2026 Savvy Awards
The Savvy Awards have represented the best in government communications for more than 30 years. Work produced since January 1, 2025 to present from hundreds of communication departments will compete to be recognized and honored for programs that have effectively engaged their constituents and elevated the profession.
The 2026 Savvy Awards will be presented at the 3CMA Annual Conference September 9 - 11 in Denver, Colorado.
Why Enter?
Recognition by your peers for the hard work your team has done in creatively communicating to your community can give your efforts much needed credibility with your residents, your elected officials and your colleagues. But compiling an entry for the competition is also an opportunity for you and your team to evaluate and analyze the work you do and how it succeeds in engaging and informing your audiences.
Who Can Enter?
The 2026 Savvy Awards competition is open to all local government jurisdictions - cities, counties, towns, villages, special districts, etc. Also, public relations or consulting firms may submit entries on behalf of their local government clients, provided they are submitted under the client's name and jurisdiction.
How to Enter
Entering the 3CMA Savvy Awards competition is easy, utilizing the online Awards Force awards management system. Submitting your work online is an efficient way to participate in the competition. You can:
- Save your in-process entries and complete them at a later date
- Duplicate an entry and easily submit it in a second category
- Pay for multiple entries at one time
- Submit supporting documentation by uploading, photos, clips, videos, documents and PDFs in one easy step
- Reopen a completed entry at any time before the deadline to add additional information
- Access your entries after submission
- Access comments from Savvy judges the day after the awards ceremony
Sign up and submit your entries here. NOW CLOSED
What it means to enter?
When you submit a Savvy entry, your organization's work becomes part of one of the most comprehensive and searchable databases of local government communication solutions in the country. 3CMA curates an online repository for each Savvy competition year, giving members easy access to innovative ideas and insights from creative colleagues nationwide.
Entry Submission Limits
Each organization may enter up to three submissions per category, while following other competition rules. For the purposes of the Savvy competition, multiple offices within one agency may consider themselves separate if the work done by those offices is independent of the other offices entering the competition. For example, a centralized communication office may enter three submissions into one category, while that organization’s Parks & Recreation department may enter three separate entries in the same category if the work is completed by the Parks & Recreation department staff.
Entry Deadlines
- Early Entry: April 3, 2026
- Regular Entry: May 8, 2026
Final Entry: May 29, 2026