PRSA-NY Rolls Out Future-Ready Categories for the 2025 Big Apple Awards
Photo credit: Joe Vericker/PhotoBureau
The PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards are charting a bold new course for 2025 with a comprehensive lineup of categories that reflect the evolving priorities and challenges of the communications industry. Open to campaigns executed between January 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025, this year’s awards recognize strategic excellence, cultural relevance, and innovation across a wide spectrum of disciplines.
At the core of the awards is a deeper emphasis on reputation and brand management. Whether responding to a crisis or proactively building brand equity, the categories in this group underscore the strategic value of public relations in shaping perception across business, government, and nonprofit sectors. Integrated communications continues to take center stage, with entries expected to demonstrate how organizations are blending earned, owned, and paid media to reach target audiences with impact.
Events remain powerful tools in the PR arsenal, and the Events & Observances category is back to celebrate campaigns that use stunts, commemorations, and activations to create memorable audience experiences.
The 2025 program doubles down on cause-driven communications. The Public Service and Public Affairs categories focus on campaigns that drive societal understanding, legislative impact, or civic engagement—from health equity to grassroots advocacy. These categories reward public relations efforts that create change, not just attention.
Consumer marketing is also evolving, and the awards reflect this transformation. Campaigns promoting products and services are now evaluated through verticals like healthcare, technology, fashion, food, and finance. The awards also acknowledge the growing importance of personalities and platforms in shaping consumer trust with the Best Use of Spokesperson/Influencer and Owned Social Media categories.
B2B communications is getting the recognition it deserves with dedicated space for marketing to business audiences, internal communications, investor relations, and crisis management. Whether it’s launching a product, managing an emergency, or cultivating employee culture, these categories emphasize PR’s central role in enterprise value and resilience.
This year also brings greater attention to audience-specific storytelling. Targeted Marketing categories now include Generational, Gender & Identity, and Multicultural PR, recognizing campaigns that resonate deeply with specific communities.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are no longer trends—they’re table stakes. The DEI+B category honors campaigns built around inclusive narratives, while the new Mental Health & Wellness category highlights the importance of addressing emotional well-being through communications. The Ally Award stands apart, recognizing individuals using their influence to uplift marginalized voices.
The awards also showcase how companies are giving back through the Corporate Social Responsibility category, encouraging programs that benefit charities, the environment, or underserved communities.
Innovation is at the forefront in media relations and content marketing. From video to blogs to livestreams, the awards now include Executive Social Media, Experiential Marketing, and Podcasts, as well as the cutting-edge Innovation Through AI category, which demands transparency about how artificial intelligence is used within communications strategy.
Finally, the 2025 Big Apple Awards will once again recognize the Best In-House Team, showcasing PR departments that deliver results while fostering diversity and collaboration. And in an era where talent development matters more than ever, the Best Education Program category will honor academic and professional programs preparing the next generation of communicators.
As covered extensively on CommPRO, these awards aren’t just trophies—they’re signals of who’s leading the profession forward. From industry giants to breakthrough agencies and in-house teams, the Big Apple Awards are the stage where New York PR proves its global influence.
Entries for the 2025 awards are now open. The bar is high. The opportunity is higher.
