Ragan reveals finalists for second annual Zenith Awards

Communicators are operating at a defining moment. Trust can evaporate overnight, artificial intelligence is rewriting the profession in real time and the pressure on leaders to communicate with clarity and courage has never been higher.

Ragan created the Zenith Awards to celebrate the people, teams and organizations rising to that challenge, and today the organization is announcing the finalists for its second annual class. This year’s field reflects the full range of that work: bold AI-driven campaigns, crisis response under real pressure, employee cultures that hold organizations together and storytelling that shapes how the world sees a brand.

Asked about this year’s finalists, Brendan Gannon, director of awards marketing at Ragan, offered the following statement: “In just its second year, the Zenith Awards have already become one of our most competitive programs. The quality of work this year raised the bar in nearly every category, from AI-powered campaigns to some of the most courageous crisis communications we’ve seen. These finalists don’t just represent great work — they represent leadership at a moment when our industry needs it most. I can’t wait to celebrate all of them in New York on Nov. 5.”

Finalists span more than 40 categories, plus top individual and team honors including Communications Professional of the Year, Marketing Professional of the Year, Team of the Year, Rising Stars and Agencies of the Year, with Campaign of the Year, the program’s highest distinction, revealed live on stage.

A panel of 13 senior communicators, representing organizations across nonprofit, technology, hospitality, retail and consumer goods, reviewed this year’s entries and selected the finalists:

• Lynn Godfrey, Chief Experience Officer, Blood Cancer United
• Allison Colangelo, Director of Executive Communications, Pinterest
• Michael Kaye, Director of Corporate Communications, Upstart
• Lauren Butler, Managing Director of Employee Communications & Engagement, Ketchum Golin
• Stacey Zolt Hara, S. Head of Workplace & Purpose, Burson
• Danielle Hughes, VP, Communications, BODYARMOR Sports Nutrition
• Raquel White, Chief Communications Officer, Labcorp
• Anthony Farina, Chief Communications & Brand Officer, Fujifilm
• Johnna Muscente, VP of PR and Communications, Corcoran
• Amanda Ponzar, Chief Communications Officer, Community Catalyst
• Lauren Stephens, Executive Director of Internal Communications, MGM Resorts International
• Meghan Roman, AVP of Internal Communications, Victoria’s Secret
• David Johnston, Director of Social Media, Save the Children

Category winners will be announced Nov. 5 at The Edison Ballroom in New York, when this year’s finalists gather for an afternoon of recognition and celebration.

This year’s Zenith Awards finalists are:

AWARDS OF DISTINCTION

Award of Distinction: Campaign of the Year

Blood Cancer United: Modernizing a Legacy Brand to Meet Patients’ Needs

Bospar: Seeing RealSense

Genesis Motor North America: Genesis Invitational — California Rises Initiative

Kroll Media: Cobell Settlement: A Search for 17,000 Long Lost Heirs

Memorial Hermann Health System

Schneider Electric: Repositioning the Brand as the Energy Technology Partner

SiTime: Making Timing Visible: How SiTime Turned Titan into a Category-Defining Semiconductor Story

Susan Davis International: MCHF 250th Marine Corps Anniversary

Unisys: Benjamin Moore: Masterpiece of Cloud Innovation

 

CAMPAIGNS & CATEGORIES

AI – Use of

Bospar: Seeing RealSense

Jennings Social Media and Martech: Lumitex

ROI Communication: From AI Foundations to AI Maturity: An Enablement Program for Communicators

 

Annual Report

All For Kids: 2025 Annual Report: Building Tomorrow Today

American Public Transportation Association: William J. Maroni

BKM Capital Partners: BKM Capital Partners 2025 Annual Letter

Impact Alamance: 2025 Annual Report

Southcoast Health: Southcoast Health 2025 Annual Report of Giving

 

Brand Storytelling

BARBRI: Discover BARBRI Professional Education

CNA: Cardinal E&S Brand Launch

Cox Enterprises: Cox Enterprises Corporate Website

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany: Greatness Begins in the Invisible

NantBioRenewables: Ocean Calcium Sand: Renewable, Climate‑Positive Material

Novartis: Dear Doctor

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): WMATA — The People Who Move the Region

 

