BELL RINGER AWARDS

2026 BELL RINGER AWARD CATEGORIES

The PR Club has restructured and expanded the Bell Ringer Awards categories open for submission in 2026 – recognizing the challenging and evolving nature of the communications field, and how practitioners drive critical impact towards their organizations’ and partners’/clients’ growth and success. 

A full list of categories for the Bell Ringer Awards follows below, with all new categories highlighted with an asterisk*. Please read carefully for all the insights into what’s changed!

There are two key distinctions for professional submissions:

  • Single Item Division: A single item entry may be a stand-alone item of a multi-faceted program. Individual items submitted as part of a campaign are also eligible in the single-item division.

  • Campaign Division: A campaign is characterized by a broad range of separate – though related and consistent – elements implemented during a period of time. Individual elements of a campaign may be entered separately in the single-item division. Campaigns awarded a Gold Bell award are eligible for the Super Bell Best-In-Show award presented at the end of our in-person awards ceremony. 

Student Work Division: For the first time ever, The PR Club is excited to announce a separate division for Student Work, with four categories that will recognize excellence in student work completed as a part of existing collegiate coursework or within on-campus student-run agencies. Work completed by students or recent graduates as a component of an agency or in-house internship or co-op will not be eligible for recognition in student work categories, and should be nominated by the lead organization if interested in highlighting.

Please Note: Many categories request the submission of video files, graphics and/or visuals to supplement PDF submissions. Any materials submitted may be included in the online Winner’s Showcase, and may be selected to be featured on-screen and/or in a video during the ceremony presentation. Submitted materials become the property of the PR Club.

In addition, the Bell Ringer Professional Awards offer opportunities to recognize entry-level, mid-level, and veteran practitioners. These are free to enter for PR Club members, with a deadline of April 17, 2026.

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR SUBMISSION

Single Item Division Categories

Content Marketing

  • Digital or Printed Collateral/Content: Any digital or printed material (annual report, brochure, direct mail, infographic, newsletter, etc.) written or produced by communications or PR practitioners that promotes or distinguishes a product, service, organization, agency, cause, or event. 

  • *Video or Video Series: Submissions should include digital videos created for informational, educational or entertainment-oriented purposes, or for brand storytelling narratives for videos published on paid, owned or shared channels. Please submit video files with a resolution of at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • *Owned Podcast: Submissions should include podcast creation, production, and overall marketing for owned podcast initiatives, either for an agency or organization’s own thought leadership or on behalf of a client/partner. For earned podcast placements, please see the Media Placements subdivision. Note: Please include a written transcript of the podcast episode as a .pdf file within or alongside submission.  

  • *Blog or Blog Series: Submissions should feature blogs or a series of blogs drafted either for an agency or organization’s own thought leadership, or on behalf of a client/partner. Be sure to focus your submission not solely on the content, but also on the outcomes and impact that stem from the blog or series. 

  • *Data, Survey or Report: Submissions should highlight data from original research, surveys, platform information or other sources turned into an asset amplified across marketing channels. This category will focus solely on the collateral designed report or blog sharing the data and its ability to amplify storytelling – with other campaigns categories more appropriate for recognizing the impact of data.

  • News Announcement: Submissions should highlight any thought leadership initiative (press release, media alert, other announcement format) that helped promote a big news announcement for a client or initiative. Focus submissions on what’s unique about your announcement strategy or approach in addition to how the alert enabled earned success

  • Diversity Initiatives: Submissions should highlight any internal or external effort designed to raise awareness of and/or increase diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace, local community, or within an industry.  

Social Media Platform Excellence

  • LinkedIn: How the brand/agency tapped into the unique aspects of LinkedIn to help it achieve its communication objectives, from awareness to engagement, and action to advocacy. Please highlight your strategy in pursuing audiences on this platform and how your work is driving outcomes. 
  • X: How the brand/agency tapped into the unique aspects of X (formerly Twitter) to help it achieve its communication objectives, from awareness to engagement, and action to advocacy. Please highlight your strategy in pursuing audiences on this platform and how your work is driving outcomes. 
  • Facebook: How the brand/agency tapped into the unique aspects of Facebook to help it achieve its communication objectives, from awareness to engagement, and action to advocacy. Please highlight your strategy in pursuing audiences on this platform and how your work is driving outcomes. 
  • Instagram: How the brand/agency tapped into the unique aspects of Instagram to help it achieve its communication objectives, from awareness to engagement, and action to advocacy. Please highlight your strategy in pursuing audiences on this platform and how your work is driving outcomes. 
  • TikTok: How the brand/agency tapped into the unique aspects of TikTok to help it achieve its communication objectives, from awareness to engagement, and action to advocacy. Please highlight your strategy in pursuing audiences on this platform and how your work is driving outcomes. 
  • *Emerging Platforms: How the brand/agency tapped into the unique aspects of any other emerging social media platform (Threads, Shorts, etc) to help it achieve its communication objectives, from awareness to engagement, and action to advocacy. Please highlight your strategy in pursuing audiences on this platform and how your work on the emerging platform is driving outcomes.

