PRSA-NY Now Accepting Nominations for 2025 “15 Under 35” Awards

The Public Relations Society of America’s New York Chapter (PRSA-NY) is now accepting nominations for its annual 15 Under 35 Awards, honoring emerging leaders in the communications industry across the New York City metro area. Now in its 10th year, the program highlights professionals under the age of 35 who have demonstrated early leadership, integrity, and commitment to the future of public relations.

Submissions will be accepted through July 6. Winners will be recognized at the 2025 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards, scheduled for September 18 at Sony Hall. The awards program, themed Elevate & Evolve: Honoring PR Excellence in a Changing Landscape, will showcase those rising to meet the demands of an evolving media and technology environment.

Nominees do not need to be members of PRSA or PRSA-NY but should demonstrate service to the communications profession and their communities. Criteria include a commitment to continuing education, thought leadership, adoption of new technologies, and contributions to industry advancement.

“So much of the ingenuity driving positive change in our industry stems from its newest entrants,” said Jade Faugno-Maria, Senior Vice President at Dukas Linden Public Relations and Senior Director of the 15 Under 35 Awards. Faugno-Maria was named to the 15 Under 35 list in 2018. “We look forward to highlighting the achievements of young professionals who are already making their mark on the industry and watching them shape it for years to come.”

New for 2025 is the PRophet Emerging Communications Engineer Award, which will be presented to one honoree who demonstrates exceptional use of artificial intelligence in improving brand performance. The award aims to spotlight data-driven, AI-literate communicators who are advancing the industry through analytics, predictive technology, and innovation.

“As AI re-casts the DNA of our economy, our industry and our roles, future leaders need to adapt to new skills and adopt new technologies,” said Aaron Kwittken, CEO and Founder of PRophet and a past president of PRSA-NY. “This addition to the 15 Under 35 Awards will recognize a bold, innovative and inventive young professional who is actively championing and deploying data and AI solutions to improve performance—from stakeholder engagement to media intelligence and analytics.”

The 15 Under 35 Awards are exclusively sponsored by PRophet, an AI-powered software suite for public relations and marketing professionals. The broader Big Apple Awards program is supported by 360PR+, Burson, Edelman, Gregory FCA, Hill & Knowlton, Hunter, Notified, PRMuseum, The Stevens Group, and PRophet.

In a recent interview with CommPRO, PRSA-NY President Ken Kerrigan emphasized the importance of supporting young professionals. “There’s only so much you can learn about this profession in a textbook or a classroom,” he said. “Real learning comes from hands-on experience and peer-to-peer learning development. You can’t get that anywhere else, especially in the early part of your career.”