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What are the main PR awards categories in the UK?
UK PR awards categories include Public Affairs Campaign of the Year, Internal Communications Team of the Year and Agency of the Year, run by CIPR and PRCA.
What to take away
- Most UK PR awards come from two bodies: the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).
- Named categories include Public Affairs Campaign of the Year, Internal Communications Team of the Year and Crisis Communications Campaign of the Year.
- Other common categories are Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year, In-house Team of the Year and Agency of the Year.
- The CIPR divides much of its work by region and practice area, while the PRCA runs trade-wide awards plus regional DARE rounds.
- Check the entry criteria and the advertising codes before you describe campaign results in a submission.
How UK PR awards are organised
Awards in this sector are run by professional bodies rather than by broadcasters or magazines. The CIPR is a chartered institute for practitioners. The PRCA is a trade association representing agencies and in-house teams. Each runs a flagship national programme alongside smaller schemes.
Public relations covers media relations, public affairs, internal communication and crisis work. UK schemes therefore build categories around those practice areas rather than around a single campaign of the year. A published definition of public relations is a useful starting point before you compare schemes.
Awards also sit inside normal business life here. Directories of business and industry awards list hundreds of schemes across sectors and regions, which is why category names rarely match across two bodies.
The main CIPR and PRCA category strands
Both bodies refresh categories between cycles, so treat any list as a guide. The pattern below covers strands that have appeared consistently in recent years.
| Feature | CIPR schemes | PRCA schemes |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | A chartered professional institute | A trade association |
| Flagship national programme | CIPR Excellence Awards | PRCA Awards |
| Regional strand | Group and regional awards, including PRide | DARE Awards rounds |
| Campaign categories | Public Affairs Campaign of the Year, Internal Communications Campaign of the Year | Public Affairs Campaign of the Year, Crisis Communications Campaign of the Year |
| People categories | In-house Team of the Year, Rising Star | In-house Team of the Year, Agency of the Year |
| Entry rules | Check the current entry pack | Check the current entry pack |
The regional strands are where smaller firms often find the best odds, but the answer to which are the best PR awards for small UK agencies depends on headcount as much as postcode.
Named categories to look for
These are specific categories that appear in current or recent entry packs.
Public Affairs Campaign of the Year judges lobbying, policy and stakeholder work. It suits in-house public affairs teams and consultancies with a clear policy outcome.
Internal Communications Team of the Year recognises an in-house team, not a single campaign. It suits teams that can show employee engagement results across a year.
Crisis Communications Campaign of the Year covers reactive work under pressure. It suits agencies and in-house teams that can evidence a measured response and recovery.
Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year is for charities and social enterprises. It suits small budgets with measurable behaviour change.
In-house Team of the Year and Agency of the Year are size-banded in some schemes. Check headcount thresholds before you pay. A ten-person agency may face similar firms, not network giants.
Rising Star and Best Use of Data and Insight reward individuals and measurement practice.
How to match your work to a category
- Read the entry criteria and the judging criteria before you write a single word.
- Choose the category that matches your strongest evidence, not the one with the shortest form.
- Confirm eligibility rules on headcount, trading name and accounting period.
- Build the submission around results you can date and evidence.
- Diarise the deadlines, using a UK communications awards deadlines calendar to plan the year.
Judges score what the criteria ask for. A campaign entered into a discipline category will be read differently from the same campaign entered as a sector story.
What to check before you pay
Entries are submissions with commercial claims attached. If your entry describes advertising or social campaign results, the CAP Code governs how those claims may be made, and the ASA publishes the advertising codes in full.
Check who signs off the entry inside your organisation. Agency and client often need to agree the facts, and a late disagreement is the most common reason an entry is pulled.
Common questions
Do the CIPR and PRCA use the same categories?
Not exactly. Both cover campaigns, disciplines and people. The CIPR leans on regional and practice-area strands, while the PRCA leans on national awards and regional DARE rounds. Always read the current entry pack.
Can a small agency win a national UK PR award?
Yes, and the size-banded categories exist for that reason. A ten-person agency is usually judged against similar firms rather than against network giants.
How much does a UK PR award entry cost?
Fees vary by scheme, category and entry date, so check the current entry pack for the scheme you want. Most bodies publish standard and early-bird rates before entries open.
Are international PR awards relevant to UK entrants?
They can be, particularly for campaigns with a global footprint. Their categories are usually grouped by market or region, which is a different structure from the UK schemes.
