Gongs for Comms - Winners of 2026 PR Awards Revealed

Northern Ireland’s PR industry was celebrated last night (Thursday 5th November) at an awards ceremony staged by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Northern Ireland committee.

Taking place at Titanic Hotel Belfast, the prestigious awards recognised firms and individuals from right across the PR and communications sector, with a glittering ceremony also attended by media and other stakeholders. 

Winners were honoured across 22 categories with awards made for Best Public Affairs campaign, Best use of Digital and Social Media and Best Use of Media Relations along with some new categories for 2026 including Best Long Term Client Care.

 Cavendish were the biggest winners on the night, taking home four awards while Morrow Communications and Lough Erne Resort each made three trips to the podium to collect Gold Awards.

Individual winners on the night included Ellen McConville Boyd from Teneo, who picked up the Young Communicator of the Year award, sponsored by Ulster University, and Sinead Doyle, founder of SD Create, who was named Independent PR Practitioner of the Year. Impact Communications took the title of Small PR Consultancy of the Year and for the second consecutive year, Holywood-based Morrow Communications was awarded PR Consultancy of the Year. 

A special recognition award was presented to Joris Minne, former Chairman of JComms, recognising his stellar career which spanned over 30 years in the PR industry. He was praised in the judges’ citation for driving the industry forward, for his ability to nurture emerging talent, and for his particular prowess in crisis management.

The winners were selected following careful consideration by an independent judging panel led by Jennifer Stirton, from the CIPR’s Scotland committee.

Paula McNulty, Chair of CIPR Northern Ireland said the awards night was a fitting tribute to the calibre and talent of the PR industry here:

“PR and communications professionals spend much of their working lives telling other people’s stories, building brands, protecting reputations and helping organisations effectively communicate with their audiences. These awards give us the opportunity to turn the spotlight on our own profession and celebrate the skill, judgement, creativity and hard work behind that contribution.

“The strong response to this year’s awards reflects the breadth of work being delivered across Northern Ireland. From campaigns connecting with local communities to work reaching national audiences and international markets, the standard represented by our winners and everyone on the shortlist proves that our size does not limit our ambition. We are producing work that stands alongside the very best and demonstrates why professional, responsible communications belong at the boardroom table.

“CIPR Northern Ireland is extremely proud to provide a platform that recognises that talent. Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you to our independent judging panel, sponsors, partners and volunteer Committee for helping us deliver such a memorable celebration of our profession. We are already looking forward to building on it in 2027.”

During her address, Paula also called for expressions of interest to join next year’s CIPR NI committee. Anyone wishing to join can come along the groups AGM which will take place in the Dark Horse on Wednesday 2nd December 2026. More information will be published on CIPR NI’s social channels. 

ENDS//

 

Full list of winners:

  • Arts, Culture, Sport or Entertainment Campaign – Morrow Communications: The judges praised this campaign for bringing fresh energy to the Grand Opera House’s future, combining innovative creativity with impressive results across all its audiences.

  • STEM Campaign – Survitec: The judges were impressed by a focused campaign that met its objectives and raised standards for communication and engagement.

  • Best Use of Content – Lough Erne Resort: This year’s winner impressed the judges with warm, shareable seasonal storytelling that earned attention on a modest budget. Smart spending turned a simple idea into bookings and revenue showing how great content delivers on screen and on the balance sheet.

  • Best Use of Digital and Social Media – Lough Erne Resort: The judges were impressed by how this campaign turned a playful idea into a direct sales driver in a competitive seasonal market. With measurable, outcome-focused objectives, results exceeded all expectations and showed a credible link to increased sales.

  • Best Use of Media Relations – Cavendish: The judges praised a highly creative, insight-led campaign that made a potentially technical broadband story accessible and newsworthy through its focus on rural communities and remote working. Original data, local rankings, human stories and an interactive map created strong opportunities across national, regional and broadcast media.

  • Corporate and Business Communications Campaign – Belfast Harbour: The judges praised the campaign for demonstrating the strategic value of communications. Stakeholders shaped the Masterplan, linking planning and delivery to organisational impact. Endorsement, political support and message penetration demonstrated success.

