On June 4, 2026, the PR Club returned to the Museum of Science to celebrate the 58th Annual Bell Ringer Awards and bring together more than 150 communications and public relations professionals from across New England. If you missed out, here’s a recap of the night and this year’s winners.
With a rare sunny day in Boston for this spring, the festivities began with a networking reception featuring cocktails, conversations and plenty of delicious hors d’oeuvres (the mini steak frites served on potato chips were a crowd favorite).
As guests made their way downstairs for the awards ceremony, host Edgar B. Herwick III of GBH News’ The Culture Show and The Curiosity Desk welcomed the crowd and shared his thoughts about the evolving media landscape, including the challenge of securing earned media coverage at a time when reporters’ inboxes are more crowded than ever.
Through our annual 50/50 raffle, we raised over $1,300 for GBH, showing strong support for public media and local journalism.
Award Winners
Once the awards began, a few themes emerged. Apparently, 2025 was a banner year for Revolutionary War communications and underwear campaigns.
Among the standout winners were Duffy & Shanley’s campaigns “How an Iconic Australian Underwear Brand Launches in the U.S.” for Bonds, featuring Robert Irwin, and “Redefining a 125-Year-Old Apparel Leader” for Hanes. On the historical side, John Guilfoil Public Relations earned multiple recognitions for “Lex250: Sharing the 250th Anniversary of the ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ with… the World” and “Arlington250: Actor Kurt Russell Comes Face to Face with His Revolutionary Ancestors.”
When the final tallies were in, Duffy & Shanley led the evening with 16 awards, including five Gold Bells. John Guilfoil Public Relations followed with 12 awards and two Gold Bells, and 360PR+ earned eight awards overall, including five Gold Bells.
The presentation included showcases highlighting the seven Platinum Super Bell finalist campaigns before the evening’s top honor was revealed. The Super Bell Award went to 360PR+ for “From Food Brand to Community Builder: Bob’s Red Mill’s ‘Moregetherness’ Campaign,” which leveraged HGTV’s Erin and Ben Napier and a team of Neighborhood Leaders to reach new audiences and inspire community connections.
Career and Student Awards
The evening also celebrated individual achievement across all career stages. The Striker Award, recognizing an outstanding early-career communications professional, was presented to Aidan Poole of Walker Sands.
The Ringer Award, honoring a mid-career professional whose work has made a significant impact on their organization, colleagues and the broader PR community, went to Sam Powers of Walker Sands.
The Bell Ringer Awards included a new division for student work, showcasing local communications programs. Two Merit Awards were presented to Simmons University students: Nevaeh Berenato for “Concert Review: Maruja Protests with Punk at the Sinclair” and Studio 5, in partnership with Smile Brookline, for “Elevating Pediatric Airway Health Awareness & Expertise.”
The Carillonneur Award for Best Team Culture was presented to Randstad Digital | powered by Torc for their commitment to employee growth, collaboration and culture. You know you’ve built a strong workplace culture when employees are enthusiastic enough to tattoo the company logo on their bodies.
One of the night’s most heartfelt moments came during the presentation of the John J. Molloy Crystal Bell Lifetime Achievement Award. Jessica Ann Morris delivered an emotional tribute to Kathy Wilson, recognizing her remarkable career spanning leadership roles at various Boston agencies, co-founding Tier One Partners, and her decades of mentorship, volunteer service, and dedication to the PR Club and the broader PR community.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
After the awards were handed out, the celebration continued as winners gathered for team photos, congratulated colleagues and lingered for one last round of conversations before heading home.
We want to offer a special thanks to our sponsors: Researchscape, Spyglasses, AF Media, Boston University College of Communication, Reportable, David Fox Photography, John Guilfoil Public Relations, and JTC Printing. We couldn’t do this without your support.
We are also proud of PR Club intern Samantha Flynn, who kept the energy flowing throughout the evening, interviewing attendees and capturing live content for social media.
Thank you to all of our PR Club members and volunteers who helped make this year’s Bell Ringer Awards such a memorable evening. Can’t wait to see you next year!
This blog was written by Tayler Vranicar, PR Club Board Member