PRCA announces Reginald Watts Prize shortlist

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The PRCA has announced the shortlist for the inaugural Burson-Marsteller-backed Reginald Watts Prize for PR Insight, which saw PR professionals aged 25 or under enter essays on their vision for what the industry will be like in 2020 and beyond.

Following the passing in April of former PRCA chairman, CIPR president and UK CEO of Burson-Marsteller, Reginald Watts,PRCA the annual prize will commemorate his thought leadership, writing, and forethought.

The competition challengs participants to write “thought-provoking” essays on the PR and comms industry. A different question will be set each year.

This year, PR and comms practitioners aged 25 or under were asked to enter essays up to 1,000 words on the following brief: Please present your vision of the PR and communications industry in 2020 and beyond, using any relevant evidence.

The shortlisted entrants are:

  • David Amos, senior account executive, I See PR
  • Abs Hassanali, PR and content consultant, Montpellier
  • Charlotte Lawson MPRCA, Public Relations & Content Consultant, Montpellier
  • Rolf Merchant MPRCA, Consultant, Instinctif Partners
  • Simona Morar MPRCA, PR Coordinator, A Marr + Associates
  • Matt Silver MPRCA, Account Executive – Corporate, Technology & Public Affairs, Ketchum

The shortlist was decided by a judging panel of Amanda Pierce, UK CEO at Burson Marsteller, Andy Green, founder of Andy Green Creativity, and Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA. Entries were judged on their demonstration of intelligence and the forward-looking viewpoints that are displayed.

Burson-Marsteller, for whom Reginald Watts worked for 18 years including ten years as UK CEO, is matching the £500 in the existing prize fund put forward by the PRCA, meaning that the winner of the competition will receive a bursary of £1,000 in total.

All of the finalists are invited to attend the awards ceremony taking place on Tuesday 20 September at Burson-Marsteller’s offices in London.

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