40th Annual Excalibur Awards - Winners
This year, we stepped back into an era of sophistication, spirit, and bold ideas as we celebrated The Revival of Public Relations Excellence at our 40th Annual Excalibur Awards Gala. From rising stars and visionary leaders to breakthrough campaigns and enduring community impact, this year’s winners embody the timeless values of creativity, strategy, and purpose.
To the 2025 winners: congratulations! Your work dazzled, delivered, and defined what excellence looks like in this new era of PR.
Grand Excalibur
• Memorial Hermann Health System
• Public Service/Non-Profit/Public Affairs Campaigns: HEAL High School: Building Houston’s Future Healthcare Workforce
Special Awards
• Legacy Award: Kami Watson Huyse, APR, CEO/Founder, Zoetica
• CEO Communicator of the Year: Derrick D. Thomas-McKinney, CEO/Founder of L.O.U.D. Muzik
• Public Relations Professional of the Year: Leslee Hackett, Goliath Communications
• Solo Practitioner of the Year: Felicia Perez, FAR Public Relations
• Young Public Relations Professional of the Year: Daisy Campos, Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
• Large PR Agency of the Year: Elmore
• Mid-Size PR Agency of the Year: Medley Inc.
Campaign Categories
Community Relations
Gold: LSG – Creating Meaningful Community Engagement through the Houston CCS Alliance
Silver: The Kroger Co. - Houston Division – Kroger Feeds the Human Spirit
Bronze: Elmore – Reaching Harris County Voters: Promoting Harris County Flood Control District’s Maintenance Bond Meetings
Crisis Communications and Issues Management
Gold: Carla Sapsford – Leading Through the Storm: Legacy's Crisis Response
Silver: Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management – Disaster Recovery FAQs
Bronze: UT Physicians Marketing and Communications – Hurricane Beryl Patient Communications
Diversity and Inclusion/Multicultural Public Relations
Bronze: Veronica V. Sopher – Honoring Latina Legacies: Promoting Las Madres During Hispanic Heritage Month
Events and Observances
Gold: Love Advertising – Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Houston's Run for the House
Gold: San Jacinto College – 2024 San Jacinto College Gala
Silver: Elmore – Promoting George & Barbara Bush Foundation’s 41@100: A Celebration of George H.W. Bush
Bronze: Carla Sapsford – World AIDS Day Public Service Announcements
Integrated Communications
Gold: FAR Public Relations – CPR and Safety Awareness in Action
Silver: LFD Communications and the Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation – Sugar Land Arts Fest
Bronze: NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate – Space Operations: Communicating a Dynamic Era in Spaceflight
Internal Communications
Gold: Houston-Galveston Area Council – 2024 Hurricane Season Internal Preparedness Campaign
Silver: Memorial Hermann Health System – Epic Change, Epic Results: Communicating Change at Memorial Hermann Award Entry
Marketing Business to Business
Gold: Love Advertising – Fueling the Narrative for Phillips 66® Aviation
Marketing Consumer Products and Services
Gold: Love Advertising – YMCA of Greater Houston Elevates Communities with Vital Programs
Bronze: CKP – Strengthening Community Partnerships in South and Central Texas
Most Effective Campaign on a Shoestring Budget ($5,000 or less)
Gold: University of Houston – UH March Madness Social Media 2024
Public Service/Non-Profit/Public Affairs Campaigns
Gold: Memorial Hermann Health System – HEAL High School: Building Houston’s Future Healthcare Workforce
Silver: The Mach 1 Group – Texas Secretary of State's 2024 Voter Education Tour
Bronze: Katy Independent School District – Keeping Public Informed While Keeping Schools Safe
Reputation/Brand Management
Gold: TDECU – TDECU and Space City Credit Union Merger
Silver: Carbonara Group and Houston Humane Society – Houston Humane Society 2024 Public Relations Campaign
TACTICS
Annual Reports
Gold: Consolidated Asset Management Services – CAMS Annual SOAR Report
Silver: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – 2024 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Impact Report
Bronze: University of Houston - Division of Student Affairs – Annual Report - State of the Division
Blogs
Silver: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center – Cancerwise Blog
Bronze: Carla Sapsford – Health Literacy in Action: Legacy Community Health Blog
Brochures
Bronze: Veronica V. Sopher – Bridgeport Public Schools Nutrition Brochure: Nourishing Our Future
Creative or Unconventional Tactics
Bronze: Houston Zoo – Saving Elephants: The Race to Fight EEHV
Feature Stories
Gold: Prairie View A&M University – Welcome to Pantherland
Silver: UT Physicians Marketing and Communications – Sam Cleveland Story
Bronze: Bramble Creative – A Sustainable Vision: The Future of Aquatic Center Design
Magazines
Bronze: University of Houston – University of Houston Magazine
News Release
Silver: Veronica V. Sopher – Kansas Roots and Resilience: Launching Dennis R. Garcia’s Las Madres Through Strategic Press Outreach
Bronze: Like Minds Communications – Stages Appoints New Artistic Director
Newsletters
Bronze: Prairie View A&M University – PV in the News
Podcasts/Livestreams
Gold: KeyHire Solutions – KeyHire Small Business Podcast
Social Media
Bronze: Goliath Communications and FAR Public Relations – BEAR Social Media Annual Report
Special Projects
Gold: Memorial Hermann Health System – Memorial Hermann Media Center
Silver: Elmore – Houston Parks Board Employee Messaging Session
Special Publications
Bronze: Houston-Galveston Area Council – Hurricane Guide - Supplement for Older Adults & Special Populations
Video
Gold: Harris Health System – Video Visit Now Creative: An Animated Tutorial
Bronze: Carla Sapsford – Legacy's School-Based Health Care: Real Stories, Real Impact
