GOLD COAST PR COUNCIL Announces Nominees for 20th Annual Bernays Awards, Honoring Excellence in PR and Marketing

GCPRC’s Prestigious Presidents Award to Honor Co-Founder Gary Schweikhart

BOCA RATON, FL, UNITED STATES, June 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sandy Collier and Melissa Perlman, co-presidents of the Gold Coast PR Council (GCPRC), South Florida’s largest independent association of public relations, communications and marketing professionals, today announced the nominees for the 20th Annual Bernays Awards. Since 2005, the Bernays Awards have recognized excellence in public relations campaigns, marketing programs, media relations, special events, and communications initiatives throughout South Florida.

The awards will be presented at the 20th Annual Bernays Awards Luncheon on Thursday, July 23, at 11:30 a.m. at the Airport Hilton in West Palm Beach. WPTV NBC 5 anchor Tania Rogers will serve as emcee. GCPRC will present awards in 14 categories, including ten competitive categories and four special honors selected by the organization's Board of Directors.

The only award announced in advance is the prestigious Presidents Award, presented annually to an individual or organization demonstrating exceptional achievement and service to the communications profession. This year's recipient is Gary Schweikhart, who co-founded the Gold Coast PR Council with the late Barry Epstein in 2002.

Schweikhart has spent more than 55 years in communications, beginning his career in Omaha and San Francisco as a radio and television talk show host, investigative reporter, and newspaper and magazine editor before transitioning into corporate public relations leadership roles with national brands including The Sharper Image and Office Depot.

In 2001, he launched Boca Raton-based PR-BS (Public Relations By Schweikhart), specializing in nonprofit and cultural organizations, hospitality and tourism, attractions, crisis communications, event planning, and targeted promotions. Over the past 25 years, his clients have included the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Mounts Botanical Garden, Lynn University, The Colony Hotel Palm Beach, the Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival, and the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County. Schweikhart also serves as president of the Board of Directors for the Carbonell Awards, which have recognized excellence in South Florida professional theater for nearly 50 years.


2026 Bernays Award Nominees



Best Nonprofit Project or Campaign – Small (under $20,000 Marketing Budget)

-Dashiell Communications – Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival: The Shakespeare by the Sea Town of Jupiter Centennial Night

-The Buzz Agency – Promise Fund: Expanding Access to Life Saving Cancer Screenings

 

Best Nonprofit Project or Campaign – Large (over $20,000 Marketing Budget)

-BlueIvy Communications – Arts Garage: Sustaining a Cultural Anchor Amid Arts Funding Cuts

-Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County – Stop the Scams! Sign Up for Property Fraud Alert

 

Best PR Campaign / Large PR Firm or Organization (5 or More Employees)

-BlueIvy Communications – ‘A Legacy Through Local Art” Initiative

-Broward Water Partnership – Water Wise Will Conservation Awareness Campaign

-City of Boca Raton – The City of Boca Raton’s Centennial Celebration: Cheers to 100 Years

-Discover the Palm Beaches – Palm Royal-ty: Leveraging Jet-Setting to Elevate the Palm Beaches

-Florida Atlantic University – ‘Unicorns of the Sea”

-Haven Health Management: Check-In and Reach Out: A National Mental Health Campaign

-The Mosaic Group: City of Miami Gardens Recruitment Campaign

 

Best PR Campaign – Small (5 Employees or Fewer)

-Hey Sandy! PR & Communications – T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society: Opioid Prevention Education Series, Season 5

 

Best Social Media Campaign (nonprofit)

-Kaliah Communications & MasterWing Creative Agency – Dine Local. Savor Greenacres.

 

Best Social Media Campaign (for profit)

-Boardroom PR – Banking for the Next Generation 

 

Best Special Event

-BlueIvy Communications – Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans

-Discover the Palm Beaches: Spill the Tea: Bringing The Palm Beaches to New York City Through Immersive Storytellng

-Palm Beach County Library System – Canyon Branch Grand Opening

 

Best Crisis Communications

-Food For The Poor – Responding to Hurricane Melissa

-The Buzz Agency – Boca Helping Hands: Mobilizing Community Support During Food Insecurity Crises

 

Best Marketing Material - Print (Internal or External)

-Anne M. Gannon, Constitutional Tax Collector serving Palm Beach County– A Report to Our Citizens for Fiscal Year 2024-25

-Palm Beach County Library System – The Bookmobile Rebrand



Best Marketing Material - Digital/Video (Internal or External)

-Boardroom PR – Own Your Future

-Food For The Poor – United Magazine

-Hey Sandy! PR & Communications – Renewed Wellness Medical Center Commercials

-Multi-Media Works, LLC – G.O. Bond Revitalization of A1A in Pompano Beach

In addition to the competitive awards, GCPRC will present its PR Star Award, recognizing an individual or organization that made an extraordinary impact during the past year, the Tim Byrd Award to a media figure who has been particularly helpful to PR professionals, and the Founders Award, honoring lasting contributions to the Gold Coast PR Council. A Judge's Award may also be presented at the discretion of the 2026 judging panel.

"Celebrating 20 years of the Bernays Awards is a testament to the remarkable talent, creativity, and impact of South Florida's communications professionals," said Collier and Perlman. "This year's nominees represent some of the region's most innovative campaigns and meaningful work, and we are especially proud to honor Gary Schweikhart, whose leadership and dedication helped establish and shape our organization."

Tickets for the Bernays Awards Luncheon are $50 for GCPRC members and $60 for nonmembers. Tables of 10 are available for purchase at https://www.goldcoastprcouncil.com/category/bernays-awards/. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and event information, visit GoldCoastPRCouncil.com.

About the Gold Coast PR Council
Founded in 2002, the Gold Coast PR Council is South Florida's largest independent association of public relations, communications, marketing, and public affairs professionals. The organization provides networking, professional development, recognition, and educational opportunities for communications practitioners throughout the region. For more information, visit GoldCoastPRCouncil.com.

Melissa Perlman
BlueIvy Communications
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