Call for Entries Deadline:
June 5, 2026

Recognizing the Best in Video and Visual Creativity

The best video and visual storytelling does more than capture attention—it shapes perception, builds trust and moves people to act. Ragan’s Video & Visual Awards honor marketing, PR, HR and communications professionals creating work that informs, inspires and drives impact.

From employee onboarding and leadership messages to brand campaigns, crisis response and social content, this program celebrates the ideas and execution behind effective communications. Explore categories spanning internal and external audiences, visual design and video to find the best fit.

Our judges look for strategic thinking, creative excellence and clear results. Work that solved a challenge, engaged an audience or strengthened reputation. If your work created real impact, this is your moment to be recognized.

Winning starts with showing the work you’re proud of. Discover the categories, choose the entries that best showcase your team’s achievements and submit to Ragan’s Video & Visual Awards for the recognition your work deserves from peers and judges alike.

CATEGORIES

VIDEO TRACK 1: INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Open to videos created primarily for employee audiences, including communications, HR, learning & development, and change management professionals.

 Best Employee Onboarding or Training Video

Recognizes a video designed to welcome new employees, transfer knowledge, or develop skills within an organization. Judges will evaluate the clarity of instruction, audience understanding, and how effectively the video uses storytelling, demonstration, and visual design to accelerate learning and belonging.

 Best Internal Communications Video

Recognizes a video created to inform, align, or engage employees — from policy updates and leadership messages to culture spotlights and company announcements. Judges will evaluate clarity of message, tone, and the video’s effectiveness in reaching and resonating with its intended internal audience.

 Best Internal Event Highlight or Recap Video

Recognizes a video that captures the key moments, energy, and impact of an internal event such as an all-hands meeting, leadership summit, recognition ceremony, or employee gathering. Judges will evaluate storytelling quality, emotional resonance, and the ability to reinforce shared culture and organizational memory.

 Best Internal Explainer or How-To Video

Recognizes a video that simplifies internal processes, systems, or policies through clear narration, strong visuals, and accessible design. Judges will evaluate clarity of explanation, audience understanding, and the effectiveness of the video in closing knowledge gaps for employees.

 Best Recruitment / Employer Brand Video

Recognizes a video that showcases organizational culture, values, and employee experience to attract talent. Judges will evaluate authenticity, storytelling strength, and the ability to communicate what makes the organization a compelling place to work.

 Best Video for Culture Change or Transformation

Recognizes a video that played a meaningful role in supporting organizational change — including mergers, restructurings, DEI initiatives, or broader cultural evolution. Judges will evaluate how effectively the video helps employees navigate complexity with clarity, empathy, and purpose.

 Best Video for Driving Employee Engagement

Recognizes a video that measurably improved employee engagement, morale, or connection to the organization. Judges will evaluate the strategic intent behind the video and evidence that it influenced employee understanding, participation or sentiment.

VIDEO TRACK 2: EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Open to videos created for external audiences, including brand, PR, marketing communications, public affairs, investor relations, and corporate reputation professionals.

 Best Brand Awareness or Reputation Video

Recognizes a video that strengthens awareness of, or affinity for, an organization’s brand among external audiences. Judges will evaluate storytelling quality, emotional resonance, and the effectiveness of the video in communicating what the organization stands for and why it matters.

 Best Crisis Communications Video

Recognizes a video produced in response to a crisis, controversy, or reputational challenge. Judges will evaluate clarity, empathy, strategic messaging, and the video’s effectiveness in addressing stakeholder concerns and restoring trust.

 Best Customer or Public Education Video

Recognizes a video designed to educate customers or the public about a product, service, issue, or cause. Judges will evaluate clarity, usefulness, and the ability of the video to build understanding or drive informed action among the intended audience.

 Best External Communications Video

Recognizes a video created to inform, influence, or engage an external audience — including customers, media, policymakers, communities, or the general public. Judges will evaluate clarity of message, strategic intent, and the video’s effectiveness in building understanding, trust, or action.

