Longtime Judges on What Distinguishes Outstanding Anvil Entries

Each year, PRSA’s Anvil Awards recognize the very best in our profession — campaigns and tactics that reflect strategic thinking, creativity and real-world impact. 

But behind every winning entry is a panel of dedicated judges. Here, some of those longtime Anvil judges share more about what they look for, how they approach the judging process and what makes a campaign rise to the top.

“To me, an outstanding Anvil entry tells a pithy but powerful story of how the entry came to be, what —if any — obstacles had to be overcome and what extraordinary results were achieved. Too often, the required summary is incomplete and leaves judges with ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. So, read and follow the content instructions. We’re not looking for ‘great,’ we’re looking for top-level excellence.

It’s clear to me that both Silver and Bronze Anvil entries are getting better: showing off more strategic thinking (especially at the tactical level) and outside-the box initiative. We’re expecting more ‘Wow! Not sure I would have thought of that’ in award-worthy entries. That seems to reflect the state of our profession: We’re learning to work better, faster, smarter and achieve excellence at much high levels than ever before.”

— Julie B. Fix, APR, Fellow PRSA
President and Principal
Fix & Associates, Inc.

“An outstanding Anvil tells a strong story. It provides judges with the need and the impact for public relations activities. It outlines innovation and evaluates outcomes. Making sure that the full RPIE process is explained clearly and consistently should be the goal of every Anvil entry. Some pitfalls I have seen recently is measurement that inflates impact. If you are evaluating your objectives and achieving them, then that shows success.

When I first started judging anvils, I read amazing campaigns with great ideas but often overlooked evaluation and the measurement of results. Recently, I have seen the pendulum shift with better presentation of measurement and evaluation.”

— Hilary Fussell Sisco, Ph.D., APR
Professor of Public Relations
Quinnipiac University

“Given that we’re communicators, the entry bar is set high from the start. The best submissions typically do more than present information. They tell a compelling story backed by data and made more compelling through context. A common pitfall is pouring too much into the entry, leaving the judges to wade through everything and try to make sense of a program. 

I’ve had the privilege of judging the Anvils since 2000 — a front-row seat to seeing our industry evolve. Foundational aspects such as defining a clear strategy, highlighting creativity and sharing relevant outcomes are constants. What’s shifting is the best entries demonstrate how their initiative has added to the public relations body of knowledge — not only applying best practices but creating new models and techniques altogether.”

— Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
McDougall Communications

“Outstanding Anvil entries transcend outputs, directly linking measurable outcomes to business success. They clearly state quantifiable objectives upfront. A common pitfall is detailing activities, but not the strategic impact. The best entries prove that communications drove tangible business results, clearly demonstrating value.

Award-worthy communications increasingly demonstrate a direct link to achieving core business objectives, like increased sales or higher market share. Winning entries should articulate how communication strategies drove these tangible business results, which is a great opportunity to showcase communications as an integral strategic driver, not just a support function.”

— Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
Philip Tate Strategic Communications, LLC

“An outstanding Anvil entry includes the four tenets of our profession — research, planning, execution and evaluation — in perfect alignment. Too often, even experienced professionals present disjointed entries, where evaluation is an afterthought or based solely on the number of media placements or anecdotes rather than measurable impact. The best entries provide clear context: Saying you reached 100,000 people means little without understanding market size or share. Judges should never be left to guess. There should be a behavior change noted with evidence.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a shift toward award-worthy work that reimagines familiar strategies. Today’s standout entries often flip traditional tactics on their head to achieve remarkable results. These campaigns don’t succeed by accident — they’re fueled by data-driven insights, bold thinking and flawless execution. When done well, they prompt a simple, unanimous reaction from judges: ‘Wow.’”

— Cheryl Procter-Rogers, APR Fellow PRSA
Executive Coach and Associate Director
Ernst & Young

“Advances in technology may have made some aspects of creating Silver Anvil-worthy communications and campaigns easier, but the critical elements that define award-winning work remain the same. Quality counts, and key audiences expect it from those who communicate with them.

Silver Anvil winners begin with respect for their audiences. They think before acting. They conduct primary and secondary research — for specific communications materials. special events or more comprehensive campaigns. They involve their prospective audiences in developing and often testing communications plans for major events as well as specific communication materials. And, as their Anvil entries show, they measure their results.”

— Judy Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA
Consultant
PhairAdvantage Communications

“As a longtime Anvil judge and current chair of the honors and Awards Committee, I’ve seen the bar continue to rise. The most compelling entries reflect smart strategy, authenticity, impact and a clear through line from insight to outcome. They tell a complete story: grounded in research, guided by planning and evaluated with meaningful measurement. And they follow entry guidelines — something even seasoned pros sometimes overlook. While the field continues to evolve, the fundamentals remain: The best work is intentional, ethical and aligned with the standards that define excellence in our profession. That’s what the Anvil Awards continue to celebrate, and why they remain the most respected honor in PR.”

— Ann Andrews Morris
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
The National Alliance on Mental Illness

“After reviewing hundreds of Anvil submissions, two things set exceptional entries apart from simply ‘good’ ones. The first is having a solid foundation of fundamentals that align with the entry criteria. In the campaign categories, judges look for sound research that informs strategy, measurable objectives, creative tactics, and results that demonstrate attitudinal or behavioral change. There are degrees of quality and impact, but having these components typically gets your entry into the conversation.

With those boxes checked, the stand-out submissions have an innovative ‘X’ factor that savvy submitters find ways to articulate. We’re talking about a level of advanced strategic thinking that captures an audience, or a technique that specifically and efficiently influences people to act. These are the campaigns and tactics that inspire us to continue to push beyond what has been done before and think about what could be.”

— Mike Gross, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
AKCG — Public Relations Counselors

“We are seeing more integrated marketing communications campaigns, so it’s harder to distinguish what role public relations played in the success of a campaign. That’s why demonstrating pre- and post- research is still essential. While there is now more emphasis on social media metrics and the use of influencers versus corporate spokespersons, media relations is an important element of award-winning communications and helps demonstrate the value of the PR function.

We are certainly starting to see AI campaigns, and that is very important to have those use cases so that public relations professionals can learn best practices from each other. Award-winning entries are a wonderful accolade for the team that creates them, but the entire profession also benefits from showcasing the great work that is possible from practitioners as AI continues to transform our field. We have much to contribute to this area.”

— Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
Germinder & Associates, Inc.