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2025 Lantern Award Winners
The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) proudly celebrated the outstanding achievements of public relations professionals and students across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle at the 2025 Lantern Awards, held during the annual conference in Bossier City, Louisiana. The Lantern Awards program recognizes excellence in strategic communications, honoring projects that exemplify creativity, innovation and impactful results.
This year’s awards showcased the best in public relations, with entries judged by industry experts with a focus on the four-step RPIE process: research, planning, implementation and evaluation.
“Each year, the Lantern Awards showcase the remarkable talent and dedication of public relations professionals across our region,” said SPRF president Patrice Guilfoyle, APR. “The entries submitted this year reflect an impressive level of strategic thinking, creativity and execution. It’s clear that our members are setting a high standard for professional excellence, and their work continues to elevate the reputation of our industry throughout the Gulf South.”
Winners and their award-winning projects were honored during a special ceremony at the conference, bringing together public relations practitioners, educators and students to celebrate the best in the industry.
Professional Lantern Awards
Tier 1: Long Term Strategic Programs, 7 Months Or Longer
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
The Dangers of Sextortion and Our Youth |
National Children’s Advocacy Center Amanda Jarrett and Matthew Smith |
|
Lantern Award |
Ways to Save with SWEPCO |
Southwestern Electric Power Company Corporate Communications |
Category: Integrated Communication
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
MDOT’s 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Campaign |
Mississippi Department of Transportation – Public Affairs |
|
Award of Excellence |
Diabetes Prevention Takes Action |
Memorial Health System Marketing & Communications Team |
Category: Internal Communication
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
“In the Know” Newsletter |
Louisiana Board of Regents |
Category: Marketing
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Lantern Award Best of Tier 1 |
Booth to Bid: Tradeshow Campaign to Reclaim IOU Market Share |
Beta Engineering |
Category: Media Relations
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
Meet the Makers Press Trip |
Tupelo CVB TURNER Public Relations |
|
Lantern Award |
2024 Explore Ridgeland PR Launch |
Explore Ridgeland Foster Relations, Inc. |
Category: Public Affairs
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Merit |
Celebrating 50 Years of Regents |
Louisiana Board of Regents |
Category: Reputation, Issues, & Brand Management
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
Naturally Delightful: Huntsville Botanical Garden’s Rebrand |
Huntsville Botanical Gardens Red Sage Communications Laura McPhail, Allison McDonald, Sarah Macaluso, August McCoy |
Best of Tier 1
Booth to Bid: Tradeshow Campaign to Reclaim IOU Market Share | Beta Engineering
Tier 2: Short Term Strategic Programs, 6 Months or Shorter
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
Give the Gift of Magic |
United Way of Northwest Louisiana Paige Melton |
|
Lantern Award |
Know Your Child’s Reading Score Campaign |
Mississippi Department of Education Office of Communication |
|
Lantern Award Best of Tier 2 |
Driven by Inclusion: Toyota & MDRS Steering Workforce Accessibility Forward |
MDRS Office of Communication |
Category: Internal Communications
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
Comms 101 |
Jan Schaefer, APR Zoie Henson Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality |
|
Lantern Award |
Crest Industries Annual Survey |
Talent & Communication Team |
Category: Marketing
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
2024 Kent House Le Tour de Bayou |
Kent Plantation House 2024 Le Tour de Bayou |
|
Award of Excellence |
SDLP Marketing Campaign |
Southern Heritage Bank Micah A. Walker, MBA, APR |
Category: Special Events
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Merit |
Campus Communicators Summit 2024 |
Campus Communicators Network Summit The University of Alabama Division of Strategic Communications |
|
Award of Merit |
Soul for the King Activation |
Tupelo CVB Stax Museum of American Soul Music Tupelo Elvis Festival |
|
Award of Excellence |
Dual Enrollment Report Media Event |
Louisiana Board of Regents |
|
Lantern Award |
Friendsgiving 2024 |
Community Foundation of Mississippi Sophie McNeil Wolf, APR |
