Welcome to the 2026 Thoroughbred Awards Competition, sponsored by the Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public Relations & Marketing (KSHPRM) and the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA).
 

The competition is designed to honor excellence in healthcare marketing, communications and creative work. The competition allows members to showcase their talent across a wide spectrum of categories, all judged using a fair, points-based rubric. This year’s awards will include projects completed between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
 

Winners will receive:

• A custom-made Thoroughbred Award or a Merit Award.
• Recognition at the annual KSHPRM Thoroughbred Awards ceremony and Fall Conference, Thursday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. ET, at My Old Kentucky Home, 501 E. Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, KY 40004. Tickets are $75, and you can register online at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-kshprm-thoroughbred-awards.
• Recognition on the KSHPRM website and social media outlets.

Details

• The competition is open to all marketing/public relations professionals working in a healthcare setting. If you’re an agency, please note who your submission is for (e.g., hospital, agency submission, etc.).
• You may enter marketing materials in as many categories as you wish.
• Entries must have been produced between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

Entries

KSHPRM uses an online awards platform, and all entries must be submitted electronically at https://awards.judgify.me/2026thoroughbredawards.

Entry fee is $50 per entry, and the entry deadline is 6:00 p.m. ET, Friday, Sept. 18.

If you need to pay by check, send payment to:

KSHPRM

Attn: Ginger Dreyer

Post Office Box 436629, Louisville, KY 40253-6629

Questions

If you have questions about the awards platform or submission process, contact Ginger Dreyer at gdreyer@kyha.com.

Awards Categories

Advertising (digital, print, radio or TV)

• Single ad or spot
• Series of three or more ads or spots

Audio/video:

• Short form (up to 2:00)
• Long form (2:00 and longer)
• Podcast

Community outreach/community service:

• Patient/public education initiative
• Cooperative partnership

Events:

• Internal events for staff
• External (community) events

Fundraising:

• Campaign
• Marketing collaterals
• For a hospital, specific service line or other worthy cause

Media relations:

• Earned media placement in/on a bona fide print, broadcast or online news outlet
• Crisis communications
• Video news release

Overall campaigns:

• Internal or external communication program using traditional and digital components under $25,000
• Internal or external communication program using same, $25,000 or more

Photography:

• Single image
• Series of photos (photo essays, multi-image presentations)
• People/portrait

Publication:

• Internal (regularly scheduled such as monthly or quarterly)
• External (regularly scheduled such as monthly or quarterly)
• Annual report (internal or external)
• Marketing collateral, such as brochures, rack cards, direct mail, flyers, posters, outdoor (billboard or transit), signage, etc.

Website:

• New or revamped site (more than 10 pages of content)
• Microsite (up to 10 pages)

Writing:

• Short – Written content, such as an article, news release, email blast, blog post or brochure up to 500 words
• Long – Narrative text such as an annual report, magazine article, blog post, script or speech more than 500 words

Judging criteria

All categories will be judged by an affiliate KHA PR and Marketing organization according to the following criteria:

• Concept design (technical quality)
• Originality/creativity
• Implementation process (planning and execution of project)
• Alignment with goals and audience
• Overall impact (results)