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2026 PRNEWS Top Women Awards

 

The PRNEWS Top Women Awards honor bold communicators who are redefining how brands engage, innovate, and inspire. From rising stars to industry icons, these honorees represent the excellence, leadership, and ingenuity shaping the future of PR. 

The prestigious honor has a profound impact on the lives of our honorees—boosting morale, accelerating career growth, expanding professional networks, and increasing company loyalty.

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DEADLINES: 

  • Early Deadline: February 20, 2026
  • Final Deadline: February 27, 2026

FEES: 

  • Entry Fee: $450
  • Late Fee: $199

2026 CATEGORIES: 

Agency Account Accelerators: A category exclusively for the AEs that make so much of the agency magic happen on behalf of so many clients. Recognizes the account executives who work around the clock to ensure success for their programs. Note: Open only to agency account executives.

Business Entrepreneurs: Women who get down to business—opened their own businesses or tirelessly take their independent agencies to the next growth level or even successfully managed the sale of their business and then integrated the company into a new corporate organization.

Changemakers: Recognizes women who have successfully impacted the course/direction/path of P.R. for their brands, companies, or agencies. Open to women from both client-side companies and agencies who steered their companies or campaigns into new markets, new opportunities, new audiences, and strong, measurable growth.

Industry Champions: Women of all ranks who’ve had an exceptional impact on the direction and advancement of the P.R. and communications industry beyond their impact at their own companies.

In-House Innovators: The in-house, client-side brand-doers—getting it done to bolster their company’s image, reach, reputation, and message. Note: Not open to agencies.  

Rising Stars: Women on the rise, making their mark during the early stages of their careers. Note: Recognizes women with less than seven years of experience.

The Motivators: Recognizing the best managers who are not only outstanding at their job, but they make everyone else around them better—their teams, departments, etc. These women take extraordinary measures to strengthen the teams they lead and work with.

 

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Introducing The Top Women Network

As part of the broader Top Women Network, nominees join a growing community of leaders across marketing, media, and technology.

The Top Women Network is a premier, cross-industry community celebrating and advancing the most accomplished women shaping marketing, media, and technology. Born from seven leading awards programs, the Network unites honorees, finalists, and innovators into a year-round ecosystem of recognition, leadership development, and meaningful connection.

We spotlight the women redefining their industries—and provide the platforms, programming, and amplifying power to help them go even further. Through live events, editorial content, peer networks, and collaborative opportunities, the Top Women Network ensures that leadership doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens together.

*Self-nominations are welcome, and previous Top Women honorees are eligible to make the list multiple years in a row. Open to applicants world-wide.

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