Award Press Release Template

Announce an award win, industry recognition, or ranking. A full example release, the copy-paste skeleton, and an AI prompt tuned for this announcement type.

Press release templates / Award press release template

What is an award press release?

An award press release announces third-party recognition: an industry award, a certification, a ranking. The credibility transfers only when the release names who gave the award, what it was for, and what field it was judged against. "Award-winning" with no giver attached is decoration, not news.

When should you use one?

Send it within days of the announcement, while the award body's own publicity is still circulating. Superlatives and promotional copy are allowed in wire review (ours included) as long as claims that read as statistics carry attribution, and with an award the attribution is built in: name the giver, the year, and the field precisely.

Example award press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saltbox Kitchenware Named 2026 Small Manufacturer of the Year by Carolina Makers Guild

The guild selected the cast-iron maker from 140 nominees for its apprenticeship program and export growth.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — October 14, 2026 — Saltbox Kitchenware, a cast-iron cookware manufacturer founded in 2018, was named 2026 Small Manufacturer of the Year by the Carolina Makers Guild at the guild's annual awards dinner on October 10. The guild selected Saltbox from 140 nominated manufacturers across North and South Carolina.

The guild cited Saltbox's four-year apprenticeship program, which has trained 19 foundry workers since 2022, and export growth that now sends a third of production to retailers in Japan and Germany. The award is judged by a five-member panel of past winners and includes a $10,000 workforce-development grant.

Saltbox employs 42 people at its Asheville foundry and expects to add six apprentice positions in 2027, funded in part by the grant.

"Awards usually go to the shiny new thing, and a foundry is neither," said June Park, founder of Saltbox Kitchenware. "The guild looked at apprenticeships and payroll instead, and that is exactly the scoreboard we want to be judged on."

About Saltbox Kitchenware — Saltbox Kitchenware manufactures cast-iron cookware in Asheville, North Carolina, selling through 300 independent retailers in the United States, Japan, and Germany. Learn more at saltboxkitchenware.example.

Media Contact Owen Delacroix Operations Manager [email protected] (828) 555-0138

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Example award press release (fictional, for illustration).

Why this example works

Headline: The award, the year, and the giver, all named. An award headline without the giver is a red flag to editors.

Lead: The selection field (140 nominees) is what makes the award mean something. Always include the denominator.

Body: What the judges cited and what the award includes. Specific criteria turn a trophy into a story.

Quote: The founder reacting to what the award measured, not generic gratitude.

Boilerplate: Same company description as every other release.

Copy-paste award press release template

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Company] Named [Award, Year] by [Award Body]

[Subheadline: the field it was selected from and what the judges cited]

[CITY, State] — [Month Day, Year] — [Company name], [one-line description], was named [award] by [award body] at [where and when it was announced]. [The denominator: selected from how many nominees, entries, or companies.]

[What the judges cited, what the award includes (grant, ranking position), and who judges it. 3-4 sentences.]

"[Reaction tied to what the award measured]," said [Full Name], [Title] of [Company]. "[Optional second sentence.]"

[Company context paragraph: the numbers behind the win and what happens next.]

About [Company]
[Standard boilerplate, 1-3 sentences, with website.]

Media Contact
[Name, Title, Email, Phone]

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Award press release AI prompt

Fill in the facts section, then paste the whole thing into ChatGPT, Claude, or the Press Ranger AI writer.

AI prompt: award press release

Write an award press release using the facts below. Follow these rules exactly:

- Third person throughout. First person only inside the quote.
- Structure: headline naming the company, the award with its year, and the awarding body (under 100 characters); one-sentence subheadline with the selection field and what the judges cited; dateline paragraph opening "CITY, State — Month Day, Year —" with the award, the giver, where it was announced, and the denominator (selected from how many) in two sentences; a paragraph on what the judges cited, who judges it, and what the award includes; one quote reacting to what the award measured rather than expressing gratitude; a company-context paragraph with the numbers behind the win; an About boilerplate; a media contact block.
- No author byline. No first-person narration. Attribute any statistic to a named source. Around 350 words. Plain text, no markdown.

MY AWARD FACTS (replace before running):
- Company: {NAME, ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION}
- Award: {EXACT AWARD NAME, YEAR, AWARDING BODY}
- Announced: {WHERE AND WHEN}
- Denominator: {SELECTED FROM HOW MANY NOMINEES OR ENTRIES}
- Judges cited: {THE SPECIFIC REASONS}
- Award includes: {GRANT, RANKING POSITION, or RECOGNITION ONLY}
- Spokesperson: {NAME, TITLE}
- Boilerplate: {YOUR STANDARD COMPANY DESCRIPTION}
- Contact: {NAME, EMAIL, PHONE}

The rules in the prompt produce a release formatted to pass wire editorial review: third person, no bylines, attributed statistics.

Frequently asked questions

Is winning an award newsworthy?

It depends on the giver. An award with a named judging body, published criteria, and a real selection field is a story. A pay-to-play badge is not, and editors recognize the difference immediately.

Can I call my company award-winning after this?

Yes, with the award named. Superlatives and promotional copy are fine in wire editorial review; what gets refused is a claim that reads as a statistic with no source attached.

What if we were a finalist, not the winner?

A finalist spot in a competitive, named field can still carry a release, especially for a young company. State it plainly as finalist; inflating it to winner-adjacent language costs more credibility than the recognition earns.

How do I distribute an award press release?

Coordinate with the award body, which often promotes winners itself, and pitch your trade press. For the announcement of record, our wholesale press release distribution publishes to named outlets including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, and AP News for $299 to $399 flat.

Ready to publish? Press Ranger distributes releases to named outlets including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, and AP News at wholesale prices ($299–$399 flat). See the wholesale distribution page or create a free account.