The Hawaii chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) celebrated the best in Hawaii’s public relations industry at the 39th Annual Koa Anvil Awards ceremony on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at the Halekulani Hotel. This year’s Koa Anvils also celebrated PRSA Hawaii’s 75th anniversary and recognized the organization as one of the founding chapters for the Public Relations Society of America.
In front of over 160 attendees, PRSA Hawaii handed out the awards in two main categories:
- Koa Anvil Awards for outstanding public relations programs and campaigns; and
- Koa Hammer Awards for tactics that are part of a communications campaign.
The Best of Show award, which honors the campaign that received the highest score in the Anvil category, went to Honolulu integrated marketing agency Olomana Loomis ISC for its campaign in partnership with the State of Hawaii, “Building Trust in COVID-19 Vaccines through Community Outreach and Values.” For the second year in a row, Becker Communications, Inc. was recognized as the MVPr Team of the Year for receiving the most awards, earning a total of 12.
PRSA Hawaii also honored industry leaders and recognized up-and-coming talent within the public relations field:
- Gregg W. Perry Public Relations Professional of the Year Award – Keith DeMello, Ulupono Initiative
- Hokupaa Young Public Relations Professional of the Year Award – Maribell Pabalan, Anthology Marketing Group, A Finn Parters Company
- President’s Leadership Award – Piia Aarma, Pineapple Tweed
“This evening was an exciting opportunity to come together and recognize the very best in public relations in the state of Hawaii as well as to celebrate our chapter’s 75th anniversary with those in our community who have helped further the chapter and practice for many years,” said Samantha Tsui, president of PRSA Hawaii.
See attached winners list for a full list of winners in all categories.
ABOUT PRSA HAWAII
Founded in 1947, PRSA Hawaii is one of six founding chapters of the Public Relations Society of America. The chapter’s mission is to build value, understanding, and the demand for public relations professionals in Hawaii.
The Hawaii Chapter offers professional development seminars, informational forums, skills workshops, and monthly luncheon programs to public relations professionals of all experience levels and to students across the state.
PRSA Hawaii is a vibrant organization comprised of an active nucleus on Oahu, a progressive affinity group on Maui, and over 80 members across the state. The organization also mentors a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. For more information, visit www.prsahawaii.org.