Key Facts: 

  • PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards honored 30 PR agencies, corporations, and non-profits
  • 63 Big Apples were awarded this year, with 45 wins and 18 honorable mentions
  • Coyne PR, MikeWorldwide, HUNTER and Bospar led the field across campaign categories
  • Bospar was the most-awarded winner, with 5 outright wins, while CoynePR was the most-recognized organization overall, with 4 wins and 3 honorable mentions

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 40th 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

  • WINNER: Content OS, Notified

BEST EDUCATION PROGRAM

SUBCATEGORY: General

  • WINNER: Amplifying Youth-Led Journalism: Emerging Storytellers Illuminate Addiction and Recovery Across Minnesota, Padilla

BEST USE OF OWNED SOCIAL MEDIA

SUBCATEGORY: Consumer

  • WINNER: Travelers Championship: Elevating New England’s PGA TOUR Event Through Social-First Storytelling, MikeWorldWide
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Hot Seats for Dove, Edelman

BEST USE OF SPOKESPERSON/INFLUENCER

SUBCATEGORY: Associations or Nonprofit

  • WINNER: Corporate Natalie and Aruba Make VTO the New PTO, Zeno Group

SUBCATEGORY: Business

  • WINNER: From Ambassador to Architect: How Serena Williams Made Reckitt Catalyst Impossible to Ignore, HAVAS Red and Reckitt
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Humana Game Changers: The Next Chapter, Coyne PR

SUBCATEGORY: Consumer

  • WINNER: From the Makers of Dramamine, Advanced Herbals® Ginger Chews Gives Travelers a ‘Chew Over’, 360PR+
  • WINNER: Travelers Championship: Elevating New England’s PGA TOUR Event Through Social-First Storytelling, MikeWorldWide
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Gut Health in Motion with IBgard and Katie Austin, Carmichael Lynch Relate
  • HONORABLE MENTION: CeraVe Taps Jake Shane to Skin-terrogate Derms at AAD, Coyne PR

BEST USE OF VIDEO IN A CAMPAIGN

SUBCATEGORY: Broadcast

  • WINNER: A Patient’s Journey with Pain Management, Coyne PR

SUBCATEGORY: Social

  • WINNER: Lysol Here For Healthy Schools: SOMO (Sick of Missing Out), HUNTER

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less

  • WINNER: Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project, Coyne PR

SUBCATEGORY: Nonprofit Organization

  • WINNER: Here’s What We Know, Weill Cornell Medicine

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS & ISSUE MANAGEMENT

SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business

  • WINNER: Seeing RealSense, Bospar

SUBCATEGORY: Government, Associations and Nonprofits

  • WINNER: The Trevor Project’s Emergency Lifeline Campaign for LGBTQ+ Youth, The Trevor Project
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Common Cause, The TASC Group

SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less

  • WINNER: Seeing RealSense, Bospar
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Common Cause, The TASC Group

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING

SUBCATEGORY: The Ally Award

  • WINNER: The Trevor Project: Zach Eisenstein, Director of Communications & Public Engagement, The Trevor Project

EVENTS & OBSERVANCES

SUBCATEGORY: Consumer

  • WINNER: Bringing ALE-ves home for the holidays with Breckenridge Brewery – Diffusion x Breckenridge Brewery, Diffusion PR
  • WINNER: The Littlest Float: How Goldfish Turned the Smallest Float into a National Media Moment, Zeno Group
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Premier Protein x Milk Bar Protein-Packed Sweet Treat Menu, HUNTER

EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS

SUBCATEGORY: Consumer Products & Services

  • WINNER: Zito Partners/Thornburg Investment Management ETF Launch Campaign, Zito Partners

SUBCATEGORY: Budgets Over $200K

  • WINNER: Weber Advisory supports BMO’s Real Financial Progress Index, Weber Shandwick

SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business

  • WINNER: The Smart Response: How Smarty Owned the Tariff Moment, Bospar

EXCELLENCE IN FINTECH COMMUNICATIONS

SUBCATEGORY: Fintech

  • WINNER: Differentiating DP’s Human-Guided Approach to Technology Solutions, Aspectus Group

EXCELLENCE UTILIZING AI IN A COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN

SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business

  • WINNER: When AI Said You’re Dead: Building the Industry’s First GEO Auditing Framework, Bospar

SUBCATEGORY: Budgets Greater Than $200K

  • WINNER: Expertise at Scale: How One Practitioner Used AI to Build Category Authority in Private Equity, ToltIQ

GENERATIONAL TARGETED MARKETING

SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns $200K or Less

  • WINNER: Bridging the Gap: Creating a Data-Driven Narrative on the Succession Crisis for Financial Advisors, Kestra Financial and Bluespring Wealth, with Vested

SUBCATEGORY: General Entries

  • WINNER: Regeneron Urges Men 65+ to Get Real About Skin Cancer, GCI HEALTH

INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS

SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets Greater Than $200,000

  • WINNER: Sea-to-Table Restaurant Week 2025, Padilla
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Expertise at Scale: How One Practitioner Used AI to Build Category Authority in Private Equity, ToltIQ

SUBCATEGORY: Business-to-Business

  • WINNER: The Future of Audit. Now. Telling EY Assurance’s transformation story, M Booth

