The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) has announced the winners of the 2026 Golden World Awards (GWA), with 95 public relations campaigns from around the world receiving honours for excellence in communication.
Among the winning entries were campaigns on storytelling in Ghana and landscapes of connection in Greece, while several other award-winning projects addressed contemporary issues, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the consequences of conflict.
The winners were selected by an international jury that met at the Ghana High Commission in Belgravia, London, where teams of senior public relations practitioners assessed entries submitted from across the world.
The judging panel comprised communication professionals from Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Estonia, Germany, Serbia, Ghana, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The organisers said the awards recognised outstanding achievements in public relations and reflected the profession's response to emerging global issues through innovative communication campaigns.
The prestigious IPRA Grand Prix had also been selected, but members of the jury had been sworn to secrecy ahead of the official announcement.
The Grand Prix winner, together with the recipient of the Global Contribution Award for Public Relations, which recognises initiatives supporting one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), would be unveiled during the Golden World Awards Gala scheduled for September 25 in Athens, Greece.
Competitive
The Secretary-General of IPRA, Philip Sheppard, said this year's competition was one of the strongest in recent years.
"This year, we had such exceptionally strong entries and made several joint awards," he said and added that "We were particularly impressed by the quality of entries in the new 'Courage in Communications' category."
Background
Established in 1955, the International Public Relations Association is the world's leading global network for public relations professionals.
It promotes ethical public relations practice through professional networking, its code of conduct and thought leadership.
The Golden World Awards, introduced in 1990, are regarded as the only truly global awards programme recognising excellence in public relations practice.
The overall Grand Prix is presented annually to the entry judged to represent the highest international standards in the profession.