 Best External Event Highlight or Recap Video

Recognizes a video that captures the key moments and impact of an external event such as a press conference, product launch, industry conference, or community activation. Judges will evaluate storytelling quality, audience engagement, and the ability of the video to extend the event’s reach and significance.

 Best Marketing Video

Recognizes a video created to promote a product, service, initiative, or brand message to an external audience. Judges will evaluate audience insight, storytelling strength, and the effectiveness of the video in generating awareness, interest, or action.

 Best Public Affairs or Advocacy Video

Recognizes a video created to advance a public policy position, raise awareness of a social issue, or mobilize civic or community engagement. Judges will evaluate clarity of message, strategic storytelling, and the video’s ability to influence public dialogue or action.

 Best Video Campaign Tied to Business or Reputational Results

Recognizes a video or series of videos that demonstrate a clear connection between communications strategy and measurable external outcomes. Judges will evaluate strategic alignment, storytelling execution, and evidence of results such as awareness, engagement, or reputational impact.

VIDEO CATEGORIES OPEN TO BOTH TRACKS

The following categories are open to both internal and external communications entries. Entrants should select the track that best reflects the primary intended audience of their submission.

 Best CSR / ESG / Purpose Video

Recognizes a video that communicates an organization’s commitment to environmental, social, or governance priorities or broader social purpose. Judges will evaluate authenticity, storytelling clarity, and the ability of the video to demonstrate meaningful impact.

 Best Executive or Leadership Video

Recognizes a video featuring a senior leader communicating with authenticity, clarity, and strategic intent to either internal or external audiences. Judges will evaluate leadership presence, storytelling effectiveness, and the ability of the video to reinforce trust and organizational vision.

 Best Live Video or Webinar Production

Recognizes excellence in live or live-to-tape video production such as webinars, livestreams, or virtual events. Judges will evaluate production quality, pacing, audience engagement techniques, and the overall viewer experience.

 Best Low-Budget Video

Recognizes a video produced with limited resources that delivers strong storytelling and measurable impact. Judges will evaluate creativity, strategic thinking, and the ability to achieve meaningful results without a large production budget.

 Best Multi-Part Video Campaign

Recognizes a series of two or more videos that work together as a cohesive communications campaign. Judges will evaluate strategic alignment, consistency of creative execution, and the ability of the series to build audience engagement over time.

 Best Short-Form Video (Under 60 Seconds)

Recognizes a video of 60 seconds or less that delivers a clear message with creativity and impact. Judges will evaluate storytelling efficiency, visual clarity, and the ability to capture attention and communicate effectively within a short timeframe.

 Best Use of AI in Video Production

Recognizes a video in which artificial intelligence tools played a meaningful role in the creative or production process. Judges will evaluate both the quality of the final video and the thoughtful integration of AI in service of the communications goal.

 Best Use of Animation or Motion Graphics

Recognizes a video that uses animation, motion graphics, or illustrated storytelling to enhance message clarity and visual impact. Judges will evaluate creative execution, technical craftsmanship, and how effectively the visual style supports the communications objective.

VISUAL DESIGN CATEGORIES

Open to videos created primarily for employee audiences, including communications, HR, learning & development, and change management professionals.

 AI – Use of

Honors a visual design project in which artificial intelligence tools played a meaningful role in the creative or production process, whether in concept development, visual generation, layout assistance, or workflow optimization. Judges will evaluate both the quality of the final design and the thoughtful integration of AI in service of a clear communications objective.

 Brand Identity / Visual System

Recognizes excellence in the creation or evolution of a brand’s visual identity, including logos, typography, color systems, design guidelines, or broader brand frameworks. Winning entries will demonstrate strategic thinking, visual consistency, and the ability to translate an organization’s mission, personality, and values into a cohesive visual language.

 Data Visualization & Infographics

Celebrates visual work that transforms complex information into clear, compelling graphics that help audiences understand data, trends, or ideas more quickly. Judges will look for thoughtful structure, visual clarity, and design choices that make information both accessible and engaging.

