HPRA Opens 2026 ¡BRAVO! Awards, Introducing Campaign of the Year Category

The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) today opened submissions for the 2026 HPRA National ¡BRAVO! Awards, the national program honoring excellence in multicultural communications. HPRA will announce winners during the annual ¡BRAVO! Awards program in November. New for 2026, every eligible category submission will automatically enter consideration for Campaign of the Year, with the top-scoring campaign across award categories receiving the honor without a separate entry or added fee.

The 2026 call arrives at a defining time for authentic, culture-led communications. For more than a decade, the ¡BRAVO! Awards have recognized campaigns that engage communities with cultural depth, respect, and measurable results. The program honors agencies, brands, and nonprofits that build trust, reflect lived experience, and make Latino stories central to their work. “Over the past 12 years, the HPRA ¡BRAVO! Awards have shown the power of work rooted in culture, truth, and purpose,” said HPRA National President Sonia V. Diaz. “Latino communities are driving the future of the nation’s growth, and our industry has a responsibility to meet that force with respect, discipline, and creativity.”

The ¡BRAVO! Awards are more than a night of recognition. The program documents work shaping the communications field, creates visibility for culture-led campaigns, and funds scholarships for emerging talent. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $41,000 in scholarships to 13 recipients. In addition to recognizing scholars, the awards honor leaders and journalists who use their platform to showcase Latino-led storytelling. Recent honorees include civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, filmmaker Jessy Terrero, and journalists such as Alicia Menendez and María Elena Salinas.

The 2026 program welcomes work reflecting the full breadth of the community, including Afro-Latino, Indigenous, Caribbean, Central American, South American, and bicultural experiences. The strongest entries will show how communicators used language, creators, music, sports, food, news, and community life to reach audiences with respect. Categories span public relations campaigns, marketing programs, influencer engagement, public affairs, social equity, healthcare, entertainment, sports, nonprofit, digital media, and integrated marketing communications. The awards include Agency of the Year, which honors an agency showing business success through client work, talent development, and revenue growth, requiring an entry in at least one campaign category.

Other categories include Digital or Media Platform PR Program, Film, Music & Entertainment, Healthcare & Nutrition, Influencer Engagement, Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign, Internal Communications Program, Lifestyle, New Product/Service Launch, Nonprofit Campaign, Public Affairs Campaign, Social Equity, and Sports. Entrants must submit materials through the official HPRA National ¡BRAVO! Awards platform at https://bravo.hprausa.org. An independent panel of senior communications professionals will judge entries. Submission deadlines include Early Bird on June 9, 2026, Standard on July 10, 2026, and Late on August 7, 2026, with a late fee. Finalists will be announced on September 15, 2026. Eligible campaign work must have run between January 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

The HPRA ¡BRAVO! Awards, founded in 2014, have recognized excellence in multicultural communications, reflecting the creativity, discipline, and cultural fluency that move the field forward. HPRA, founded in 1984, is the premier organization for Hispanic public relations professionals in the U.S., offering professional development, national scholarships, and industry recognition. For sponsorship or press inquiries, contact [email protected].