Events

  • *Media Event: Media events are built around in-person or digital/virtual interactions between your client or your company/organization and the press (including traditional media, bloggers, and influencers). May include press conferences, media tours and blogger/influencer events. Entries should exhibit creativity in planning and execution of the event, as well as information about how you drew the media to it and engaged them at the event. Include video and photos (high resolution: 300dpi), screenshots, or other materials that illustrate your event. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.
  • One-Time Special Event: A special event (digital/virtual or in-person) to draw public attention or decision maker focus to an organization, agency, product, or service. Include video and other materials that illustrate your event, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.
  • Special Event Series: A series of special events (digital/virtual or in-person) to draw public attention or decision maker focus to an organization, agency, product, or service. Include video and other materials that illustrate your events, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

Earned Media Placements

  • Written Media Placement – National/International: News mention or feature story in a text-based format, placed in a print or digital publication that has a national or international reach. Judged on placement skills and achievement of stated objectives. Upload article as a .pdf file alongside submission. 
  • Written Media Placement – Regional/Local: News mention or feature story in a text-based format, placed in a print or digital publication that has a regional or local focus. Judged on placement skills and achievement of stated objectives. Upload article as a .pdf file alongside submission. 
  • Broadcast Media Placement – National/International: News mention or feature story in a video or spoken format, produced by a national/international station or network staff and intended for broadcast or radio distribution. Judged on placement skills and implementation of objectives. Note: Upload as .mp4, .mov or .mpeg files alongside submission. Please include a text transcript of the segment as a .pdf file within or alongside submission. Submission does not require the inclusion of VNR or B-roll footage.
  • Broadcast Media Placement – Regional/Local: News mention or feature story in a video or spoken format, produced by a local/regional station or network staff and intended for broadcast or radio distribution. Judged on placement skills and implementation of objectives. Note: Upload as .mp4, .mov or .mpeg files alongside submission. Please include a text transcript of the segment as a .pdf file within or alongside submission. Note: Submission does not require the inclusion of VNR or B-roll footage. 
  • *Non-Broadcast Video Interview Placement: News mention or feature story in a video or spoken format, produced by a digital media outlet produced by a non-broadcast media outlet, intended primarily for digital distribution and amplification. Judged on placement skills and implementation of objectives. Note: Upload as .mp4, .mov or .mpeg files. Please include a text transcript of the segment as a .pdf file within or alongside submission. For on-video podcast interviews, see “Earned Podcast” in this Single Item subdivision.
  • *Earned Podcast Placement:  News mention within or or feature episode of a digital podcast (spoken, video or both) published by a media outlet of any size or scope highlighting an agency or client executive or expert, or newsworthy announcement. Note: Upload as .mp4, .mov or .mpeg files in addition to a link to the live podcast. Please include a text transcript of the segment as a .pdf file within or alongside submission. 
  • Vertical/Trade Placement: News mention or feature story secured in a print or digital vertical industry or trade (i.e. healthcare, higher education, finance, cybersecurity, automotive) media publication. Judged on placement skills and achievement of stated objectives.
  • Byline/OpEd Article: An article written or ghostwritten by a communications or PR professional and placed in an external publication for an organization, agency, or client. Judged on writing and placement skills, or an earned placement of an opinion piece designed to persuade and/or change thinking or perceptions. The focus of this entry is in the power of the piece to persuade, educate or enable audiences using language, arguments, and compelling stats, as well as the outlet’s fit in reaching the target audience. Include any data that shows changes in perceptions, behavior, and/or opinions.
  • Response to Breaking News/Newsjacking – Demonstrate how your response to a breaking news situation, story, or event generated increased media coverage for a client, organization, or agency. How did you leverage the breaking news situation in an appropriate manner to generate attention?

CAMPAIGN DIVISION Categories

There are four subdivisions within Campaigns entries, focused on specific industries, working with influencers, excellence in specific types of communication, and innovation addressing unique challenges reflected in the current marketing landscape. Individual categories in each subdivision are outlined below.

