PRINZ announces finalists for the 52nd annual PRINZ Awards
The Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) are elated to announce the 55 finalists for the 52nd annual PRINZ Awards. Despite the tough economic environment, this year’s finalists reflect the resilience, creativity and hard work carried out in the public relations and communications sector in 2025.
The PRINZ Awards honour excellence, promote continuous improvement, and showcase the outstanding work achieved by public relations and communications management professionals in New Zealand. The awards are designed to highlight the importance of good communication across every aspect of society.
The finalists have been selected following a thorough judging process. The judging panel is comprised of industry professionals across New Zealand and overseas with backgrounds in agency, in-house and government roles. They are overseen by two Chief Judges, Tracey Bridges FPRINZ LPRINZ and returning Nikki Wright FPRINZ APR.
They commented, “The calibre of this year’s finalists is exceptionally high, reflecting both the strategic maturity of the profession and the growing impact of communications in complex environments. The judging process has been rigorous and thoughtful, with strong debate around work that demonstrates clear outcomes, insight and real-world influence.”
There are 14 categories to be awarded this year including the new, Best Use of Small Budget for Impact category. Finalists are invited to attend the 2026 PRINZ Awards Gala Dinner where Bronze, Silver and Gold awards will be presented. Beyond campaign categories, finalists in the PR Consultancy of the Year, PR In-house Team of the Year and the Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year categories will be awarded. Gold award-winning finalists in the campaign categories are shortlisted to take home the coveted PRINZ Supreme Award, the ultimate award of the evening.
The PRINZ Awards Gala Dinner will be held at the Hilton Auckland on Thursday, 4 June 2026. Tickets are available now and can be purchased here. PRINZ would like to acknowledge the support of their esteemed sponsors: Isentia, Truescope, Streem, Telum Media, Momentum Consulting and Celebrity Speakers. The Gala Dinner promises to be a special evening for the industry to come together and celebrate its achievements over the past year.
The 2026 PRINZ Awards campaign category finalists are as follows (in alphabetical order by entry title):
AA App: Early employee access building confidence, readiness and advocacy | Travis Logan | The New Zealand Automobile Association
Ake Ake Ake – 50 years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Amy Diamond | Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
All Brads are equal at Macca’s | Sean Brown | FleishmanHillard Aotearoa
All roads lead to recruitment | Flora Muirhead | New Zealand Police
An EVP anthem unites Summerset’s employees | Terri Ellman | Summerset Retirement Villages
ANZ x Auckland FC Record Season | Ellen Scholes | Eleven PR
Attracting more diverse learners to the trades | Jamie Foote | Acumen New Zealand
Backbone Broken: PowerNet’s October 2025 Storm Response | Hannah McLeod | PowerNet Ltd
Carterton District Council Community Survey – a fundamental shift | Sara Renall | Carterton District Council
Celebrating 60 years of thrills on the Kimiākau | Marcus Gibbs | Ngāi Tahu Tourism
Changing the narrative in a contested sector | Aaron Rees | Development West Coast
Craigieburn Basin Restoration Trust: Feel the Burn | Julia English | Silvereye Communications
Election 2025 – Breaking down barriers | Hamilton City Council
Giving an industry its voice back: How Master Electricians used government relations and public affairs to reshape New Zealand’s electrification future | Kate Alexander | Alexander PR
Healing the Nelson Hospital | Matt Shand | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Insuring New Zealand’s Future: How Suncorp prepared Kiwis for the reality of climate risk | Nicole Hillis | Suncorp NZ
Insuring New Zealand’s Future: How Suncorp shaped NZ’s National Adaptation Framework | Nicole Hillis | Suncorp NZ
Introducing SPK 30 to Spark’s People | Rachel Morton | Spark
Job Hunters’ Workbook campaign | Maya Le Bozec-McKendry | Tertiary Education Commission
Karawhiua: Give it heaps! | Laura Platts | Auckland Airport
Kina Cottage | Sean Brown | FleishmanHillard Aotearoa
Leading the Way: How One NZ is building trust on its journey to become the most AI‑enabled telco | Nevine AbdAllah | One NZ
Leading the Way: One NZ empowering every employee to work with AI confidently and responsibly | Nevine AbdAllah | One NZ
Making Private Wealth a Public Conversation | Emma Letessier | HMC Communications
Making the longest day last even longer – Sharing Coast to Coast stories | Great Scott
Master Electricians: Building the backbone of New Zealand’s electrification future | Kate Alexander | Alexander PR
Media in action: Rallying and driving change for children | Elodie Berthe | Barnados Aotearoa
National Blood Donor Week – New Zealand Blood Service | Charlotte Dine | Network Communication
Night for Flight: Turning local stories into life-saving support | Great Scott
Patient Voice: How patients drove the fight for fair GP funding | Dee Crooks | ProCare
Raising awareness by asking people to ‘Please Ignore It’ | Kat Day | Breakout Room NZ
Regional Investment Done Well | Convergence Communications & Marketing Ltd
Regional Investment in Business Done Well | Convergence Communications & Marketing Ltd
Scammers Bloom | Ellen Scholes | Eleven PR
Seen, Valued, Recognised | Connie Smith | Port Malborough NZ Ltd
Selling a Legend: How the Cardrona Hotel campaign became a national moment | Celia Crosbie | Scope Communications
Spark Kids: Launching New Zealand’s First Purpose-Built Kids Mobile Plan | Brooklyn Wheeler | Anthem
Stand for Something | Tū Tūturu – Election campaign 2025 | Haylee King | Whakatāne District Council
Stopping the Stigma Surrounding Medicinal Cannabis | Liz Holt | One Plus One Communications
Swift, Values-Based Response: Managing reputational risk and protecting trust during the Acacia O’Connor incident | Nevine AbdAllah | One NZ
Taking the lead: protecting at-risk communities with dogged determination | Alice Galletly | Auckland Council
Te Paringa Tai – How WIPCE 2025 lifted Indigenous voices to lead the news | Sam Murphy-Dreaver | Māia
Te Paringa Tai – How WIPCE 2025 united diverse communities | Sam Murphy-Dreaver | Māia
The Pollination Tour | Sean Brown | FleishmanHillard Aotearoa
The Teaseburger | Kat Day | Breakout Room NZ
Unlocking minerals through trust and policy alignment | Aaron Rees | Development West Coast
Urban Miners Digital Graveyard – Tech or Treat | Kylie Rae | Belle PR
Worst Children’s Library | Sean Brown | FleishmanHillard Aotearoa
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