Honoring success in the arts and entertainment, including films, magazines, television shows, books, newspapers, or Web sites.

Honoring outstanding success in the ongoing development, repositioning, reinvigoration, or relaunch of an established consumer brand (either a product or a service) through the use of PR.

Recognizing achievement in the launch of a new product or service and the ability to create buzz and brand recognition through the use of PR. Evidence of sales/usage was also strongly considered.

Recognizing the best tech campaign - which may include product launches or innovations, uses and applications of technology, or tech issues and advancements - in a category that is open to both business-to-business and consumer campaigns.

Recognizing campaigns within a niche business sector or the business community at large.

This award focuses on products, services, and organizations, from pharmaceutical to biotech, managed care to hospitals.

Recognizing skill in communicating a merger or acquisition, change in management, rebranding, restructuring, layoffs, or other issue/problem of an internal communications nature.

Recognizing outstanding achievement in local projects or ongoing local community programs in areas such as the environment, education, enterprise, health, the arts, law and order, and equal opportunity.

This category is open to campaigns or components of campaigns that are specifically aimed at multicultural groups, particularly in terms of ethnic origin, or sexual or religious preference.

Entries can relate to any market sector (crisis, healthcare, consumer, internal communications, etc.), but work had to be executed outside the US in two or more regions by a US-based office or department.

Honors the most outstanding use of PR in the launch of a new company or in a corporate rebranding initiative. The chosen entries demonstrate effective results beyond mere brand-name recognition to show an appreciation and understanding of key message points among the target audience.

Recognizing the most effective use of public affairs to change/enlist political and/or public opinion. Specific focus was placed on execution of research, media relations, grassroots community activity, and lobbying.

Recognizing work that is primarily targeted at investors/stakeholders or other financial audiences.

Recognizing the most effective crisis- or issues-management work by an agency, corporate PR team, or a combination of both.

Open to government departments and public-sector agencies (e.g., federal, state, military, municipal, local, or public health authorities), this award recognizes effectiveness in communicating and addressing issues related to a single public-interest topic (e.g., health, crime, defense, etc.).

Recognizing the most effective work by a nonprofit organization for fundraising, or in changing or enlisting political, public, or corporate opinion. The cost-effectiveness of the campaign and, in the case of fundraising activities, the amount of money raised, was also strongly considered.

Honoring a campaign or ongoing project that utilizes or integrates a social cause to promote or enhance corporate image or specific products/services.

Recognizing the most effective or creative use of the Web to execute or support a PR campaign.

Recognizing the combination of creativity, cost effectiveness, and overall impact of a VNR, ANR, or SMT.

Recognizing the most effective use of research and evaluation in both setting goals and measuring success for a campaign. Along with effective media evaluation, judges sought evidence of how research among target audiences was used to help set the objectives and strategy, and how it was used to measure the effectiveness of the campaign against those goals.

Open to agencies, service companies, corporate teams, nonprofits, and other organizations, this award recognizes the best technology-based solution or new service launched during the 12-month eligibility period that shows a lasting impact on the practice of PR.

Recognizing the most effective, attention-grabbing promotional event of the year.

Open to all students enrolled in a US college or university between December 14, 2007, and December 14, 2008. Category entrants were presented with a true test of their PR acumen, devising a plan to create a PR campaign for sports apparel company adidas to increase its exposure to the target demographic - 14- to 24-year-olds - through the leveraging of its sponsorship of NBA All-Star Weekend.

Open to PR pros who entered the industry no earlier than October 5, 2005, nominees are judged based on outstanding achievement in handling clients or senior-level staff, development of PR strategy, business savvy, creativity, knowledge of PR tactics, and contributions to business objectives.

Recognizing outstanding personal achievement within the PR industry in the period covered by this year's Awards, as well as career achievements to date.

Open to any PR undergraduate or graduate curriculum taught in the fall 2007 or spring 2008 semester. This award recognizes achievement in lesson plans that educate the next crop of PR professionals

Open to any in-house nonprofit, government, or corporate PR team, this award recognizes success in addressing the spectrum of management issues and objectives, and in handling corporate communications, campaigns, and programs, including crisis situations.

This award was judged by comparing the winners of the Boutique, Small, Midsize, and Large PR Agency of the Year categories.

Open to any firm whose current annual PR income (consisting of fees plus mark-up for disbursements) is less than $5 million. The CEOs of each firm were required to certify in writing that the agency's annual PR income met those qualifications, as well as date of incorporation and number of employees.

Open to any firm whose current annual PR income (consisting of fees plus mark-up for disbursements) is from $5 million to $10 million. The CEOs of each firm were required to certify in writing that the agency's annual PR income met those qualifications, as well as date of incorporation and number of employees. This award recognizes financial and client-list growth, client retention, and PR creativity and innovation.

Open to any firm whose current annual PR income (consisting of fees plus mark-up for disbursements) is from $10 million to $65 million. The CEOs of each firm were required to certify in writing that the agency's annual PR income met those qualifications, as well as date of incorporation and number of employees. This award recognizes financial and client-list growth, client retention, and PR creativity and innovation.

Open to any firm whose current annual PR income (consisting of fees plus mark-up for disbursements) is $65 million or higher. The CEOs of each firm were required to certify in writing that the agency's annual PR income met those qualifications, as well as date of incorporation and number of employees. This award recognizes financial and client-list growth, client retention, and PR creativity and innovation.