The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) and its affiliated organizations offer award programs designed to honor and recognize outstanding work in the field of public relations.

• The Lantern Awards are sponsored by SPRF and is open to all SPRF members, including members of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM), the Public Relations Council of Alabama (PRCA), the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL) and the Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO).
• The PRism Awards are sponsored by PRAM and open to PRAM members only.
• The Medallion Awards are sponsored by PRCA and open to PRCA members only.
• The SPARK Awards are sponsored by the Pine Belt Chapter of PRAM as a precursor to the PRism Awards and are open to members of the Pine Belt Chapter only.
• The Bulldog PRism Awards are sponsored by the Starkville/MSU Chapter of PRAM as a precursor to the PRism Awards and are open to members of the Starkville Chapter only.

In all awards programs, members enter their work in a variety of categories from campaigns to individual tactics. Award-winning entries will demonstrate knowledge and application of the four-step process which emphasizes research, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Entries are evaluated on their own merits by public relations practitioners across the country. The highest honors are the Lantern Awards (SPRF), PRism Awards (PRAM) Medallion Award (PRCA) Bulldog PRism Awards (Starkville) and SPARK Awards (Pine Belt PRAM), followed by the Awards of Excellence and Certificates of Achievement in each category. A Best of Show award is selected among the highest scored entries in each competition.