Branded Content

Cloudera: #ClouderaLife

Cloudera: State of the Enterprise AI Survey Report

Cox Enterprises: Cox Enterprises Corporate Website

Memorial Hermann Health System: Memorial Hermann Resolution

NantBioRenewables: Ocean Calcium Sand: Renewable, Climate‑Positive Material

Pelco Solutions: Pelco Solutions Brand Evolution

 

Change Communications

Marelli: Marelli Leading Global Change Communications Through Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Mastercard: ERG Evolution

Quennect Communications: Scaling Change Communications for a 985-Location Technology Modernization

 

Community Relations

Bospar: Queer Joy is Resistance: How PR Turned a Sponsorship Crisis Into Record Fundraising

Genesis Motor America: Imagination to Innovation: Genesis and Child Creativity Lab Expand Access to STEAM Education in Under-Resourced Communities

Genesis Motor North America: Genesis Invitational — California Rises Initiative

PwC: Community Day

 

Content Marketing

Bospar: From Ghost to Guide: SHL’s Resurrection

TIAA: Essentials by TIAA

Unisys: Benjamin Moore: Masterpiece of Cloud Innovation

 

Creative Content

Minneapolis Institute of Art: Summer@Mia 2025

Novartis: Dear Doctor

 

Crisis Communications

Bospar: Queer Joy is Resistance: How PR Turned a Sponsorship Crisis into Record Fundraising

Bospar: Seeing RealSense

Jewish Community Services of South Florida: Fighting for Miami’s Safety-Net of Services: CBO Funding 2025

Marelli: Marelli Leading Crisis Communications Through Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

 

CSR

404 d.o.o x Dukat: Don’t Waste Food

Genesis Motor America: Imagination to Innovation: Genesis and Child Creativity Lab Expand Access to STEAM Education in Under-Resourced Communities

Hachette Book Group: Raising Readers

Salinas Valley Health: Vaccination Campaign

 

Education

Advocate Health, Wake Forest University School of Medicine: Match Day 2026: Kameron Williamson

Purdue University: Sunnie x Purdue University

 

Employee Communications

ChristianaCare: Flu Heroes, Unite!

Cisco: Cisco Innovating Internal Communications

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US): EY All in 30, All in Focus

Freeport-McMoRan: Freeport’s Transition to Autonomous Haulage

 

Employee Engagement

ChristianaCare: Flu Heroes, Unite!

Cisco Systems: Connected Cisco — Recognition Challenge FY26

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US): EY SHINE

M Group and Oak: M Group Transforms Workforce Connectivity Throughout a Complete Rebrand With Oak

Mubadala Investment Company: From Voice to Venture: How “Mubadara” Turned Employee Ideas Into Investments

PwC: Community Day

The Driving Force Group of Companies: The Good Games

 

Employer Branding

Cloudera: #ClouderaLife

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany: Greatness Begins in the Invisible

Wolverine Worldwide: Positioning WWW as an Employer of Choice

 

Event/Experiential

BMO Financial Group: Powered by Us: Mobilizing Senior Leaders for BMO’s Ambition 2030 Strategy

Cisco — CBEAM Events Team: Powering an Inclusive Future for All: The Evolution of Cisco’s Purpose-Driven Event Strategy

HAVAS Red: Opill + Chillhouse Campaign

Hays Electrical Services: Hays Electrical Cook-Off Takeover

Mubadala Investment Company: Bringing ​“OneMubadala” ​to Life​: The Mubadala Fair 2025

Red Banyan: Nova Music Festival Exhibition

Spears Group: National Fried Chicken Festival 2025

 

Government

Kroll Media: Cobell Settlement: A Search for 17,000 Long Lost Heirs

Unisys: Trust the Data: How Unisys Went Analog to Meet the Australian Government’s Digital Transformation Decision Makers

 

Influencer Marketing

Cloudera: Positioning Cloudera as an Enterprise AI Authority Through Influencer Activations

Hyundai Hope on Wheels: Driving Hope Beyond the Road: Hyundai’s Mission to End Childhood Cancer

InnoVision Marketing Group: Huey Magoo’s Influencer Campaign Turns Tenders Into Trends

Linqia: Linqia and Noodles & Company Hack TikTok Ramen Hack Culture

NAVC: Today’s Veterinary Practice: Edición Español

 

