The PR Club welcomed more than 150 public relations and communications professionals to the Museum of Science for the 58th Annual Bell Ringer Awards, returning to the iconic Boston venue for the second consecutive year. The evening was hosted by Edgar B. Herwick III, the Emmy Award-winning GBH host and reporter behind the “Curiosity Desk” series and co-host of “The Culture Show.”
The event celebrated the region's most impactful PR and communications work — from single-tactic executions to comprehensive, multichannel campaigns — along with the professionals and teams behind them.
“The Bell Ringers have always been about recognizing the very best of New England's communications community, and this year's winners raised the bar once again,” said Kaitlynn Cooney, PR Club president. “From rising stars to seasoned leaders, the work we celebrated reflects the creativity, rigor and impact that define our industry, and it was a privilege to honor those efforts alongside Edgar and the team at GBH.”
Top Honors at the 58th Annual Bell Ringer Awards
The Super Bell Award — the evening's top honor — went to 360PR+ for "From Food Brand to Community Builder: Bob's Red Mill's 'Moregetherness' Campaign." The campaign first earned Gold Bells in two categories before advancing to win the evening's top honor.
Built on original research into how sharing food can ease loneliness, it repositioned the 47-year-old brand as a "community builder," anchoring on National Good Neighbor Day with HGTV's Erin and Ben Napier and a cohort of grassroots "Neighborhood Leaders." The effort generated more than 5 billion earned media impressions and an earned media value more than nine times its spend, reaching overwhelmingly new audiences for the brand and driving measurable lifts in site traffic and purchase intent.
Agencies across New England were recognized for their outstanding work, with several firms standing out for both the volume and quality of their winning entries. Duffy & Shanley led the evening with 16 awards, including five Gold Bells. John Guilfoil Public Relations followed with 12 wins, earning two Gold Bells, while 360PR+ received eight awards overall, including five Gold Bells. Seven of the evening's Gold-winning campaigns qualified for the prestigious Platinum Super Bell competition. As the highest-scoring campaign entries, they advanced to a final round of judging by an independent panel, which selected the night's overall winner after a rigorous discussion.
New this year, the Bell Ringer Awards featured a Student Work division, highlighting exceptional work from emerging communications professionals. Two Merit Awards were presented to Simmons University students: Nevaeh Berenato for “Concert Review: Maruja Protests with Punk at the Sinclair” and Studio 5, in partnership with Smile Brookline, for “Elevating Pediatric Airway Health Awareness & Expertise.”
Additional Awards Highlights:
The John J. Molloy Crystal Bell Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kathy Wilson of Tier One Partners, honoring a distinguished career and an extensive track record of contributions to the New England communications community. A Boston College alumna, Wilson continues to bring unparalleled experience to the industry. She held executive positions at Weber and Fitzgerald before co-founding Tier One in 2002, previously served on the PR Club’s Board of Directors, remains a Bell Ringer judge, and helps advance the Club’s relationships with local media.
The Ringer Award, recognizing a mid-career professional demonstrating steady, significant progress and impact within their organization and the broader PR community, was presented to Sam Powers of Walker Sands. Powers has played an integral role in advancing program measurement, GEO strategy and outcomes-based thinking within the agency, while building a reputation as a mentor and leader who empowers her teams to learn, grow and succeed, especially under pressure.
The Striker Award, celebrating early-career achievement and a results-driven newcomer who has stood out in a short period of time, went to Aidan Poole of Walker Sands. A former local journalist, Poole brings a reporter-first approach to media relations, landing tier-one coverage for his technology clients in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Axios — including more than 20 top-tier placements in his first two months on the agency's media expert team.
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The Carillonneur Award for Best Team Culture, recognizing a public relations or communications organization, or internal workplace team, that has demonstrated strength, growth and a commitment to culture over the past year, was awarded to Randstad Digital | powered by Torc. Key to the Community Team’s acquisition integration culture success story are strong relationships that drive performance and foster a healthy work-life balance — keeping people, career development, and collaboration at the center of Randstad Digital’s talent marketplace business model.
Giving Back: Supporting Local Journalism
Continuing its tradition of giving back and in honor of the night’s host, the PR Club dedicated this year's 50/50 raffle to GBH. The generosity of attendees, combined with a match from the PR Club, helped raise over $1,300 for the nonprofit media organization. GBH is New England's leading public media organization and home to award-winning journalism, local programming, and educational content.
Special Thanks to This Year’s Sponsors
The 58th Annual Bell Ringer Awards were made possible in part thanks to the following sponsors: AF Media, Boston University College of Communication, David Fox Photography, John Guilfoil Public Relations, JTC Printing, Reportable, Researchscape and Spyglasses. We are grateful for their continued support in celebrating the region's top communicators.
See here for a winner’s kit of social media graphics and slide tiles, as well as a full list of all Gold Bell, Silver Bell, Bronze Bell and Merit Award winners. To learn more about the PR Club, please visit prclub.org.