 Illustration or Animated Design

Honors original illustration or animated design created to support a communications objective. Entries may include editorial illustrations, character design, animated visual storytelling, or custom graphic assets that elevate a message through creativity, style, and visual imagination.

 Interactive Content

Recognizes interactive visual experiences designed to engage audiences through exploration, participation, or user-driven storytelling. This category is open to interactive reports, microsites, digital experiences, and other design work that invites users to navigate information dynamically rather than passively consume it.

 Internal Communications Design

Celebrates visual design created specifically for employee audiences. This category honors work that helps organizations communicate internally with clarity and creativity, from campaign graphics and culture initiatives to change management materials and employee engagement programs.

 Marketing Design

Recognizes visual design created to support marketing campaigns, product promotion, brand storytelling, or audience engagement efforts. Judges will evaluate strategic alignment with marketing goals, creativity of execution, and the effectiveness of the design in capturing attention and reinforcing brand identity.

 Motion Graphics

Honors animated visual design used to enhance storytelling, simplify complex ideas or bring energy and movement to communications content. Entries may include animated explainers, title sequences, kinetic typography or digital motion design created for video, social media or web experiences.

 Photography

Celebrates original photography created to support communications, marketing or storytelling objectives. Judges will evaluate visual composition, authenticity, emotional resonance and the photographer’s ability to capture moments that strengthen narrative and audience connection.

 Presentation / Slide Design

Recognizes excellence in the visual design of presentations used for internal or external communications, including leadership presentations, investor decks, conference talks or employee briefings. Winning entries will demonstrate clarity of structure, strong visual hierarchy and design that enhances the speaker’s message rather than distracting from it.

 Print & Publication Design

Honors design work created for printed or long-form publications, including annual reports, magazines, brochures, books or other editorial formats. Judges will evaluate layout, typography, visual storytelling and the overall reading experience created through thoughtful design.

 Social Content Toolkit

Recognizes a cohesive set of visual assets designed to support a campaign or communications effort across social channels. Entries may include templates, graphic systems, content kits or modular assets that enable teams to create consistent, on-brand content efficiently.

 Social Media Design

Celebrates visual content created specifically for social media platforms. Judges will look for design that captures attention in fast-moving feeds, aligns with platform behaviors and formats and reinforces brand identity while encouraging audience engagement.

 Website Design

Honors the visual design of a website or digital platform created to communicate information, tell a story or support an organizational objective. Judges will evaluate visual hierarchy, usability, aesthetic quality and how effectively the design guides users through the experience.

SIGNATURE / PRESTIGE AWARDS

These awards recognize outstanding individuals and teams across Video and Visual Design.

 Best Agency Video Work on Behalf of a Client

Honors an agency or production partner that delivered outstanding video work in support of a client’s communications goals. Judges will evaluate strategic thinking, creative execution and the measurable impact of the work.

 Best Agency Visual Design Work on Behalf of a Client

Honors an agency or external creative partner that delivered exceptional visual design in service of a client’s communications or marketing goals. This award recognizes the strategic thinking, creative excellence and collaborative partnership that agencies bring to brand storytelling, as well as the measurable impact their design work achieves for clients.

 Best Emerging Video Communicator

Honors a communications professional with five or fewer years of experience who has demonstrated exceptional creativity, storytelling skill and impact through video. Judges will evaluate the nominee’s body of work, professional growth and contributions to advancing video in communications.

 Best In-House Video Team

Honors an internal communications, marketing, PR or creative team that has built a high-performing video function within their organization. Judges will evaluate the team’s body of work, operational excellence, creative output and impact on organizational communications.

 Best In-House Visual Design Team

Celebrates an in-house team responsible for delivering outstanding visual design across communications, marketing or brand initiatives. Judges will evaluate the team’s overall body of work, consistency of design excellence, creative leadership and their impact on the organization’s storytelling and brand expression.

 Best Overall Video of the Year

This is awarded to a single video that demonstrates exceptional creative vision, strategic clarity, production quality and measurable impact. Open to winners from both tracks, this award recognizes the year’s most outstanding video work.