|
Lantern Award |
Women in Industry |
Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA) Women in Industry Forum Alicia Davidson |
Category: Potpourri
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
20th Annual Highland Jazz and Blues Festival Sponsorship Campaign |
Lagniappe P.R.I.M.E., LLC Emerie Eck Holtzclaw |
Best of Tier 2
Driven by Inclusion: Toyota & MDRS Steering Workforce Accessibility Forward | MDRS, Office of Communication
Tier 3: Tactical Materials/Projects
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Lantern Award |
2022-23 Superintendent’s Annual Report |
Mississippi Department of Education Office of Communication |
|
Lantern Award |
LSUA Generals Briefing Fall 2024 Edition |
LSUA Division of Strategic Communication |
|
Lantern Award |
The Blueprint for Success: MDHS 2024 Annual Report |
Michael King, Lead & Communication Team Mississippi Department of Human Services |
|
Lantern Award Best of Tier 3 Best of Show |
The Weekly Seed: Green Oak’s Employee Newsletter |
Kalli Hedgepeth |
Category: Audio & Video
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
Everyday DNA in Motion |
Makala Paul Graphic Designer HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology |
|
Lantern Award |
SDLP Commercial |
Southern Heritage Bank Micah A. Walker, MBA, APR |
|
Lantern Award |
MDEQ Virtual Classroom – Video Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality |
Bayou Town Productions LLC CommonHouse Productions |
Category: Collateral Materials
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
2023 Impact Report |
Visit Baton Rouge 2023 Impact Report |
|
Lantern Award |
Master Plan Year 5 Update |
Louisiana Board of Regents |
Category: Digital
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Merit |
Medical Center Matters |
University of Mississippi Medical Center Office of Communications and Marketing |
|
Award of Excellence |
Poarch Creek Indians Website Redesign |
Poarch Creek Indians |
|
Award of Excellence |
MDEQ Virtual Classroom (Website) |
Jan Schaefer, APR Zoie Henson Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality |
|
Lantern Award |
All Shook Up: Elvis’ Tupelo Experience Digital Trail |
Tupelo CVB |
|
Lantern Award |
Ushering Native Adventures Into the Digital Age |
Three Six Zero Industries Native Adventures Ashley Baham & Olivia Blackstock |
Category: Graphics
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
CAMP: The Clean Air Mississippi Project |
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Beyond Communication LLC Tetra Tech |
Category: Media Relations
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Merit |
UMMC Completes Seven-way Kidney Swap |
University of Mississippi Medical Center Office of Communications and Marketing |
Category: Social Media
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
Ciao Honors – Auburn Honors Spring Break Social Media Campaign |
Honors College at Auburn University T. Wade Berry |
|
Award of Excellence |
Native Adventures – Social Media Campaign |
Three Six Zero Industries Native Adventures Ashley Baham & Olivia Blackstock |
|
Award of Excellence |
Memorial Health System: Expanding Digital Impact through Social Media |
Memorial Health System Marketing & Communications Team |
|
Award of Merit |
Semiconductors in space? Professor, NASA making it happen |
Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Joe McAdory |
|
Award of Merit |
Auburn Design, Build, Fly has top 20 finish |
Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Dustin Duncan |
|
Award of Merit |
Auburn rocketry team visits Children’s of Alabama |
Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Dustin Ducan |
|
Award of Merit |
Free Bird: How a hawk is helping uncover flight secrets |
Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Dustin Ducan |
|
Award of Excellence |
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: A Poarch Creek Perspective |
Poarch Creek Indians |
Category: Potpourri
|
Award Type |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Award of Excellence |
MGCCC 2024 Viewbook |
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Ashlyn Levins |
Best of Tier 3
The Weekly Seed: Green Oak’s Employee Newsletter | Kalli Hedgepeth
Best Of
|
Award |
Title |
Submitted by |
|
Best of Tier 1 |
Booth to Bid: Tradeshow Campaign to Reclaim IOU Market Share |
Beta Engineering |
|
Best of Tier 2 |
Driven by Inclusion: Toyota & MDRS Steering Workforce Accessibility Forward |
MDRS Office of Communication |
|
Best of Tier 3 |
The Weekly Seed: Green Oak’s Employee Newsletter |
Kalli Hedgepeth |
|
Best of Show |
The Weekly Seed: Green Oak’s Employee Newsletter |
Kalli Hedgepeth |
