The most prestigious PR & communications awards

The CommsCon Awards return for 2026 to recognise excellence, innovation and impact across Australia and New Zealand’s PR and communications industry. Communications professionals now sit at the heart of business leadership, tasked with navigating complexity, building trust, and shaping the narratives that define reputation and public confidence.

These prestigious awards now include new categories recognising this transformation. Best Use of Strategic Communications has been launched to recognise teams driving reputation, stakeholder influence and long-term corporate trust. Non-Traditional Campaign of the Year has been redefined to highlight communications thinking applied to behaviour change, customer experience and innovation.

Plus, this year the Emerging Talent award will be free to enter, reflecting Mumbrella’s commitment to supporting the next generation shaping the future of the profession.

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2026 AWARD CATEGORIES

CAMPAIGN CATEGORIES

Best Social Media or Digitally-Led Campaign
Best B2C Campaign
Best B2B Campaign
Best Campaign with a Small Budget
Best Use of Owned Media
Best PR-Led Content Creation
Best Internal Communications or Change Management Campaign
Launch or Relaunch Campaign of the Year
Best Government or Public Sector Campaign
Best PR-Led Brand Partnership
Corporate Social Responsibility or ESG Campaign
Pro Bono Campaign of the Year
Best Use of Research, Insights & Strategic Planning
Best Media Relations-Led Campaign
Best Use of the Creator Economy
NEW - Best Use of Strategic Communications
Non-Traditional Campaign of the Year

PEOPLE CATEGORIES

Emerging PR & Communications Talent of the Year
PR Professional of the Year
PR Leader of the Year

BUSINESS CATEGORIES

Best PR Employer
Best In-House PR Team
PR Agency of the Year - Boutique/Small (1-6 Staff)
PR Agency of the Year – Midsize (7-25 Staff)
PR Agency of the Year – Large (26+ Staff)
Strategic Communications Team of the Year - NEW

First entry submissions are due 5 December 2025.