Integrated Communications

DKC: The American Revolution

Kroll Media: Cobell Settlement: A Search for 17,000 Long Lost Heirs

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority: Welcome to Fabulous

LHH: A Beautiful Working World

Manulife: Women’s and Family Health Product

NBCUniversal Telemundo: Unstoppable Women — Together Unstoppable

Novonesis: National Flagship Manufacturing Day Event at Novonesis

Philip Morris International: IQOS Curious X: The Cultural Engine Behind a Smoke-Free Future

Sinclair Agency: Let Builders Build

TD SYNNEX: 2025 TD SYNNEX Direction of Technology Report Strategic Communications Campaign

The Minnesota Star Tribune: Because the World is Watching: Minnesota Star Tribune and the Impact of Operation Metro Surge

 

Internal Communications

Acrisure: Travel and Expense Policy Transformation

ChristianaCare: Flu Heroes, Unite!

Designer Brands: Designer Brands Internal Video Strategy

Mastercard: Mastercard Technology Symposiums

Quennect Communications: Scaling Change Communications for a 985-Location Technology Modernization

TD SYNNEX: Leading & Learning as One: Unifying Culture and Leadership at TD SYNNEX

Virgin Australia: Guided by Integrity: Bringing Ethics and Compliance to Life at Virgin Australia

 

Intranet

Mastercard: theHUB

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP: Athena Intranet Project

Philip Morris International: OnePMI: Where People, Purpose, and Progress Connect

 

Issues Management

Business Roundtable: Business Roundtable Makes the Case for Tax Reform

Children’s Health: Protecting Families Through Preparedness: Children’s Health Issues Management Strategy

 

Marketing

Cisco Systems: Connected Cisco — Recognition Challenge FY26

CNA: Cardinal E&S Brand Launch

Purdue University: Stranger Things Culture Campaign

Sunward Federal Credit Union: Sunward Federal Credit Union — Banking Made Better

Unisys: Benjamin Moore: Masterpiece of Cloud Innovation

 

Measurement & Evaluation

JPMorganPayments & Bully Pulpit International: JPMorganPayments 2025 Measurement Campaign

Pacific Gas & Electric: Tying Communications Outputs to Business Outcomes to Drive PG&E’s PR Strategy

Unisys: The Intent Engine: How Unisys Used Data to Transform the Sales Cycle

 

Media Relations

Aircover Communications

Amp’d (a Publicity Division of Havas Formula): Din Tai Fung 25th Anniversary Always-On Media Relations PR Program

Coriolis Company: House of Diggs by Marion Orr

Coriolis Company: The Coroners Silence by Terence Keel

Diffusion PR: Driving Trends in Pop Culture — Wattpad x Diffusion

intersection: TOCCA Laila Launch

KCSA Strategic Communications

MKC Strategies: Ottobock Invisible Class Campaign: From Invisible to Visible

Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board: Canadian Airlift to Nassau

Padilla: Building Authority in Cell Therapy Through B2B Earned Media

Pugh & Tiller: Brand Awareness Campaign for Dermatology Partners

Rosica Communications: Britebound: Career Readiness for Brighter Futures

Supreme Communications: An IPO Beyond Expectations

The Hoffman Agency: Opening the Floodgates for Veeam Coverage

The Hoffman Agency: Putting SANS on the (Media) Map

The Hoffman Agency: Turning a Deleted Quote into Dual New York Times Placements

Ubisoft: Teammates

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): WMATA — The People Who Move the Region

 

Nonprofit

Genesis Inspiration Foundation: Where Healing Meets Creativity: California Rises and the Power of Youth Arts

Genesis Motor America: Imagination to Innovation: Genesis and Child Creativity Lab Expand Access to STEAM Education in Under-Resourced Communities

Jack Reid Foundation/TLG Communications: Jack Reid Law: Protect All Students Act

Memorial Hermann Health System: Memorial Hermann Resolution

 

Podcast

Auto Care Association: Auto Care ON AIR

Big Valley Marketing: Pressing Matters

GR8_TECH: Bet It Drives

 

Public Affairs

Airlines for America: Modern Skies Campaign

InnoVision Marketing Group: Herman Law Advocates for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

 

Public Relations

Bospar: Seeing RealSense

Diffusion PR: Building Trust and Transparency Across Generations — Thorne x Diffusion 2025

