Entries Open for "Press Release Awards 2026" to Reflect on the Year's Releases and the Actions of All Involved. Deadline: August 7 (Fri)

PR TIMES Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Takumi Yamaguchi, TSE Prime: 3922), which operates the press release distribution service "PR TIMES" and other services, announced that entries for the "Press Release Awards 2026" are now open from Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

[Press Release Awards 2026 Entry Overview] Application Period: Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 12:00 PM - Friday, August 7, 2026, 11:59 PM Eligible Entries: All press releases issued between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026.

*All publicly issued press releases are eligible for entry. Whether or not the press release was distributed via "PR TIMES" does not affect eligibility.

*Multiple press releases can be entered per company. In such cases, please fill out the form for each press release.

Enter Now

What the Press Release Awards 2026 Aims to Achieve

The Press Release Awards were launched in 2021 to shine a spotlight on the public relations and PR activities of everyone involved and to expand the culture of information dissemination. This year marks the 6th event, and the cumulative number of entries over the past five years has exceeded 9,500. Each of these numbers is a testament to the actions taken by all of you, released into the world with passion and determination. We express our sincere respect for all of them.

When you hear the word "Awards," some of you might think it's something to aim for winning. However, we do not want the Press Release Awards to be merely a place to judge and honor excellent press releases.

Announcements of new products, follow-ups on launched projects, survey data posing questions to society. Regardless of their form, all press releases are important records of society being shaped by corporate activities. And behind each one, we imagine there must have been countless hours that cannot be measured by the results alone, such as diligent information gathering, team discussions, and the struggle to choose the right words.

Therefore, we aim for "Awards for All Working People," not just to win an award, but as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the past year and to share the struggles and efforts with colleagues inside and outside the company who were involved in that dissemination.

Press Release Awards Special Website

Reflect on Your Year's Journey Through Entry

Entry Process 1. Fill in the entry details on the entry form (temporary saving is possible).

2. Finalize the details on the confirmation screen.

3. Upon receiving an email after submission, the entry is complete.

In the midst of busy daily work, it is not easy to take time to recall past initiatives. To make it as easy as possible for everyone to reflect on their year's journey at their own pace, we have introduced a temporary save function for entry details starting this year.

Additionally, we are currently preparing a My Page where you can view your past entries for the Press Release Awards from 2021-2025 (scheduled to be announced from mid-August to early September).

And to ensure this award can be "Awards for All Working People," we will welcome you in the following ways this year:

Renewal of the Special Website. Towards a more approachable and open space.

To ensure that everyone involved in daily PR activities feels they can participate with confidence, we have renewed the special website with a brighter design this year. It reflects the secretariat's desire to create a warm space where all working people can feel proud of their activities and participate casually, not just focusing on the results.

*The image is a sample of last year's entry certificate.

Presentation of "Entry Certificates" to Honor Invisible Efforts

As a token of the secretariat's respect and appreciation for the invisible efforts accumulated before a single press release is distributed, we will once again present "Entry Certificates" to those who wish to receive them, a program started last year. We hope you will accept it as "proof of creation together" with everyone involved in the distribution. (Scheduled to be announced from mid-August to early September).

Press Release Awards 2026 Category Awards

"Press Release Awards" is not an award to decide a grand prize, but rather to honor press releases that shine in each category. We want it to be an important award for many people working in various fields, such as large corporations, SMEs, sole proprietors, local companies, startups, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. With that in mind, we will again present awards in the following 10 categories this year.

Last year's Press Release Awards 2025 Award Ceremony

Innovative Award Awarded to press releases that have most expanded expression and application without being bound by existing concepts. Influence Award Awarded to press releases that have brought the widest and most positive influence internally and externally through dissemination and utilization. Social Award Awarded to press releases that have contributed most to expressing and deepening connections with society. Public Award Awarded to press releases most faithful to realizing information equality and trust. Empathy Award Awarded to press releases that have achieved the greatest leap by moving recipients' hearts and fostering empathy. Human Award Awarded to press releases that most strongly convey love and passion for products, employees, and customers. Story Award Awarded to press releases that possess the most compelling stories worth sharing. Local Award Awarded to press releases that have contributed to spreading the charm of a region, both internally and externally, through dissemination and utilization, from local companies and municipalities to restaurants rooted in the community. Great Step Award Awarded to press releases that have been issued with determination in industries that have not actively engaged in external communication or by companies that have not previously issued press releases. Special Award Awarded to press releases or the actions of presenters that deserve recognition but do not fit into the above categories.

