PRSA-NY Celebrates 2026 Big Apple Award winners at sold-out 39th annual gala
Key Facts:
NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New York chapter of the Public Relations Society of America ( PRSA-NY) announced the winners of the 2026 Big Apple Awards at its 39th annual gala on Thursday, awarding 63 campaign honors – 45 Big Apple Awards and 18 honorable mentions – along with its Individual Awards and 15 Under 35 honors.
Emceed by “Good Morning America’s” Gio Benitez, PRSA-NY announced the winners at a sold-out black-tie gala that celebrated the best of New York public relations, where the honorees truly reflected the year’s theme, “Where Stories Move Hearts, Minds and Markets.” The awards, held at Sony Hall in Manhattan on Thursday, September 17, 2026, opened with a festive cocktail hour sponsored by MikeWorldwide in honor of the agency’s 40 th anniversary, and featured a photo booth sponsored by COYNE PR.
“This year’s gala was an extraordinary celebration of everything that makes New York’s communications community so special,” said Paul Cohen, President of PRSA-NY. “The work we honored was creative, consequential and incredibly effective; our individual honorees represent some of the very best of journalism and communications; and our 15 Under 35 class showed just how much talent is coming up behind us. But what struck me most was the energy in the room. At a time of enormous change in our profession, the Big Apple Awards were a powerful reminder of the talent, vitality and sense of community that define PR in New York. I could not be prouder of what we celebrated together.”
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
The evening combined elegance and exuberance as guests dressed to the nines filled the historic venue for one of the industry's most anticipated annual events. From spirited acceptance speeches to heartfelt reflections on mentorship and professional growth, the program underscored the enduring value of authentic relationships, trusted storytelling, and a shared commitment to advancing the communications profession.
Ray Day, Vice Chair of Stagwell and Executive Chair of Allison Worldwide, said this well in his acceptance speech for the lifetime achievement award: “We’re in the relationship business. Don’t rely on digital this, and digital that – reach out to people. The future is strong for those who remember the humanity in what we do. We have always been about connecting people and making society better. In the age of AI, in the age of any technology, it will be about using that to make us even better.”
2026 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards Campaign Winners and Honorable Mentions
Top honors were awarded to outstanding campaigns demonstrating creativity, meaningful results, and measurable impact in the nation’s largest media market. The full list of 2026 winners and honorable mentions includes:
BEST AI PLATFORM OR SERVICE
SUBCATEGORY: Technology Platforms
BEST EDUCATION PROGRAM
SUBCATEGORY: General
BEST USE OF OWNED SOCIAL MEDIA
SUBCATEGORY: Consumer
BEST USE OF SPOKESPERSON/INFLUENCER
SUBCATEGORY: Associations or Nonprofit
SUBCATEGORY: Business
SUBCATEGORY: Consumer
BEST USE OF VIDEO IN A CAMPAIGN
SUBCATEGORY: Broadcast
SUBCATEGORY: Social
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less
SUBCATEGORY: Nonprofit Organization
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS & ISSUE MANAGEMENT
SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business
SUBCATEGORY: Government, Associations and Nonprofits
SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING
SUBCATEGORY: The Ally Award
EVENTS & OBSERVANCES
SUBCATEGORY: Consumer
EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
SUBCATEGORY: Consumer Products & Services
SUBCATEGORY: Budgets Over $200K
SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business
EXCELLENCE IN FINTECH COMMUNICATIONS
SUBCATEGORY: Fintech
EXCELLENCE UTILIZING AI IN A COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN
SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business
SUBCATEGORY: Budgets Greater Than $200K
GENERATIONAL TARGETED MARKETING
SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns $200K or Less
SUBCATEGORY: General Entries
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS
SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets Greater Than $200,000
SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business
SUBCATEGORY: Consumer Products & Services
SUBCATEGORY: Government, Associations & Nonprofits
MARKETING BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS
SUBCATEGORY: Budgets of $200,000 or Less
SUBCATEGORY: Professional Services
MARKETING CONSUMER PRODUCTS & SERVICES
SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less
SUBCATEGORY: Food & Beverage
SUBCATEGORY: Healthcare
SUBCATEGORY: Packaged Goods
SUBCATEGORY: Non-Packaged Goods
SUBCATEGORY: Hospitality & Travel
MEDIA RELATIONS INNOVATIVE
SUBCATEGORY: Cross Platform
SUBCATEGORY: Online
MENTAL HEALTH & AWARENESS
SUBCATEGORY: Nonprofit Organization
REPUTATION/BRAND MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT
SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less
SUBCATEGORY: Business
WEBSITE, BLOG, NEWSLETTER OR MICROSITE
SUBCATEGORY: General
ART STEVENS SCHOLARSHIP
Lynne Scott Jackson, Distinguished Lecturer at The City College of New York, presented the Art Stevens Scholarship to CCNY student Martheney Paulemon, recognizing and supporting the next generation of communications professionals.
Individual and 15 Under 35 Recipients
PRSA-NY’s Big Apple Awards also honored individual PR professionals. The 2026 15 Under 35 class showcased the next generation of talent driving innovation and impact across the industry, while esteemed individual award recipients were recognized for their leadership, influence, and long-standing contributions to the field.
2026 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards Individual Honorees:
2026 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards 15 Under 35 Recipients:
Sponsors for 2026 Big Apple Awards
PRSA-NY thanks the sponsors who made the Big Apple Awards contest and gala possible, including: Edelman, HUNTER, Burson, MikeWorldwide, 360PR+, Truescope, Davis + Gilbert LLP, Baker Tilly x Anchin, The Museum of Public Relations, D S Simon Media, Coyne PR, Bospar, and Notified. Special thanks, also, to Fay Shapiro and the CommPRO team for their exceptional partnership on the awards and event production.
ABOUT THE BIG APPLE AWARDS
The New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America established the Big Apple Awards program in 1988 to encourage excellence in public relations. The program has evolved to keep pace with a rapidly changing industry and continues to celebrate the exciting and innovative successes of talented professionals working in the heart of the communications universe. Today, a Big Apple Award is recognized as one of the highest honors bestowed in public relations.
About PRSA-NY
The New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America ( PRSA-NY) is the best-established, most substantial and most influential group of public relations professionals in the country. Located in the media capital of the world, PRSA-NY offers to its members top-level career development and education, networking, mentoring and award programs. PRSA-NY serves communications decision-makers at agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations and public and private institutions. For more information about PRSA-NY, please check the newly revamped website and join the mailing list at https://www.prsa-ny.org.
Media Contact:
Justine Mrsich, M.S., APR
Justine.mrsich@outlook.com