  • Healthcare and/or Wellbeing Campaign – Cavendish: The judges praised this standout campaign for its heart, empathy and unwavering determination to be heard.

  • Best CSR Campaign – AIB NI and Morrow Communications: The judges were impressed by the campaign’s strong results and the influencer partnership’s role in boosting engagement with regional events.

  • Integrated Campaign – LK Communications: The judges praised the campaign’s effective use of the PESO model, with integration built in from the outset and every element reinforcing the others. The results of the campaign speak for themselves as does the client feedback.

  • Internal Communications Campaign – Survitec: The judges praised the team’s creativity and ability to relocate the summit at short notice amid a taxi strike. A 98% engagement rate suggested strong staff buy-in and the delegate survey showed good evaluation.

  • Low Budget Campaign – Renatus Collective: The judges praised an authentic, story-led product launch that exceeded objectives on a very small budget. Audience insights and an established influencer profile informed the campaign, with a referral link measuring tangible action.

  • Not-for-Profit Campaign – ASG: The judges praised the programme’s integrated approach, which put audience advocacy at its core and helped achieve impressive behavioural change. An outstanding entry that made a real difference.

  • Public Affairs Campaign – Cavendish: The judges praised this powerful, emotive campaign that raised awareness of a national scandal and secured cross-party backing for calls for a public inquiry. Placing the women affected at its heart gave the campaign a strong human focus. The entry presented a clear narrative, backed by strong rationale and compelling evidence.

  • Public Sector Campaign – LK Communications: The judges praised a well-executed campaign that navigated complex stakeholder relationships. Objectives and measures demonstrated impressive communications and organisational impact, supported by creative storytelling, strong coverage and varied engagement, including political advocacy.

  • Best Campaign of the Year, Outside of NI – Sara McCracken Consulting Ltd: The judges praised the campaign’s clear, measurable objectives and effective use of research to guide planning and channel selection. Strong storytelling and well-coordinated delivery across channels and participants achieved excellent results against objectives, engaging a diverse range of people, including those not previously involved.

  • Travel, Leisure and Tourism Campaign, Lough Erne Resort: The judges praised the campaign for staying true to the brand’s values while delivering solid commercial results. It both entertained and elevated.

  • Best Long-Term Client Care – Cavendish: The judges were impressed by the clear evidence of the value this agency brings to its client. Spanning years of major projects and challenges, the relationship appears to extend well beyond communications support a true agency and client partnership.

  • Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year – Ellen McConville Boyd: The judges said this was an exceptionally strong entry showcasing rapid career growth, major campaign successes, and resilient leadership.

  • Independent PR Practitioner of the Year – Sinead Doyle: Here’s what impressed the judges – Sinead is a Chartered Fellow and agile practitioner managing robust financial performance, major brand wins like Sephora UK and The Open University, and developing an innovative, and inclusive, coaching model as a complimentary income stream.

  • Small PR Consultancy of the Year – Impact Communications: The judges highlighted that this a tight, strategic team, using sharp financial metrics to gauge exceptional growth and stellar retention rates.  Their focus on new sectors, and conversion of project work, is paying dividends, and underlines a smart approach to growth.  Their standout 3T Power campaign brilliantly combined localised storytelling with data-driven strategy, delivering a 150% rise in web-generated enquiries and commercial success.

  • PR Consultancy of the Year – Morrow Communications: The judges were impressed by this entry’s commercial scale, over 20 years of CMS Platinum accreditation, a 100% client recommendation score and strong behaviour-change campaign metrics.

  • Lifetime Contribution Award – Joris Minne: The judges and CIPR Northern Ireland have recognised that for more than three decades this individual has shaped public relations and communications in Northern Ireland. Through their leadership, strategic counsel and journalism, they have raised professional standards, supported others’ development and helped advance modern PR practice. Their legacy is significant, lasting and thoroughly deserving of this Lifetime Contribution Award.

Images are available via: https://presseye.shootproof.com/gallery/e2fed839-b322-4d88-8415-adf35a1dd65c/