Industry Campaigns

  • Hospitality, Tourism, Travel or Entertainment: A publicity campaign created to generate awareness and maintain favorable interest in a hospitality, tourism, travel or entertainment service, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.
  • High-Tech: A publicity campaign created to generate awareness and maintain favorable interest in a high-tech product or service, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. Clean energy or green technology campaigns are also included in this category. Avoid jargon where possible, and provide lay explanations as necessary for unavoidable instances. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.
  • Healthcare: A publicity campaign created specifically for the healthcare/consumer market to support the sale/promotion of a cause, product, treatment, device, diagnostic and/or service, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. Avoid jargon where possible, and provide lay explanations as necessary for unavoidable instances. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.
  • Non-Profit or Educational Institution: A publicity campaign created specifically to generate media and/or donor attention and visibility among target audiences for a non-profit  or educational organization, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.
  • Government/Public Affairs: A publicity campaign designed to create public awareness or to persuade people to act on an issue relating to political, governmental, environmental or socioeconomic conditions and/or policies, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

Influencer Campaigns

  • Ambassador / Unpaid Influencer: A program developed to leverage the authority and third-party endorsement of at least 10 ambassadors or influencers without exchanging monetary payment for content. The program would target a specific demographic or audience, and generate comparable results to a program developed with paid influencers or other media. Content secured must be earned, and should achieve the stated objectives. Please include why you decided to activate ambassadors as part of your strategy and how it was effective. Please also include what was offered to the ambassadors (e.g., product, access to a service, etc.).
  • Micro/Nano Influencer: A program developed to leverage the authority and sway of micro influencers, who have fewer than 75K fans (in total) across their social media platforms (blog UVM included). This program would target a specific demographic or audience and would generate results (perhaps better results) than a program developed with “traditional” influencers or other media. Content secured can include paid and/or earned media, and should achieve the stated objectives. Please include why you decided to utilize micro/nano influencers as part of your strategy and how it was effective. Please also include what was offered to the influencer(s) (e.g., product, payment, etc.).  
  • Mega/Celebrity Influencer: A program developed to leverage the reach, influence, and authority of highly influential third-party sites and personalities that are not media companies, such as bloggers, social media influencers, YouTube stars, etc. These influencers have at least 75K fans in total across their social media platforms (blog UVM included). Content secured can include paid and/or earned media and should achieve the stated objectives. Please also include what was offered to the influencer(s) (e.g., product, payment, etc.).
  • Integrated Influencer: A program developed to leverage the reach, influence, and authority of a variety of influencers, including mega, micro, nano and ambassador/unpaid. This program uses a variety of creators to reach a specific demographic or audience. Content secured can include paid and/or earned media and should achieve the stated objectives. Please include why you decided to activate ambassadors as part of your strategy, a breakdown of strategy in creating a mix across influencer levels and how it was effective. Please also include what was offered to the ambassadors (e.g., product, access to a service, etc.).

Communications Campaigns

  • PR Business-to-Consumer (B2C): A publicity campaign developed to create awareness and maintain favorable interest in a consumer-facing product or service, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • PR Business-to-Business (B2B): A publicity campaign created to generate awareness and maintain favorable interest in a product or service, specifically through media outreach, events (including virtual), and social media. This category includes professional services and other business-to-business campaigns. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • Social Media Business-to-Consumer (B2C): A campaign created to leverage emerging and existing social media (i.e., Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) to engage with consumer target audience(s) while achieving stated objectives. This submission should show how the campaign was creative and unique. Include measurable results attained. This can and likely will include the use of sponsored content and/or paid distribution / optimization. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • Social Media Business-to-Business (B2B): A campaign created to leverage emerging and social media (i.e., LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) and engage with target business decision maker audience(s) while achieving stated objectives. This submission should show how the campaign was creative and unique. Include measurable results attained. This can and likely will include the use of sponsored content and/or paid distribution / optimization. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • Integrated Marketing Communications: A campaign that used paid, earned, shared and owned media channels in an integrated way to increase public awareness. Submissions are encouraged to exemplify excellence across all four channels, and submissions must demonstrate how an integrated media strategy garnered greater collective reach/impact than could have been achieved using individual channels. Include video and other materials that illustrate your campaign, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), graphics, and screenshots. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • Content Marketing: A campaign that relies primarily on owned media to accomplish stated objectives. The campaign may also include all or some mix of paid, earned, owned, and shared media, and should detail the strategy behind the original content creation. This campaign may also include initiatives designed to increase SEO, and can include strategic brand/media partnerships. Include screenshots or URLs and metrics on traffic and leads generated.