ENTRY GUIDELINES

START YOUR ENTRIES

MEET THE 2026 JURY

Laura Beament

Head of Global Comms, PR & CSR,

Jurlique

Kristy Brown

Head of Communications ANZ,

Belgravia Leisure

Stuart Terry

Founder,

We Are Different

Kirsty Dunn

Director of Communications,

Tinder Australia

Rob Lowe

Director & Co-Founder,

Poem Group

Justine Sywak

Director of Public Relations,

Shannon Behaviour ChangePR

Joanna Stevens

Regional Director Communications,

Meta

Claire Kimball

Founder,

Squiz Media

Angela Scrymgour

Group Publicity & Partnership Manager,

ABC

Andrew Giles

Head of Brand & PR ANZ,

Ingram Micro

Amy Ashworth

Managing Director,

Eleven PR

Vinne Schifferstein Vidal

Managing Director,

Made This - Clemenger Group

Simone Gupta

Founder,

Supermassive

Luke McClelland

Head of Communications, Australasia,

Mastercard

Adam Freedman

Head of Brand, Communications & Loyalty,

The digiDirect Group

Sophie Onikul

Head of Communications,

Airbnb

VIEW THE FULL LIST OF JURORS

Abigail Dawson, Group Communications Director, BMF - Enero Group
Adam Freedman, Head of Brand, Communications & Loyalty, The digiDirect Group
Alexandra Bryant, Managing Director, Special PR
Amber Scotto, Senior Communications Leader
Amy Ashworth, Managing Director, Eleven
Andie Crawford, Head of PR and Social, Banter Agency
Andrew Giles, Head of Brand & PR ANZ, Ingram Micro
Angela Scrymgour, Head of Publicity & Events, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Bec Brown, Managing Director, The Comms Department
Carden Calder, Managing Director & Founder, BlueChip Communications / Enso Advisory
Caroline Catterall, Managing Director, Keep Left
Claire Kimball, Founder, Squiz Media
Danika Porter, Senior Marketing & Communications Leader
David Breen, Director, DB Media Group
David Wolf, Director, The Closer Group
Edwina Brook, Managing Director, History Will Be Kind
Fergus Kibble, Founder & Managing Director, Giant Leap
Fiona Milliken, Earned Creative
Frances Dwyer, Head of Corporate, Ogilvy PR
Gillian Gosling, Head of PR, Keep Left
Heather Mollins, Co-Founder, The Comms People
Joanna Stevens, Regional Director Communications, Meta
Joanne Painter, Managing Director, Icon Agency
Julia Hoy, Executive Vice President, Responsible Business, Sefiani (Part of Clarity Global)
Justine Sywak, Director of Public Relations, Shannon Behaviour ChangePR
Kirsty Dunn, Director of Communications, Tinder Australia
Kristy Brown, Head of Communications ANZ, Belgravia Leisure
Laura Beament, Head of Global Comms, PR & CSR, Jurlique
Laura Cario, Managing Partner, Consumer & Brand, Havas Red
Lauren Myers, Communications Manager, BBC Studios
Liane Gawne, Chair & Founder, Sauce Communications
Liz Weselby, Managing Director, Archetype
Luke McClelland, Head of Communications, Australasia, Mastercard
Mathew Keenan, Head of Corporate Affairs, ASIC
Matt Holmes, Head of Creative Strategy & Ideation, Mediabrands Content Studio
Michelle Hutchison, Chief of Staff, Finder
Nichola Patterson, CEO, Billie Loans
Nicole Papoutsis, Head of Brand & Marketing, Genea
Nicole Schulz, Principal, Brand & Content, IAG
Patrice Pandeleos, Founder & Managing Director, Seven Comms
Paul Cheal, Founder, 3cPR
Peter Pippen, Head of Strategy, Edelman
Phoebe Netto, Managing Director, Pure Public Relations
Richard Parker, Chief Strategy Officer, We Are Social
Rob Lowe, Director & Co-Founder, Poem Group
Roberto Pace, Group Managing Director - Eleven & FleishmanHillard, TBWA
Rochelle Burbury, Principal, Third Avenue Consulting
Shane Russell, CEO, Havas Red
Simone Gupta, Founder, Supermassive
Sonia Clarke, Principal, Clever Manka
Sophie Onikul, Head of Communications, Airbnb
Soraya Calavassy, Director & Co-Founder, Neon Black
Stuart Hood, Executive Director, Red Havas
Stuart Terry, Founder & Director, We Are Different
Tim Addington, Director, TAG PR
Toby Hemming, Managing Director, Little Black Book
Vanessa Liell, Partner & Co-Founder, Orizontas
Vinne Schifferstein, Co-Founder, AI Collective & Production
Virginia Johnstone, Senior Manager, Corporate Media Relations, Mirvac
Zoe Finlayson, Head of Earned, We Are Different

WHO SHOULD ENTER THE AWARDS?

Are you a standout player in the world of PR and communications? Have you and your team developing innovative campaigns and achieving remarkable results? If so, this is your chance to shine.

Be sure to enter if you work in the following areas:

PR and Brand Communications
Social Media and Influencer Marketing
Stakeholder, External, Media or Community Relations
Corporate (including CSR) or Public Affairs
Employee Communications
Marketing Communications
Publicity
Account Management and Business Development

KEY DATES

First Entry Deadline:

5 December 2025

Final Entry Deadline:

12 December 2025

Shortlist Announcement:

19 February 2026

Awards Ceremony:

25 March 2026

TOP TIPS FROM OUR INDUSTRY-LEADING JURY

"As an industry, we've been obsessed with quantifying unrealistic outputs, as opposed to proving that we've helped solve a brand's business problem. Give the jury justifiable business outcomes and metrics to support it as opposed to OTS and you'll automatically be on the shortlist."

Rob LoweDirector & Co-Founder, Poem Group

"Sometimes less really is more. There’s some incredible work coming out of Australia and New Zealand right now, and judges are sifting through a lot of entries alongside their day jobs, so make it easy and enjoyable to follow your story. If you can land the impact in fewer words and still take them on the journey, it goes a long way."

