The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division of Communications and Marketing earned 11 Tennessee College Public Relations Association Communication Awards at the organization’s annual conference, held May 21-22 at the Westin Chattanooga, bringing home five gold, two silver and four bronze honors.
A record 462 submissions were entered across 42 categories by 20 higher education institutions from across the state. UTC’s five gold honors tied East Tennessee State University for the second-most awards earned by a single institution, with Middle Tennessee State University narrowly leading with six. The full list and slideshow of winning submissions from the TCPRA website are available here.
UTC’s Gold honors came in the media relations, photography, publication and radio advertising categories. The media relations campaign, “You Are Only New Once – Introducing UTC Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce to the Chattanooga Community,” featured the media outreach surrounding the start of Chancellor Lori Mann Bruce’s tenure.
The two photos to win gold featured the men’s basketball team’s return to McKenzie Arena after winning the 2025 NIT title and a student holding a UTC flag atop the Swiss Alps. The “Momentum” book published to introduce UTC’s 2030 Strategic Plan and the radio ad “That Changes Everything” also won gold.
The Silver honors went to UTC’s caving photos from the Raccoon Mountain Caverns and the “Fall Starts Here” social media post.
The bronze awards were highlighted by the crisis communications campaign, “UTC: Swift, Transparent and United,” UTC’s Response to the Aug. 21, 2025, active shooter hoax. The social media team won for their social media post and overall social media campaign “For Good: Wicked Inspired Friendships.” The final award was the “Visit Carousel” in the digital ad category.
Members of the UTC Division of Communications and Marketing all contributed at different levels to the creation and nomination of these awards. For a full look at the division staff, click here for the directory.
UTC men’s basketball player Trey Bonham greets fans outside McKenzie Arena as the Mocs returned to campus following their 2025 NIT championship victory. The photo, taken by Angela Foster, won a gold Tennessee College Public Relations Association Communication Award in sports photography.
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