust, manages complex communication challenges and uses insight and evaluation to improve performance.

Entries should also showcase the team’s culture, leadership, collaboration, professional development, ethical practice and innovation. Evidence may include organisational outcomes, stakeholder feedback, improved engagement, reputation measures, successful change programmes or examples of communication influencing important organisational decisions.

The size of the team is not the sole measure of excellence. Judges will consider the organisation’s context, the team’s remit and available resources, and the impact achieved relative to its operating environment.

Choose this category if: the entry showcases the collective performance and contribution of an internal PR or communications team. Agencies and consultancies should enter the Consultancy of the Year category.

Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year

This category recognises an outstanding young public relations practitioner who demonstrates commitment to the profession, thoughtful and ethical practice, professional growth and an understanding of the value public relations creates for organisations and society.

Eligible entrants must be aged 30 or under as at 31 December 2026, subject to the eligibility requirements for the relevant Awards year. Entrants may work in an agency, an in-house team, the public sector, a not-for-profit organisation or another area of the profession.

Judges will assess the practitioner holistically, considering their approach to public relations, the quality of their contribution, their professional development and their potential to make a positive impact on the profession. Evidence should demonstrate critical thinking, strategic understanding, sound judgement, effective communication and a commitment to ethical practice.

Strong entries will provide specific examples of the entrant’s contribution to projects, campaigns, stakeholder relationships or organisational objectives. They should explain the entrant’s individual role, the thinking behind their decisions, the challenges they navigated, the outcomes achieved and what they learned. Judges will also look for evidence of initiative, curiosity, collaboration, a willingness to learn and a commitment to enhancing the reputation and standing of public relations.

This is not simply an award for the person who has worked on the largest campaigns or achieved the highest profile. Judges are looking for a thoughtful, capable and purposeful practitioner who can demonstrate professional growth, strategic potential and a positive contribution to the profession.

Choose this category if: you are nominating yourself as an individual practitioner who meets the age criteria and can demonstrate their own professional contribution, judgement, development and commitment to public relations. For further insight please watch the PRINZ Kōrero podcast episode on this category.  

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Isentia Prize for Excellence in Research, Measurement and Evaluation

All finalists in the project and campaign categories are eligible for the Isentia Prize for Excellence in Research, Measurement and Evaluation. This prize recognises entries that demonstrate outstanding use of research, insightful measurement, meaningful analysis and critical evaluation throughout the public relations process.

Judges will look for evidence that research informed the development of the project or campaign, rather than being included as an afterthought. Entries should demonstrate how audience, stakeholder or environmental insights shaped the strategy, informed objectives and guided decisions about implementation.

Strong entries will establish clear and measurable objectives, use appropriate methods to assess performance, and demonstrate how results were analysed against the original objectives. Judges will consider the quality and relevance of the measures used, the interpretation of findings, and the extent to which evaluation informed decisions during and after the project.

The strongest submissions will demonstrate a clear connection between research, planning, execution and evaluation. They will distinguish between outputs, such as content produced or media coverage secured; outtakes, such as changes in awareness, understanding or attitudes; and outcomes, such as changes in behaviour, relationships, reputation or organisational performance, where relevant.

Critical reflection is also important. Entries should explain what worked, what did not work as expected, what the evidence revealed, and how the learning could inform future practice. Results should be presented in context, with transparent explanations of the methods, data sources and limitations where applicable.

The final judge for this prize will be Ngaire Crawford from Isentia.

How to strengthen your entry: Show the judges the thinking behind the work, how success was measured and what the evidence tells you. Do not simply list research activities or provide a collection of metrics without explaining their significance. For more insight feel free to view the PRINZ Kōrero episode on this category.

Supreme Award

The Supreme Award is the premier recognition of excellence across the PRINZ Awards project and campaign categories. Winners of all eligible project and campaign categories are considered for this award, recognising the entry that demonstrates the strongest overall combination of strategic thinking, research, creativity, execution, evaluation and impact.

The Supreme Award is not simply awarded to the campaign with the greatest reach, the largest budget or the most impressive individual metric. The Chief Judges will consider the quality of the work in its context, the clarity of its objectives, the strength of the strategy, the effectiveness of its implementation and the significance of its results.

A strong contender will demonstrate a clear connection between audience insight, communication objectives, strategic choices and measurable outcomes. It will show how public relations made a meaningful contribution to the organisation, its stakeholders or the wider community, supported by credible evidence and thoughtful evaluation.

The Supreme Award winner will be announced at the PRINZ Awards Gala Dinner. Consultancy of the Year, PR In-house Team of the Year and the Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year are excluded from eligibility.

How to strengthen your entry: Treat the submission as a complete account of the work, from the challenge and research through to the strategy, implementation, results and learning. Make it easy for the judges to see not only what you did, but why it mattered and what difference it made.