 Best Overall Visual Design

This is awarded to a design project that demonstrates exceptional creativity, strategic clarity and craftsmanship. Open to winners across the design categories, this award recognizes work that elevates visual storytelling and sets a new standard for excellence.

 Best Video Communicator

Honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional skill in using video to inform, engage and inspire audiences. Judges will evaluate the nominee’s body of work, storytelling ability, strategic impact and contributions to advancing video as a communications discipline.

HOW TO ENTER

Awards Criteria

On the entry form, be sure to include a thorough synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your project. We ask that the synopsis be 350-900 words and include the following sub-headings (when applicable):

  • Goals
  • Strategy and tactics
  • Execution
  • Evaluation: success, results or ROI

Be sure to follow the guidelines laid out in the category descriptions, as the judges will look for those elements when they select the winners.

You will be able to upload additional documents to your submission. We encourage you to include press releases, design concepts, videos, analytics, testimonials and anything else you feel will give us a better sense of your project. Proprietary or internal information can also be attached and will not be shared with the public.

ENTER

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The award program is open to in-house teams, agencies and individual practitioners in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Vendors may also submit their work or their client’s work. Enter your work, the work of your organization or submit entries on behalf of your clients.

Companies from around the world are welcome to enter as long as the entry is submitted in English.

Contact Barbara Kanady to find the perfect category for your campaign or project. You can email her at [email protected]. 

This year’s program is open to any work executed between June 1, 2025, and June 5, 2026, inclusive.

ENTRY FEES

The fee for this program is $550 per entry into standard categories, and $600 per entry into Signature / Prestige Awards categories.

A late fee of $325 per entry will be added to all entries received after 11:59 p.m. Central time, June 5, 2026.

Do you have a campaign or project you'd like to enter into multiple categories? Pay the original entry fee, and then only $250 for each additional category!

All entries are non-returnable and non-refundable.

W-9 Form / Tax ID Number Request

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY SHOULD I APPLY?
Our Video, Visual & Virtual Awards help you measure the success of your work and prove the value of your contributions to your organization or clients. As a winner, you’ll earn publicity for your brand across our websites and social media audiences, a custom write-up about your work and a trophy. Here are a few of the many reasons to enter your work:
  • Showcase Creative Excellence: Gain recognition for your standout work in video production, visual design and virtual experiences that captivate audiences and drive engagement.
  • Elevate Your Brand and Team: Winning highlights your team’s innovation and storytelling power, enhancing your organization’s reputation as a leader in communications.
  • Gain Industry-Wide Visibility: Finalists and winners are celebrated across Ragan’s influential platforms, putting your work in front of top industry professionals, peers and potential collaborators.
WHO CAN ENTER THESE AWARDS?
Entries may be submitted by organizations and agencies worldwide. Entries must be submitted in English. The program is open to in-house, agency, independent communication practitioners and vendors in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors.
CAN I ENTER TWO OR MORE CATEGORIES?
YES! In fact, we encourage you to submit your applications in multiple categories. Each category is judged discreetly, and discounted pricing applies to your 2nd category and beyond. This also increases your chances of winning.
WHAT DO THE JUDGES LOOK FOR IN ENTRIES?
Judges look for top-quality work that shows clear, bold and creative ideas that benefit your business or client. Please provide metrics or results that support your claims, and share creative collateral such as videos, visual design or websites that were a part of your project. Please look at our past award winners to see what gets recognized and rewarded.
WHY ARE SOME DEADLINES EXTENDED?
We extend deadlines based on applicant needs and upcoming promotional opportunities.
WHEN WILL I FIND OUT RESULTS?
We try to announce a list of finalists eight to twelve weeks after the close of the program. The announcement of the winners comes about four weeks after the announcement of the finalists. Each announcement will be made with a headline on our website, in our daily email newsletter and on our social media platforms. Emails notify entrants in advance of these announcements. As deadlines are extended, so are expected announcement dates.

Additional Questions

If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please email Barbara Kanady at [email protected]. 

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact Morgan Einspanier at [email protected]. 

Ragan Communications is not responsible for international shipping fees related to trophies or certificates.