Evolve Public Relations & Marketing: Launching the Dorrance DOME: A New Era of Immersive Science in Arizona

 

Reports

CCS Fundraising: 14th Edition Philanthropic Landscape

Children’s Health: Children’s Health Reimagines its “People Report” With Four Pillars, Rich Interactive Storytelling and Measurable Engagement Insights

Cisco: Cisco FY25 Purpose Report

FortisBC Energy: FortisBC’s 2024 Sustainability Report

 

Reputation Management

Havas Formula: Red Lobster Reeling in a Comeback

Philip Morris International: Progress Spotlight: Where Progress Meets Proof

 

Social Media

Advocate Health, Wake Forest University School of Medicine: Match Day 2026: Kameron Williamson

Airlines for America: #WhyWeFly Campaign

WeAreCisco: The Human Edge: Building Brand Trust Through Employee-Led Storytelling

 

Special Event

AGCO Corporation: Fendt’s Golden Moment: Elevating Agriculture at the White House

ChristianaCare: Flu Heroes, Unite!

Jive PR + Digital: Noon Year’s Eve: Asteroid Drop

Matter: Segway Goes Full Throttle Into New Terrain at CES

University of Maryland: Creating Kermencment

 

Thought Leadership

Acadia Pharmaceuticals: Acadia Pharmaceuticals Corporate Communications Team & the Making of a Biotech Powerhouse Leader

Bospar: From Ghost to Guide: SHL’s Resurrection

Coriolis Company: House of Diggs by Marion Orr

Coriolis Company: The Coroners Silence by Terence Keel

Equitable: Equitable’s Voice-of-Customer Generational Planning Thought Leadership Engine

FleishmanHillard and The White House Historical Association: Elevating the Voice of White House History for America 250 and Beyond

ROI Communication: Strategic AI Blueprint: A Step-by-Step Roadmap for Communicators

Transcarent: Lead the Way

 

Video

Airlines for America: Modern Skies Campaign

Compassus: From Hospice to Space: Pam Harter

Lantheus: Purpose in Motion: Using [Video] Patient Stories to Bring Find. Fight. Follow. to Life

Lowe’s Companies: Chain Reaction

Novartis: Dear Doctor

Unisys: Benjamin Moore: Masterpiece of Cloud Innovation

 

Visual Storytelling

Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease: Rare Connections in gMG

Alnylam: A Patient’s AHP Journey In Motion

Integral: Estee Lauder Company

Novartis: Dear Doctor

Spears Group: New Schools for New Orleans K20 Installation

Stanford University: Every Plate Has a Story

 

AGENCIES OF THE YEAR

10Fold

DKC

EvolveMKD

Farrynheight

Green Flash Media

HAVAS PR North America

Intesa Communications Group

Jackson Spalding

KCSA Strategic Communications

Kite Hill

Krupp Agency

Landis Communications Inc.

Moore

Narrative Strategies

Ruder Finn

SourceCode Communications

The Abbi Agency

The Hoffman Agency

 

INDIVIDUALS & TEAMS

Communications Professional of the Year

Michelle Curran: Cloudera

Victor De Vita: BPCM

Abigail Drapeau: Wolverine Worldwide

Megan Driscoll: EvolveMKD

Janae Headly: Prove It Media

Kristin Komar: Uber

Jarno Oostingh: Nebo

Taylor Osumi: Dreamday

Natalia Rodrigues: Carnival Cruise Line

Gillian Sheldon: Napster

Meredith Shue: Ernst & Young LLP (EY US)

Rachel Spielman: Ruder Finn

Fernando Vivanco: Marelli

Stephanie Wallace: Nebo

 

Marketing Professional of the Year

Kelly Hiller: Purdue University

Bryan Madden: AMD

Shweta Ponnappa: Providence

Mary Wells: Cloudera

 

Team of the Year

Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Line Communications Team

CNA: Cardinal E&S Brand Launch

Dreamday

Macon-Bibb County: Office of Communications

The Agency: The Agency Global PR Team

Wolverine Worldwide: The Agency // PR Team

 

Rising Stars  

Akanksha Adlakha: Napster

Olivia Clarke: Nebo

Jaliah Robinson: Integral

Max Spielman: Ruder Finn

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