Submitting Your Entry
PRSA SD/IC is again utilizing online submissions and judging through OpenWater to manage all submissions and judging. We advise you to closely review the Submitting Your Entry section for more details that align with this year’s program and the OpenWater platform.

Judging Criteria
There are two types of Bernays – the Silver and the Bronze. All entries are judged by professional and distinguished members of a partner PRSA Chapter.

• The Silver award recognizes complete public relations programs incorporating research, planning, execution and evaluation.
• The Bronze award recognizes public relations tactics, consisting of individual items or components of campaigns. Bronze submissions are judged on research, planning, execution and evaluation as well.
• The Chapter awards an Award of Excellence (first place) and an Award of Merit (second place). Only one first place award may be awarded in each category or subcategory unless there is a tie, even after a third judge review. There may be up to two second place awards (if judges feel a tie is merited). If, based on scores, no entry in a particular category is deserving of an award, no winner will be named.

Scoring
Silver Bernays entries are judged in four categories: research, planning, implementation and evaluation with a 100-point scale. 

Bronze Bernays entries are judged in five categories: research, planning, implementation, creativity and evaluation with a 100-point scale.

Judges’ Comments
Judges’ scores and comments will be accessible after the awards program ends.

Best of Show
The Best of Show Awards will be presented to the entries with the highest total overall scores in the Silver Bernays and Bronze Bernays, respectively. In the event of a tie, judges will determine the winner based on a third review with scores averaged, and the highest average score will receive the award.

Submission Period
The submission period will be open from July 6 to Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. PT, with varying late fees for receipt of entries:

• Early Bird Deadline: Friday, July 24, 2026, at 5 p.m.
• Deadline: Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, at 5 p.m.
• Late Deadline: Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at 5 p.m. 

Fees
Entry fees are as follows for Silver and Bronze Bernays Awards. 

• $100/PRSA member ($80 for Early Bird Deadline)
• $120/non-member ($100 for Early Bird Deadline)
• $80/501c(3) nonprofit (contact Awards co-chairs about nonprofit entries)
• $60/late fee applies to entries received after Aug. 21, 2026, at 5:01 p.m. PT, and $80/late fee applies after Aug. 31, 2026, at 5:01 p.m.

Payments are made online through PayPal when entries are submitted, and PRSA SD/IC accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. While online payments are preferred, please contact Chapter Manager, Blake Nelson, at BlakeNelsonAPR@gmail.com if other arrangements need to be made.