SUBCATEGORY: Consumer Products & Services

  • WINNER: Sip Into The White Lotus, HUNTER
  • WINNER: Celebrating the Wins with Dairy Queen, MikeWorldWide
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Drivers with Drive: How Pennzoil Turned a Shared Performance Mindset into Cultural Relevance and Retail Results, Coyne PR

SUBCATEGORY: Government, Associations & Nonprofits

  • WINNER: Aruba Redefines Tourism, Responsibly, Zeno Group
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Sea-to-Table Restaurant Week 2025, Padilla

MARKETING BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS

SUBCATEGORY: Budgets of $200,000 or Less

  • WINNER: Expertise at Scale: How One Practitioner Used AI to Build Category Authority in Private Equity, ToltIQ

SUBCATEGORY: Professional Services

  • WINNER: Elevating the Workforce Through Thought Leadership – Phaidon International x Diffusion, Diffusion PR
  • WINNER: The Future of Audit. Now. Telling EY Assurance’s transformation story, M Booth

MARKETING CONSUMER PRODUCTS & SERVICES

SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less

  • WINNER: Sound the Alarm: How Edible Turned a TV Moment Into Cultural Buzz, Coyne PR
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Peppercomm x Sharp at KBIS, Peppercomm & Sharp

SUBCATEGORY: Food & Beverage

  • WINNER: From Food Brand to Community Builder: Bob’s Red Mill’s “Moregetherness” Campaign, 360PR+
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Red Robin Bottomless Burger Pass, Carmichael Lynch Relate
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Celebrating the Wins with Dairy Queen, MikeWorldWide

SUBCATEGORY: Healthcare

  • WINNER: TUMS Makes Gameday Food Dreams a Reality with TUMS Fantasy Foodball Pool, Haleon
  • HONORABLE MENTION: A Patient’s AHP Journey in Motion, Alnylam

SUBCATEGORY: Packaged Goods

  • WINNER: “Breathapy”: TheraBreath & Jake Shane Turn an Awkward Conversation into Fresh Confidence, Coyne PR
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Elijah Craig Bourbon Captures Lightning in a (Different) Bottle, Three Cheers

SUBCATEGORY: Non-Packaged Goods

  • WINNER: Driving Trends in Pop Culture – Wattpad x Diffusion, Diffusion PR

SUBCATEGORY: Hospitality & Travel

  • WINNER: ReLAX and Unwind with Virgin Atlantic and Alan Cumming, 360PR+

MEDIA RELATIONS INNOVATIVE

SUBCATEGORY: Cross Platform

  • WINNER: Celebrating the Wins with Dairy Queen, MikeWorldWide
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Engineering Trust in a Terminator Market: How Fauna Robotics bottled lightning, The Bulleit Group

SUBCATEGORY: Online

  • WINNER: Lysol Laundry Sanitizer: “An Ode-r to Refs”, HUNTER

MENTAL HEALTH & AWARENESS

SUBCATEGORY: Nonprofit Organization

  • WINNER: Big Apple Award for Mental Health – Nonprofit Organization: OK Today, Global Gateway Advisors

REPUTATION/BRAND MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT

SUBCATEGORY: Campaigns with Budgets of $200,000 or Less

  • WINNER: Seeing RealSense, Bospar
  • HONORABLE MENTION: Reframing the Tariff Debate: Elevating Canned Seafood in the National Economic Conversation, HUNTER

SUBCATEGORY: Business

  • WINNER: Invested in America: Redefining Corporate Perception, U.S. Businesses of Philip Morris International
  • HONORABLE MENTION: The Future of Audit. Now. Telling EY Assurance’s transformation story, M Booth

WEBSITE, BLOG, NEWSLETTER OR MICROSITE

SUBCATEGORY: General

  • WINNER: Meredith & The Media Redefines the Modern Day Media Mix, Bridging Journalism & Communications, Meredith & The Media

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:

  • President’s Award: Sharon Moshavi, President of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and Co-CEO of the Plus Alliance.
  • Mentoring Award: Aaron Kwittken, Partner and Global Head of AI and Innovation at FGS Global.
  • PRSA-NY Lifetime Achievement Award: Ray Day, Vice Chair of Stagwell and Executive Chair of Allison Worldwide.
  • The Daniel J. Edelman Award for Social Impact (sponsored by Edelman): Rana Foroohar, Global Business Columnist and Associate Editor at the Financial Times and CNN Global Economic Analyst.
  • The Barbara Way Hunter Trailblazer Award (sponsored by HUNTER): Judy Smith, Founder and CEO of Smith & Company.
  • The Harold Burson Award (sponsored by Burson): Jano Cabrera, Chief Communications Officer of General Mills.

2026 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards 15 Under 35 Recipients:

  • Vishakha Mathur, SKDK
  • Chris Swenson, HUNTER
  • Fatou B. Barry, PR Girl Manifesto
  • Kelly Delgado, Burson
  • Emma Soto, Burson
  • Caroline Yodice, DBC
  • James Sussman, International Rescue Committee
  • Courtney Curtin, Edelman
  • Andrew Cook, Andrew Cook Public Relations
  • Nick DeChicchis, Linqia
  • Madeleine Hillyer, World Economic Forum
  • Kaitlin Nicholson, EGAMI Group
  • Aanchal Khurana, WPP Media
  • Maya Bronstein, M Booth
  • Vanessa Grimm, Reckitt

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 


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