Emerging Leaders Awards

1. The ELAs recognize rising stars in the communications industry, and showcase the field’s most talented young women (ages 25-35) for their professional accomplishments. These honorees implement innovative communications strategies that go above and beyond – achieving impressive and extraordinary results.

The ELAs were created in 2010 as a special accolade for young women active within the communications field that were making a significant impact on the industry but were not being recognized due to age or years of experience. The Emerging Leaders Awards ceremony is an opportunity to hear from these up-and-coming leaders that will inspire and educate, and celebrate the value of public relations. The honorees will be promoted in WWPR materials and on the website. Honorees will be named at the awards ceremony based on their contributions as well as their potential to contribute to the industry for many years to come, making them truly emerging leaders.

For the second year in a row, honorees will span from different industries and will be honored in the following categories: nonprofit ELA honoree, corporate ELA honoree, association ELA honoree, agency ELA honoree, government affairs ELA honoree, and an independent/PR practitioner ELA honoree.

Eligibility requirements and nomination instructions are detailed below. Please direct questions about nominations to Erika Dyer and Stephanie Wight, WWPR board members and Emerging Leaders Awards co-chairs, at ela@wwpr.org.

Nominate a friend, a mentee, a mentor or a colleague today by May 27, 2022.

• Nominee must be no younger than age 25 and no older than age 35 on June 1, 2022 and reside in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
• Nominees must work in one of the following disciplines: media relations, crisis communications, event planning, social media, digital media, website communications, strategic communications, community relations, internal communications, speech writing, public affairs, public relations, marketing communications, government communications, investor relations communications, consumer/lifestyle communications, branding, and writing/editing.
• Nominee cannot be a current WWPR board member.
• Nominee must have demonstrated leadership, including contributions to the field, post-college.

The nomination period for the 2022 Emerging Leaders Awards is open.  We are excited to receive your nominations and announce the recipients during our awards ceremony on June 22.  Register for the Awards Ceremony and be sure to reserve your spot to network with your colleagues beforehand and honor them for their contribution to the public relations and related fields.