HPRA Opens Submissions for 2026 ¡BRAVO! Awards, Celebrating Culturally Relevant PR and Marketing
The Hispanic Public Relations Association has opened entries for the 2026 ¡BRAVO! Awards, which honor multicultural communications campaigns and now automatically consider all eligible entries for Campaign of the Year.
The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) today announced the opening of submissions for the 2026 HPRA National ¡BRAVO! Awards, the national program recognizing excellence in multicultural communications. The awards will culminate in a ceremony in November 2026, where winners will be announced.
New for 2026, every eligible category submission will automatically be considered for Campaign of the Year, with the top-scoring campaign across all categories receiving the honor. Entrants do not need a separate entry or additional fee. This change aims to streamline the process and highlight the most impactful work in the field.
The 2026 call comes at a pivotal time for authentic, culture-led communications, according to HPRA. For over 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 go beyond translation to build trust, reflect lived experience, and center Latino stories in 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. This year, we invite communicators to submit the campaigns that moved people, shifted conversations, and honored our communities with care.”
The ¡BRAVO! Awards serve as more than a recognition event. The program documents the 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. Additionally, the awards honor leaders and journalists who use their platform, influence, and voice to showcase the power of Latino-led storytelling in newsrooms, agencies, boardrooms, and public life.
Recent honorees include civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, filmmaker Jessy Terrero, DRAFTED co-founder Karina Martinez, Cannes Can: Diversity Collective founder Adrianne C. Smith, and several prominent journalists such as Alicia Menendez, Ilia Calderón, León Krauze, María Elena Salinas, María Hinojosa, and Teresa Rodríguez.
The 2026 program welcomes work that reflects the full breadth of the community, including Afro-Latino, Indigenous, Caribbean, Central American, South American, and bicultural experiences. Categories span public relations campaigns, marketing programs, influencer engagement, public affairs, social equity, healthcare, entertainment, sports, nonprofit, digital media, and integrated marketing communications. Notable categories include Agency of the Year, Campaign of the Year, 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.
Entries must be submitted 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 are: 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 awards underscore the growing importance of culturally relevant marketing as the U.S. Latino population continues to expand and influence consumer trends. For more information, visit www.hpra-usa.org.