  • Brand Building or Re-Branding: An initiative to develop or enhance a brand, rooted in strategy, that ushers in a new vision and carries it through across all marketing/PR channels and touchpoints. Explain how PR counsel played a central role in the strategy development, messaging, and roll out of the new brand. Demonstrate how the execution met the campaign’s stated objectives. Include video and other materials that illustrate your brand building or re-branding, such as logos, photos (high resolution: 300dpi), screenshots, and graphics. Video resolution should be at least 720p; file extension (container/type) should be .mp4, and codec: h.264 video.

  • Executive Thought Leadership: A campaign developed to increase or enhance an executive’s position within the industry. This should be a coordinated effort that utilizes different forms of media to generate greater collective reach/impact than a single bylined article or op-ed could achieve. Please include samples of the content utilized for the campaign and where/how it was used.  

  • Crisis Communications: A program that mitigated a potentially damaging situation, or communicated with stakeholders and/or the public during or after a disaster or emergency. We will make every effort to keep the information confidential.

  • Investor/Financial Relations: A program developed to explain an organization’s fiscal profile and promote favorable relations with stockholders, financial analysts, local business community and/or the general public.

  • Internal Communications / Corporate Culture: An internal program developed to improve and enhance employee relations.

  • Corporate Social Responsibility: An initiative designed to assess and take responsibility for a company’s effects on environmental and social wellbeing. Demonstrate how and/or what the brand improved, and drove awareness of an issue.

Innovation Campaigns 

  • On a Shoestring: A campaign with a modest budget – one that does NOT exceed $10K – that still manages to make a big splash and generate impressive results with the use of social and organic outreach, potentially including unpaid influencers. Please include what your campaign budget was. We will NOT make that information public but need it for judging purposes.
  • *Pro Bono/Agency Citizenship: Any agency campaign executing pro-bono work, volunteerism or philanthropic programs designed to strengthen the relationship of an agency with the wider community. 
  • Agency Marketing: A campaign designed to help an agency raise its profile, thought leadership, recruitment and/or overall business development efforts. Explain how the campaign elevated the brand message of the agency and helped it achieve its objectives. This may include leveraging paid, earned, shared, and owned tactics as part of the overall campaign. 
  • Superior Achievement in Research, Data, Analytics & Planning: Conducting original research and using modern data and analytics should be the crux of submissions for this category. Explain how your PR campaign used formal planning techniques and research to develop strategy and execute a successful campaign.
  • *Superior Achievement in SEO or GEO/AIEO Implementation: A strategic approach to implementing SEO and/or GEO/AIEO best practices and learnings within PR planning and execution should be the crux of submissions for this category. Explain how your PR campaign used these tactics to develop strategy and execute a successful campaign, including your approach to measuring improvement where possible.
  • *Superior Achievement in Strategic Amplification of Earned Media: A strategic approach to leveraging earned media placements in broader marketing, communications, sales, executive social media thought leadership and other creative approaches to amplification should be the crux of submissions for this category. Explain how your PR campaign results strategically enabled new opportunities and tangibly changed business outcomes as a reflection of PR strategy.

Student Work Division Categories

The following  four comprehensive categories represent recognition of student work either in collegiate coursework or in support of clients at a student-run agency. 

Work completed by students or recent graduates as a component of an agency or in-house internship or co-op will not be eligible for recognition in student work categories, and should be nominated by the lead organization if interested in highlighting.

  • *Student Written Asset: This text-based single-item submission (pitch and resulting earned coverage, blog post, press release, newsletter, social media post/post series, etc.) and accompanying submission should strategically showcase the student’s(s’) strategic thinking regarding research, planning, strategy, execution and measurement, in addition to the knowledge used to produce the asset.
  • *Student Designed Asset:  This image-based single-item submission (infographic, brochure, other collateral, etc.) and accompanying submission should strategically showcase the student’s(s’) strategic thinking regarding research, planning, strategy, execution and measurement, in addition to technical skills required to produce a designed asset. Note: Upload as a .pdf file alongside submission.
  • *Student Multimedia Asset: This playable single-item submission (produced video, podcast, motion graphic, etc.) and accompanying submission should strategically showcase the student’s(s’) strategic thinking regarding research, planning, strategy, execution and measurement, in addition to technical skills required to produce a multimedia asset. Note: Upload as .mov or .mpeg files alongside submission. Please include a text transcript of any videos with spoken words as a .pdf file within or alongside submission.
  • *Student Campaign: This cumulative campaign should strategically showcase the student’s(s’) strategic thinking regarding research, planning, strategy, execution and measurement across tactical implementations, demonstrating tangible or theoretical impact toward the goal outcomes of the client organization.