Judging panel announced for PRISM Awards 2025

A strong and impressive panel of 32 judges have been selected to evaluate and assess this year’s top public relations campaigns for the annual PRISM Awards. The panel was announced a week ahead of the closing date of 25 January 2025, for entries.

Describing this year’s panel, one of the PRISMS’s Chief Judges Marilyn Watson, Partner,  Cinnamon Communication says, “This year’s group of judges is a very good mix of  media, experienced and knowledgeable  industry professionals and academics who are committed to the PRISMS, and giving fair, insightful and useful feedback during the judging process.”

With over 260 entries expected for this year’s Awards, the judging process will be intense. “Every year we look for judges who have obvious experience and knowledge of the communication and public relations industry,” continues Watson. “They are often leaders and experts in the industry. However, it goes further than that. We look for individuals with a high level of integrity, who demonstrate obvious commitment to ensuring each entry receives the necessary time and consideration as part of the judging process, with the purpose of recognising excellence and in so doing, grow the communication and public relations industry.”

The prestigious panel is as follows:

Chief Judges

§  Florence Musengi – Corporate public relations practitioner

• Daniel Munslow – Director: Talk2Us
• Hayley Kuhn – Communication Manager: Sanlam
• Corne Meintjies – Lecturer: Monash
• Marilyn Watson – Partner: Cinnamon Communication

Other Judges

• Lucy Balona - Head of Marketing and Communication: Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA)
• Tasneem Carrim - Chief Director: Policy and Media Analysis and Research, Government Communication and Information System
• Mandy Collins - consumer health journalist, author, copy editor and writing coach
• Lee-Anne Coosner – Associate Publisher, Media 24
• Lizel Esterhuysen –  Change Management Specialist, Kimberley Clark
• Nicola Featonby Smith –  Founder, Tynago Communications
• Candy Guvi – Financial Journalist, Summit TV
• Shananda Janse van Rensburg - Group Executive, Marketing, Public Relations and Communication, Altech
• Darren-Jay Hart  – Editor, Essentials magazine
• Kelly Kass – Global Editor, Simply Communicate
• Janine Lazarus – Owner, Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy
• Ingrid Lotze – Director, Puruma Business Communications
• Cynthia Mabela – Communication Manager at Tongaat Hulett Starch
• Dave Macleod – Managing Director, Gameplan Media
• Andre Mcilwaine –  International Communication Analyst, Talk2Us
• Shanda Paine - Group CSI Manager, Tsogo Sun
• Leanne Pechey – Managing Member, Hot Stuff Marketing
• Roshney Pillay – EHL Group Marketing:  Head Media and Public Relations
• Natalie Pringle - Owner and Founder: Natalie Jayne Personal Brilliance Expertise

• Chantal Rutter-Dros – Presenter and Investigative Journalist,  Carte Blanche
• Patrick Singh - Marketing at Old Mutual Finance
• Cherylann Smith  - Head of Digital and Integration, Global Mouse
• Dan Tisch – Chair, Global Alliance for Public Relations
• Sandrine van der Merwe – Senior Marketing Manager, Nedbank
• Peter van der Schyff – Owner, Pringle-Scott Communication

§  Anton J van Rensburg- public relations specialist

§  Chris Venter - Current Position: MD and part owner of Dojo115

• Kevin Welman – Managing Director, Fleishman-Hillard SA

There are 37 Awards Categories in this year’s PRISMS. For more information on entering the Awards, contact Susan Richardson, PRISA on tel 011 326-1262 or e-mail [email protected].