FAQ

The competition is divided into several stages: the entry phase, jury evaluation and nominations.

For the eight “20th Anniversary Excellence”-categories, shortlisted entries will then present their work in a live pitch before the jury. The pitch will take place in Berlin; a digital option will be available for nominees who are unable to attend in person.

The competition concludes with the festive Award Show in Berlin, where the winners are honoured.

Entry phase deadlines:

• Early Deadline: 4 August 2026
• Late Deadline: 1 September 2026
• Final Deadline: 15 September 2026

Shortlist announcement: mid-October 2026

Live Pitch for the 20th Anniversary Excellence categories, Berlin or digital: 11 December 2026

Award Show in Berlin: 11 December 2026

Individuals, companies, agencies, organisations and institutions from across Europe are eligible to enter. International entries are also possible, provided the project was implemented in Europe.

Eligible are PR and communications projects, campaigns, strategies or initiatives that create measurable impact – regardless of whether they are one-off projects, long-term measures or embedded across an organisation.

Projects and campaigns may be entered if they were created, implemented or published between 1 June 2025 and 15 September 2026. Projects that started before this period may also be entered if they reached a new stage of development, were substantially developed further or relaunched during this period.

Entries are submitted online via the entry portal. All project-related information is requested there in a structured format. You can save your entry as a draft at any time before and continue editing it later.

You can find the full overview of all categories here. A project may be submitted in several suitable categories. Each entry is judged separately.

It’s simple: you go through the form step by step and can save your progress at any time and continue later.

1. Register free of charge
   First, create a free account on the entry platform.
2. Select a category
   Choose the category or categories that best fit your project. You can find all categories here: Category Overview.
3. Enter participating parties
   Enter which organisation or organisations are submitting or responsible for the project – and which agency or agencies were involved, if applicable.
4. Project profile
   Enter the content that may be published unchanged in the event of a nomination or award. Upload a meaningful title image that visually represents your project, describe your project and optionally add a case film.
5. Add project description
   Give the jury a clear overall view of your project – from the initial situation and objectives to the strategy, implementation and results.
6. Duration & budget
   Now enter the key facts. Our tip: the jury appreciates budget information.
7. Upload materials
   Upload everything that helps illustrate your project, such as documents or presentations. Please remember that these materials are only helpful if they provide real added value.
8. Complete your entry
   Only once you submit your entry finally can no further changes be made. Until then, everything remains in draft form.

• Images: JPG/JPEG or PNG
  (e.g. the title image of your entry in landscape format, minimum width 1280 px – this will be published in the event of a shortlist nomination)
• Texts/documents: PDF or DOC
• Presentations: Please upload these directly as converted PDFs.
• Videos: MP4 or MOV
• Optionally, you can upload a case film of around one minute for your entry, which may be shown during the Award Show.

The categories have different entry fees:

€390*
20th Anniversary Excellence
Communications & PR Excellence
Brand Experience & Engagement
AI-Driven Communications
Internal & HR Communications
Purpose & Impact
Platforms & Formats

€290*
Industries
National Campaigns

Depending on the time of submission, additional fees apply:

Early Deadline – 4 August 2026
No additional fees

Late Deadline – 1 September 2026
plus a late fee of €145* per entry

Final Deadline – 15 September 2026
plus a final fee of €195* per entry

*All prices are subject to VAT.

We offer to check submissions technically. Do all links work? Can all attachments be opened? Has the form been completed correctly?

For this service, we charge 59 euros plus VAT. Please note that, as part of this check, we do not review the content of the submission. You are responsible for the content of the submission and for selecting the category yourselves. The check does not guarantee a nomination or win.

All entries must be submitted in English.

Please only submit your entry once all links and attachments are working and you are satisfied with your submission. Once submitted, entries can no longer be edited or cancelled. A fee of €49 plus VAT will be charged for any subsequent invoice amendments.

Individual jury feedback is not included in the regular submission process. After the competition has ended, there may be an option to request more detailed feedback on your entry, but this cannot be guaranteed.