Luke McClellandHead of Communications, Australasia, Mastercard

"Don’t fudge results. Judges need clear evidence of impact. The strongest entry can never win if you avoid sharing clear financial, campaign and business results. And don’t forget to include genuine objectives."

Danika PorterSenior Marketing & Communications Leader

"Be clear and concise and get to the point quickly. Address the criteria directly by structuring your entry around each judging element, making it easy for judges to see how you’ve delivered and use data, outcomes and tangible evidence to show effectiveness."

Angela ScrymgourHead of Publicity & Events, ABC

"Keep it human. Judges are looking for the impact behind the numbers - the insight, the creative spark, and the behaviour it helped shift. A well-told story with real impact beats a wealth of tactics every time."

Kirsty DunnDirector of Communications, Tinder Australia

"Create a point of difference. There is so much incredible work within our industry – what elevates that work to the level of award-winner is a strategy and creative output that feels different, inspiring, industry-leading. Ask yourself, 'How did the work change the game for the brand, the category, the culture it operates in?'. If you can nail that, you're on to a winner."

Stuart TerryFounder & Director, We Are Different

"Measurement matters. Start with a clear problem and outcome, ideally anchored in irrefutable data and insights. The best entries don’t hide behind jargon or buzzwords, they tell a simple, powerful story about impact. Judges should immediately understand what you did, why it mattered, and how you measured success."

Amber ScottoSenior Communications Leader

VIEW THE 2025 WINNERS GALLERY

Best Social Media or Digitally-led Campaign

The Original Mouthful - Mango Communications with DDB Sydney for McDonald's Australia

Best B2C Campaign

Tiny Towns - Herd MSL for Airbnb

Best B2B Campaign

Open Road, Open Up - We Are Different for GME Australia

Best Campaign with a Small Budget

Open Road, Open Up - We Are Different for GME Australia

Best Use of Owned Media

Odd Jobs - HAVAS Red for Tourism Tasmania

PR-led Content Creation

Pesto The King Penguin Chick - Merlin Entertainments for SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Best Internal Communications or Change Management

Insider Threat True Crime Video Series / Security, Integrity & Fraud Awareness Week 2024 - Australian Taxation Office

Launch or Relaunch Campaign of the Year

Inspiring the Space Generation - Thrive PR + Communications with Initiative, Brightworks & SoldOut Events for LEGO Australia & New Zealand

Best Government Sponsored Campaign

Influencing Federal Election Promises for Australia’s Growth Areas – ImpactInstitute for National Growth Areas Alliance

Best PR-led Brand Partnership Campaign

Orgasmic Skin – CampaignLab for Lovehoney

Corporate Social Responsibility

The First Wheelchair Ballkid – Eleven for Mastercard

Pro Bono Campaign of the Year

The Spot - Ogilvy PR with Glue Society, The Beautiful & Useful Studio, Skin Check Champions, Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network for Bristol Myers Squibb & La Roche-Posay

Best Influencer Strategy

Australia's Ultimate 2nd Car – Poem with EssenceMediaCom, Hello Social & Special Group for Uber Carshare

Best Use of Research and Insights

AI & Music - APRA AMCOS

Best Non-Traditional Business Opportunity

PetWatch - Howatson+Company for Petbarn

Best Media Relations-Led Campaign

For Every Child – SOCIETY for Australian Education Union

Best New PR Talent of the Year

Anna Hobdell - The Lottery Corporation

PR Professional of the Year

Lauren Myers - BBC Studios

PR Leader of the Year

EJ Granleese - History Will Be Kind

Best PR Employer

Think HQ

Best PR Team of the Year - In-house

Merlin Entertainments

PR Agency of the Year - Boutique/Small

Think Communications

PR Agency of the Year - Midsize

Sefiani

PR Agency of the Year - Large

Eleven

PARTNERS

AUDIO PARTNER

INDUSTRY PARTNER

EVENT DETAILS

25 March 2026 | Crown Sydney

Timings:

Pre-Ceremony Drinks: 6:30pm

Awards Ceremony: 7:00pm - 11:30pm (AEST)

Getting There:

1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Click here for more information on getting there.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work and live. We celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to the lands and waters of NSW. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.