BELL RINGER GUIDELINES
Bell Ringer Award entries are submitted completely online. Details about the awards program and instructions for uploading your electronic entry follow below. If you have questions about the entry process, please contact the PR Club at bells@prclub.org.
Eligibility
The Bell Ringer Awards are open to:
- All public relations, marketing, communications, and related professionals in the New England region
- Full-time undergraduate and graduate students at a New England college or university
- Professionals outside of this geographic area who handle communications assignments for entities within New England
Applications for individual entries and campaigns must be submitted by the agency, organization, or company that performed the work, regardless of current status of individual team members or client/agency relationships. For example, if an individual worked on a project during the eligibility period but no longer works with the agency, organization, or company, the individual cannot submit for the Bell Ringers. However, the agency, organization, or company may do so.
Entries must represent work completed, for the most part, between January 1, 2025 and February 1, 2026.
Each entry must be accompanied by payment through the PayPal link. You may submit payment via credit card online when you finalize your entry. Your entry will not be counted if you do not submit payment to PayPal.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
DEADLINES & PRICING
Deadlines
- Opening of the Bells: January 5, 2026
- Early Bird Deadline: Feb 1, 2026 prior to 11:59 p.m. ET
- Regular Deadline: March 8, 2026 prior to 11:59 p.m. ET
- Late Deadline: March 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET (A late fee of $150 per entry will apply for entries during this period)
- Professional awards deadline – April 17, 2026 prior to 6 p.m. ET.
CLICK HERE TO START YOUR SUBMISSION
Bell Ringer Pricing
- Early Bird Discount: $50 Off for PR Club Members Only
- Regular Entry: $250
- Member Entry: $200
- Student Entry: $50
Corporate Member Benefits
PR Club corporate members enjoy discounts on Bell Ringer entry(ies), depending upon the membership level (bronze, silver, or gold). If you have questions about your corporate membership or would like to sign up for a corporate membership, please email us at admin@prclub.org.
Online Entry Process
Please follow the instructions for your entry carefully, and be sure to visit the Entry Narrative Guidelines page for more details. There you will learn about the Entry Narrative format, as well as the additional required elements. Failure to follow instructions closely may result in disqualification.
START YOUR SUBMISSION(S) HERE
Categories
Award categories are broken down into single-item, campaign, and student work categories. Any or all campaign elements may be submitted in appropriate single-item categories, if applicable. Click here to see the Bell Ringer Award Categories.
Judging
The judges for the Bell Ringer Awards are distinguished members of the PR, marketing/communications, and media communities. Judges evaluate entries based on the planning, execution, and accomplishment of marketing and communication objectives, placing a high value on creativity and demonstrated results. To protect the integrity of the awards program, no judge reviews any category in which he/she or his/her agency or company has entered. All results are audited.
Disqualification
Entries failing to follow the guidelines and requirements outlined in the Call for Entries will be disqualified. Disqualified entrants will not receive notification or refunds.
Duplicates
Should two parties submit duplicate materials, whether in the same or different categories, only one entry will be accepted. Both parties will be notified and must respond within 24 hours as to which entry will stand. If no consensus is reached, both entries will be disqualified. While no content changes will be allowed, additional names may be added to the entry form to recognize the work of the other party.
Recognition
At the awards ceremony, each gold, silver and bronze winner will receive one engraved plaque along with certificates for up to six individuals who worked on the project. Merit award winners will receive up to six team certificates.
Please include accurate information about your team in the “credit section” of the online entry form. The PR Club will use the information you provide to create certificates for your team. It is YOUR responsibility as the entrant to ensure that the correct contributors receive credit and that their names, titles, and affiliations are accurate.
If you would like additional certificates or award plaques, they will be available for purchase after the awards ceremony.
Professional Awards
The Bell Ringer Awards also recognize individual excellence in communications through the Striker Awards (newcomer to the industry), Ringer Awards (mid-level practitioner), and John J. Molloy Crystal Bell Award (for lifetime achievement). Nominations for these awards are now open for submission, and free for PR Club members. Don’t miss this chance to recognize your talented colleagues! The deadline for these applications is Friday, April 17, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET.
SUBMIT PROFESSIONAL AWARDS HERE
Awards Ceremony
The 58th Bell Ringer Awards Ceremony will be on Thursday, June 4, 2026 at the Museum of Science in Boston.
The annual event will bring together PR, marketing and communications pros from across New England to connect and celebrate. The night will kick off with a happy hour-style networking dinner, followed by the awards ceremony with our host, to be revealed at a later date, who will help announce our winners from each of the Bell Ringer categories as well as our professional award winners.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about your entry, please contact bells@prclub.org.