All entries are reviewed and evaluated by an independent expert jury of more than 50 experienced communications and PR experts.

The jury assesses entries according to the following criteria:

Strategy

Strong entries demonstrate a clear and coherent strategy, aligned with the challenge, objectives and target audiences.

Creativity

The jury evaluates how effectively a project introduces fresh thinking, original ideas and innovative approaches that distinguish it from comparable initiatives.

Execution

The jury assesses the quality of implementation, including the effectiveness of the chosen measures, channels and resources.

Impact

Projects are evaluated on the results they achieved, from measurable short-term outcomes to long-term impact and lasting change.

Category Fit

Entries should clearly demonstrate why they belong in the selected category and how they meet its specific objectives.

After the jury evaluation has been completed, the best three to five projects in each category are nominated. The shortlist will be published in mid-October. A nomination is already considered a special distinction.

All entrants are invited to attend the Award Show in Berlin, regardless of whether their project has been nominated.

Shortlisted projects in the “20th Anniversary Excellence”-categories will additionally be invited to pitch before the jury. The pitch is designed as a live on-site format in Berlin, offering direct exchange with the jury and fellow nominees. A digital pitch option will be available for those unable to attend in person.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the European Excellence Awards, we are introducing a special selection of categories dedicated to some of the most influential fields in modern communications and PR.

As an additional evaluation stage, shortlisted entries in these 8 categories will be invited to present their work directly to the jury. The pitch gives nominees the opportunity to show the strategic thinking, creativity and results behind their project in a focused live format.

Only shortlisted entries in the “20th Anniversary Excellence”-Categories are required to take part in the pitch.

Participation in the pitch is mandatory in order to remain in the competition in these categories. The pitch is designed as an on-site format in Berlin, with a digital option available for those unable to attend in person.

During the pitch, you present your project live before a jury panel. As some jury members may not yet know the project in detail, we recommend starting with a brief introduction and context.

The pitch is structured as follows:

• 2 minutes set-up time
• 8 minutes presentation time
• 5 minutes discussion with the jury

We will provide the necessary presentation technology, including projector and sound. The pitches will take place in modern rooms at the Quadriga Campus.

Catering will be available on site.

The pitch day is also designed to create space for exchange between nominees, jury members and peers in the 20th Anniversary Excellence categories. The more nominees join us in Berlin, the stronger this shared experience and networking opportunity will be.

The jury pitches will take place on 11 December as part of the jury session at the Quadriga Campus in Berlin. We strongly encourage nominees to present their work on site in Berlin, as the live format allows for direct exchange with the jury and fellow nominees. The Award Show will take place that same evening, giving nominees the opportunity to celebrate their achievements and, if selected, receive their award on stage in Berlin.

A digital pitch option will be available for those unable to attend in person.

The exact pitch time will be communicated to all nominees by email in good time before the event.

All presenting participants must register in advance. Nominees will receive all organisational information directly by email after the shortlist has been published.

We strongly encourage nominees to join us in Berlin. The on-site pitch offers direct exchange with leading jury experts and creates a more personal, focused setting for presenting your work.

The Award Show will take place on the evening of 11 December at the glamorous “Bar jeder Vernunft” in Berlin.

Address:
Schaperstraße 24
10719 Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Germany

A ticket is required to attend the Award Show. Information on ticket sales, conditions and availability will be communicated in good time.

Unfortunately, even nominated projects cannot be guaranteed a ticket. Tickets are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The winners of the European Excellence Awards will be announced and honoured during the Award Show.

If personal attendance at the Award Show is not possible, the award will of course still be granted independently of attendance. Winners will be informed by email after the official announcement.

Winners are honoured with a European Excellence Award and benefit from visibility across the EEA channels, media partners and accompanying communications activities.

Winners who attend the Award Show will receive their European Excellence Awards trophy on site.

Those who do not attend the Award Show can order their trophy afterwards via the trophy shop. In this case, shipping costs will apply.

Additional paid duplicates can also be ordered via the trophy shop. Winners will receive all relevant information by email after the official announcement.