*The awards may be modified (added to) through discussions at the final judging committee.

Press Release Awards 2026 Best 101

Scene from last year's Best 101 Award Ceremony

Every year, we receive many entries not only for award-winning press releases but also for those with unique creativity and stories behind their announcement. The press releases that advance to the final judging have many points that can be evaluated as "contributing to the expansion of press release possibilities" and "worthy of learning from," which is the purpose of this award. With the desire to honor and make these known, since 2023, we have announced the 101 press releases that reached the final judging as "Best 101." To convey the 101 press releases that garnered attention during the judging process and the achievements of those involved in their announcement, we will honor them with judges' comments and invite them to the award ceremony on October 28.

Last Year's Best 101

Press Release Awards 2026 Event Overview and Application Guidelines

Eligible Press Releases

Press releases issued between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. *Use of "PR TIMES" is not required. *All press releases issued within the eligible period are eligible for application.

Application Period

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - Friday, August 7, 2026

How to Apply

Please apply from the entry form below. https://pressreleaseawards.prtimes.jp/entry-form/

Notification of Award

Scheduled for mid-September 2026 onwards.

Announcement Format

Scheduled to be held at our award ceremony, announced via our press releases, and on the special website.

Special Website

For past award-winning press releases, the schedule leading up to the award ceremony, and voices from entrants, please check the URL below.

https://prtimes.jp/pressreleaseawards/

Frequently Asked Questions

For frequently asked questions regarding applications and judging for the Press Release Awards, please check the URL below. https://tayori.com/q/pressrelease-award2026/

Voices from Award-Winning Companies of "Press Release Awards 2025"

In last year's "Press Release Awards 2025," 10 companies in total were awarded from 4,573 entries, including listed companies, local companies, municipalities, and startups. Interviews with award-winning companies are published on "PR TIMES MAGAZINE," a media outlet delivering PR knowledge.

Here, we introduce excerpts from interviews with Mr. Seiya Yamazaki of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Empathy Award), Mr. Gaku Sugimura and Mr. Manabu Sugimura of Sugimura Seikou Co., Ltd. (Human Award), and Mr. Kosuke Horibe and Ms. Masako Ueda of Hida City, Gifu Prefecture / Ms. Kanako Funasaka and Ms. Tomoyo Senoo of Hidakara Inc. (Local Award). (Order not specified, titles omitted).

Empathy Award: Mr. Seiya Yamazaki, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

We named the period from September to October, when summer heat continues due to climate change, as "Mada Natsu" (Still Summer) and proposed it as a new season. This initiative began to address challenges such as seasonal shifts in production and issues like loss of appetite and cooking motivation, and nutritional deficiencies (Mada Natsu Syndrome). (Omitted) After distribution, PV numbers continued to increase, exceeding 18,000 PV by July. This is a higher view count than our CM release featuring a celebrity. It also led to inquiries and coverage from multiple media outlets, and we believe it was effective in achieving our goal of aiming for collaboration with many stakeholders.

Award-Winning Press Release: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000092.000092524.html Full Interview Article: https://prtimes.com/magazine/award-2025-ajinomoto/

Human Award: Mr. Gaku Sugimura and Mr. Manabu Sugimura, Sugimura Seikou Co., Ltd.

Small factories, which form the backbone of the manufacturing industry among SMEs, which account for over 90% of Japanese companies, have very weak communication power, and it is largely unknown what is being made in these small factories scattered throughout towns. We wanted to first make this reality known through dissemination. (Omitted) Not only were we featured in the "Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun" for the first time as a company, but our X impression count also quadrupled before and after the press release distribution. Furthermore, in August of this year, we achieved a collaboration with "INNER-FACT," a manufacturer of running gear, and are now selling original running shirts on a made-to-order basis, leading to joint projects.

Award-Winning Press Release: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000001.000163727.html Full Interview Article: https://prtimes.com/magazine/award-2025-sugimura-seiko/

Local Award: Mr. Kosuke Horibe and Ms. Masako Ueda, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture / Ms. Kanako Funasaka and Ms. Tomoyo Senoo, Hidakara Inc.

As we worked on the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) program with the goal of becoming "the municipality that makes you feel most glad you donated to your hometown," "Occhan Rental" (Grandpa Rental) began six years ago through Furusato Nozei, aiming for people to actually visit the area, connect with the town's proud individuals, and for more people to learn about the region and its charms. (Omitted) For this press release, in addition to the PR staff, the project staff and members of the intermediary support organization consulted in advance on the content of the dissemination and planned and executed it strategically. It was particularly rewarding to have our team's efforts recognized. We are delighted that our promotional efforts across all fields of Hida City are one step closer to realization, with our welfare press release recognized last year and our regional revitalization press release recognized this year.

