Melbourne hosted the second round of the State Awards for Excellence on Wednesday night, as part of the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s (PRIA) 2015 Golden Target Awards, now in its 39th year. The event took place at The Apartment, in Melbourne’s CBD, facilitated by Alain Grossbard, PRIA Victoria President – in front of 60 leading industry communicators.

Last night’s event celebrated an increase in awards handed out, with a total of 22 Victorian-based campaigns over 29 categories, with notable winners coming from Porter Novelli, Icon PR, Ellis Jones, PR Edge, Yarra Valley Water and Dairy Australia.

Alain Grossbard, PRIA Victoria president said, “Victoria received a large number of entries and received a significant number of winners in the different categories. This just shows the strength of our PR industry. The Golden Target Awards recognises and celebrate the excellent work of our PRIA members and the fantastic contribution they make to the public relations sector.”

“To be able to display one of our industry’s Golden Target Awards is an ongoing reminder of our communication excellence for our colleagues, competitors and visitors,” declared PRIA President, Mike Watson, FPRIA.

All Victorian winning entries now go into the running for the National Golden Target Awards finals on Monday 26 October 2015, at PRIA’s National Conference in Hobart.

Full list of Victorian winners:

Government Sponsored Campaigns

• VIC Highly Commended: Raising awareness, reducing waste. Why Victorians Love Food, Hate Waste, Joanne Painter, icon.pr

Public Affairs

• VIC Highly Commended: Stamp’ of Approval, Jessica Hudswell, Australia Post
• VIC Commended: Uncorking Victoria’s Potential, Rachael Sweeney, Collective Position
• VIC Commended: Standing up for a better deal. How NSW Farmers rewrote the book on political campaigning in country NSW, Joanne Painter, icon.pr

Issues Management & Crisis Communication

• VIC Highly Commended: Easter Mondayitis: How good PR helped to prevent blood supply crisis, Blood Service PR Team, Australian Red Cross Blood Service

Community Relations

• VIC Winner: Yellow Pages: RUOK? Covers Partnership, Fee Townshend, PR Edge
• VIC Highly Commended: Standing up for a better deal. How NSW Farmers rewrote the book on political campaigning in country NSW, Joanne Painter, icon.pr
• VIC Commended: Special Olympics National Games 2014, Arj Ganeshalingam, Porter Novelli

Internal/Change Management Communications

• VIC Winner: Yarra Valley Water’s Purpose-led Transformation, Strategic Communications Team, Yarra Valley Water
• VIC Commended: Rural Finance, Arj Ganeshalingam, Porter Novelli Australia

Consumer Marketing

• VIC Winner: Tackling Obesity: The Impromy Health and Weight Loss Program, Rhodri Ellis Jones, Ellis Jones

Sustainability/Corporate Social Responsibility

• VIC Winner: Towards a more sustainable Victoria. Raising awareness of ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’, Joanne Painter, icon.pr

Health Organistions

• ​VIC Commended: Healthy Bones Action Week 2014: ‘Stronger Together’, Kelly Ward, Dairy Australia
• VIC Commended: Enlarging awareness of enlarged prostates: are you a “More than once a night” man?, GSK Australia

Content Marketing

• VIC Commended: ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ – how content marketing is helping to change waste behaviours, Joanne Painter, icon.pr

Digital and Social

• VIC Winner: Standing up for a better deal. How NSW Farmers rewrote the book on political campaigning in country NSW, Joanne Painter, icon.pr
• VIC Highly Commended: ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ – how content marketing is helping to change waste behaviours, Joanne Painter, icon.pr
• VIC Commended: Brains can Have a Mind of Their Own, Hugh Miller, BeyondBlue

Integrated Marketing and Communication Campaign Strategy

• VIC Highly Commended: Standing up for a better deal. How NSW Farmers rewrote the book on political campaigning in country NSW, Joanne Painter, icon.pr

Large Consultancy of the Year (ten or more staff)

• VIC Commended: Buchan and Beyond: 30 Years of Success, Rebecca Wilson, Buchan Consultancy

Top sPRinters in 2015 (two to five years of experience in the industry)

• VIC Winner: Emma Kershaw, Industry Promotions Officer, Dairy Australia