Question 1

What are the Mercury Awards

Accepted Answer

The PRSA Mercury Awards honors the talents and accomplishments of the best and brightest communications professionals in our state.

Question 2

Who May Enter

Accepted Answer

Public relations and communications professionals working in the Greater Connecticut area. PRSA CT members AND non-members are eligible.

Question 3

What May Be Entered

Accepted Answer

All work entered must have been released, published or performed at least in substantial part between September 2025 and September 2026. The same material may be submitted in more than one category. Each category entered will incur a separate entry fee. List of categories can be accessed HERE.

Question 4

Entry Deadlines

Accepted Answer

All entries must be submitted online here.General submission deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026Last chance submission deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, Friday, October 9, 2026 ($50 extra/entry)Finalists will be notified by email in November. Awards will be presented at an in-person cocktail reception on Thursday, November 19 to celebrate this year’s winners. More information about the reception will be released in the coming months.

Question 5

Entry Fees

Accepted Answer

The following entry fees are for entries submitted by the October 1 general entry deadline. You will be prompted to pay when completing your online entry. Entries submitted between October 2 and October 9 will incur a $50 late fee per entry. Entries close at 11:59 p.m. October 9, 2026.TacticalSingle-item Component $65 per entry PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization $80 per entry non-member or non-affiliated organization $50 per entry 3 or more entries for PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization $65 per entry 3 or more entries for non-member or non-affiliated organization​StrategicComprehensive Campaign$75 per entry PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization $90 per entry non-member or non-affiliated organization $60 per entry 3 or more entries for PRSA member or member of an affiliated organization $75 per entry 3 or more entries for non-member or non-affiliated organization

Question 6

Payment Information

Accepted Answer

You will be prompted to pay by credit card when completing your online entry. Awards will be presented at an in-person cocktail reception to celebrate this year’s winners. More information on the reception will be released in the coming months.Click "Entry Fees" in FAQ for a detailed breakdown of cost per entry.

Question 7

Judging Criteria

Accepted Answer

Entries will be judged by a distinguished panel of senior-level public relations practitioners from a separate Public Relations Society of America chapter. This group will examine the entries and select the winners. Mercury Awards are presented for excellence in public relations programming.Judges evaluate the program on the merit of the four criteria — research, planning, execution and evaluation — that you share in your summary. Your entry should begin with a brief situation analysis for your program. The one- or two-page summary is the single most important component of the Mercury Awards entry. The following information will help you prepare a strong entry: ​ResearchWhat prompted the research? Was it in response to an existing problem, or does it examine a potential problem?What type of research did you use — primary, secondary or both? Primary research involves original research, including focus groups, interviews and surveys. Secondary research involves searching existing resources for information or data related to a particular need, strategy or goal (e.g., online computer database searches, Web-based research, library searches, industry reports and internalmarket analyses).How was the research relevant to shaping the planning process?How did the research help define or redefine the audience(s) or the situation?PlanningHow did the plan correlate to the research findings?What was the plan in general terms?What were the specific, measurable objectives of the plan?Who were the target audiences?What was the overall strategy used? What was your budget?ExecutionHow was the plan executed?What was the outcome of the plan?How did the activities flow in general terms?What were the key tactics?Were there any difficulties encountered? If so, how were they handled?Were other organizations involved?Were non-traditional public relations tactics used, such as advertising? (Unless you are entering this program under “Integrated Communications,” advertising costs should not exceed one-third of the budget.)EvaluationWhat were your results?How did the results compare to the specific, measurable objectives you identified in the planning section?What methods of evaluation were used?How well do the results reflect original strategy and planning?

Question 8

Submission Guidelines

Accepted Answer

For the best chance at achieving success with your entry, please read and follow ALL of the steps below - judging is closely based on this criteria.1. Please review the judging criteria, along with the category descriptions before starting your submission.2.  Please read carefully through the following guidelines: The deadline for general entries is October 1 *Entries submitted between October 2 and October 9 will incur a $50 late fee per entry. Entries close at 11:59 p.m. October 9, 2026.All entries and entry materials must be submitted online. This virtual portal eliminates the need for hard copies. Hard-copies are not accepted. At least some part of the entry must have taken place from September 2025 and September 2026. Programs tend to have better chances of winning near their completion, when evaluation against initial objectives can be measured.Entries may be submitted into more than one category, provided that the specific criteria within each category are applicable. In deciding which category/categories are most appropriate, entrants should examine program objectives and target audiences. Judges will not move entries to better suited categories.A category must be selected for each entry, along with the title of the entry, name of the organization/client, name of the agency (if any) and a 100-word description of the program.One-Page Summary for Tactical Campaigns: A concise summary no longer than one page must be uploaded as a PDF for tactical campaign entries. The following must be addressed in the summary: an entry’s objectives, audiences, budget and a summary of results, as well as sections on research, planning, execution and evaluation. The one-page summary should be typed using no smaller than 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.  Two-Page Summary for Strategic Campaigns: A concise summary no longer than two pages must be uploaded as a PDF for strategic campaign entries. The following must be addressed in the summary: an entry’s objectives, audiences, budget and a summary of results, as well as sections on research, planning, execution and evaluation. The two-page summary should be typed using no smaller than a 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.Supporting Materials: Entrants will be instructed to upload four separate PDFs (no more than 225 pages each with a maximum file size of 10MB) of any detailed supporting materials referenced in the research, planning, execution and evaluation sections of your two-page summary. Pages should be no larger than 8.5 x 11 inches with a minimum of 10-point typeface and one-inch margins.Images: Up to three graphic images representative of your program may be uploaded. Acceptable file formats include: .JPEG, .TIF, or hi-res PDF files. Generally, artwork should be at least 1,000 pixels or more in either width or height.Ethics: By entering the Mercury Awards program, all entrants confirm that their programs and entries comply with the ethical standards of the profession, as embodied in the PRSA Code of Ethics. Should an entry have an aspect of "ethics performance" that is both instructive and vital to the program, please include commentary of no more than four sentences. Should the judges find two entries equally deserving of a Mercury Award, they may use this statement to break the tie. If at any point PRSA becomes aware of any aspect of a submission that may not be in compliance with the Ethics Code, it may, at its sole discretion, take appropriate action.3. Click here to go directly to the Awards submission site.

Question 9

Special Award Nominations

Accepted Answer

2026 Practitioner of the Year Award honors the achievements of an outstanding Connecticut communications professional.Judging Criteria & Nomination Form coming soon!Nomination deadline: October 21, 20262026 Beacon Award recognizes a Connecticut executive whose leadership champions robust communications and public relations as a critical element in the success of his or her organization.The 2026  Beacon Award winner will be nominated and selected by the PRSA CT Board of Directors.

2026 Mercury Awards FAQs