Award-Winning Press Release: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000102.000120394.html Full Interview Article: https://prtimes.com/magazine/award-2025-hidashi/

What are the Press Release Awards?

"Press Release Awards" was launched by PR TIMES in 2021 to promote the dissemination and development of press release culture. The aim is to expand the habit of issuing press releases across all business types, sizes, regions, and whether corporate or individual, and to foster development in expression methods and applications. All press releases publicly issued in a year are eligible, not limited to companies using "PR TIMES."

Over 10 judges, including media professionals and experts in public relations, evaluate and select entries based on criteria such as sociality, public interest, empathy, and future potential, recognizing those that contribute to expanding the possibilities of press releases. October 28, the date the world's first press release was issued in 1906, has been designated "Press Release Day," and awards are presented around October 28 each year.

A Message from the Project Manager on the Occasion of the Event

Tsukasa Sasaki, PR TIMES Business Unit, Second Sales Department, Press Release Awards 2026 Manager

In my daily sales activities, when I talk with customers, I feel that there are countless invisible efforts and passionate thoughts behind the release of a single press release. In today's information-saturated society, conveying all of that in just one release is by no means easy. That is precisely why we want to shine a light on all of it by having you enter the awards.

The Press Release Awards are not a place to determine superiority or inferiority, but an award built by the accumulation of efforts in dissemination by everyone, regardless of size. Through entry, we hope you will take this opportunity to reflect on your own journey and the dissemination efforts of the past year. We, the secretariat, will sincerely engage with each and every person and every press release, so that all entrants can feel "It was worth the effort" and "Let's work hard for another year." The entire secretariat looks forward to encountering the crystallization of your year's actions.

About PR TIMES Inc.

PR TIMES (pronounced "Pee-Ar Times") aims to achieve a society where "information from those who act moves people's hearts" as its mission, and where positive information from "actors" becomes the center of news, encouraging individuals and fostering a forward-looking society. We believe that press releases are for sharing the crystallization of people's actions and efforts, and for conveying their sentiments, and we are developing our business with the goal of democratizing PR, enabling "actors" of all company sizes to disseminate information themselves. The number of companies using the press release distribution service "PR TIMES" exceeds 124,000, with over 65% of listed Japanese companies using it. The number of media reporters who register for information gathering exceeds 29,000, with monthly site access reaching approximately 90 million PV, monthly press releases exceeding 46,000, and a cumulative total of over 2 million. Content is published on over 260 partner media outlets, including national newspaper websites (as of February 2026).

In addition, we support information announcement and dissemination through services such as "PR TIMES STORY" for storytelling, "PR TIMES TV" for video communication, PR partner services that provide support from PR planning to execution, the art-focused PR platform "MARPH," and news media operations like "STRAIGHT PRESS." We also operate businesses that provide comprehensive support to "actors," including the task and project management tool "Jooto," which supports the advancement of ideas from conception to announcement, and the customer support tool "Tayori," which facilitates customer response and information organization after announcements.

Our subsidiaries include THE BRIDGE Inc., which operates the startup media "BRIDGE," Glucose Inc., which provides custom software development, and NAVICUS Inc., which supports SNS marketing.

PR TIMES Inc. Company Profile

Mission: Towards an era where information from those who act moves people's hearts. Company Name: PR TIMES Inc. (TSE Prime, Nagoya Stock Exchange Premier, Securities Code: 3922) Location: Akasaka Intercity 8F, 1-11-44 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Established: December 2005 Representative Director: Takumi Yamaguchi Business Activities: - Operation of press release distribution service "PR TIMES" (https://prtimes.jp/) - Operation of story distribution service "PR TIMES STORY" (https://prtimes.jp/story/) - Provision of PR support as a partner between clients and media - Operation of video PR service "PR TIMES TV" (https://prtimes.jp/tv/) - Operation of art-focused online PR platform "MARPH" (https://marph.com/) - Operation of customer support tool "Tayori" (https://tayori.com/) - Operation of task and project management tool "Jooto" (https://www.jooto.com/) - Operation of media delivering PR knowledge "PR TIMES MAGAZINE" (https://prtimes.jp/magazine/) - Operation of press release dedicated editor "PR Editor" (https://preditor.prtimes.com/) - Operation of web news media such as "STRAIGHT PRESS" (https://straightpress.jp/), etc. URL: https://prtimes.co.jp/