Freelance PRs – celebrate your own success and impact!

Join the Celebration, Join the Conversation!

Entries Now Open for Second Year of The Independent Impact 50 Awards organised by The PR Cavalry and Rod Cartwright Consulting.

The Independent Impact 50 Awards has opened entries for its second year, inviting the UK’s most impressive independent PR and communications practitioners to showcase their influence and impact on the industry.

The awards, celebrate the extraordinary commitment and contribution of freelancers and micro businesses to the PR sector, recognise practitioners who go beyond campaign metrics and commercial success alone to demonstrate genuine impact on clients, industry colleagues and the evolution of professional communication practice.

At the heart of the 2026 programme sits a simple rallying cry to join the celebration of best-in-class independent practice and join the conversation about unlocking the untapped potential of the UK’s independent PR sector.

The 2026 awards scheme will again be delivered in partnership with PRovoke Media, the CIPR, the PRCA and Socially Mobile (with the programme’s organisers fully funding two places for a second year). The programme will again be supported by the generous sponsorship of 72Point.

Unlike traditional awards focused solely on campaign results or commercial success, the Independent Impact 50 highlights practitioners who have persuaded clients to embrace transformative change, provided fearless counsel, championed professional standards, and lifted others up through mentoring and industry contribution.

The awards are open to any independent UK practitioner, sole trader, or micro business with two or fewer full-time employees are organised by us together with crisis communications specialists, Rod Cartwright Consulting. Entrants are encouraged to provide supporting evidence from clients and industry colleagues to enhance their nomination

Co-founder of the Independent Impact 50, and founder of The PR Cavalry Nigel Sarbutts, said “The joy and energy of the first awards event was electric – a sense that at last the industry was waking up to the idea that the senior talent lost or pushed out by in-house and agency employers hasn’t ceased to exist, it is out there doing great work on its own terms. As the UK’s leading Freelance PR talent marketplace we are taking a stand on behalf of the freelance PR sector”

His co-founder, Rod Cartwright, added: “We described the inaugural Independent Impact 50 as the start of a conversation, not the end of a process – and we meant it! So this year we’re asking the UK’s remarkable independent PR community to get involved, to join the celebration of the UK’s very best independent practitioners and join the conversation about how we can take independent PR practice to even greater heights.

He continued: “With the relaunch of the CIPR’s Independent Practitioner Network, this highly expert and dynamic sector is finally starting to receive the acknowledgement and recognition it so richly deserves. However, for all the undoubted progress, we need to continue the conversation about breaking down the enduring and very real barriers to independent success: from late payment, unfair contract terms and all-to-frequent ghosting to the costs of memberships, subscriptions, training, awards and industry services, which are unrealistic for many.”

Katie Earlam, acting managing director of headline sponsor 72 Point, said: “Independent practitioners are the unsung heroes of our industry. The Independent Impact 50 shines a vital spotlight on this talent and the disproportionate influence these individuals have on the organisations they advise and the wider industry.”

Following a successful inaugural year, The Independent Impact 50 has established itself as a unique platform for recognising independent talent that might otherwise go unnoticed in a sector where agency brands and in-house teams often dominate the conversation.

Entries for The Independent Impact 50 Awards are now open at www.theimpact50.com and will be open until Friday 20^th February

ENDS

Comments from supporters

Socially Mobile             

“Socially Mobile is pleased to partner with The Independent Impact 50 for a second year, to join the celebration of independent talent in the UK public relations industry  and to continue the conversation about unlocking independent success.

The initiative aligns with our objective of improving diversity and representation within the UK public relations industry. We are we grateful to the Independent Impact 50 for its support of Socially Mobile by again funding two places on the 2026 cohort, helping practitioners from underrepresented groups gain management communication expertise and knowledge.”

The Independent Impact 50 shines a spotlight on an under-recognised community in the UK public relations industry, which generates more than £500 million in revenue for the economy and employs more than 8,000 people. Independent practitioners represent the entrepreneurial spirit and specialised expertise that drives practice forward.”

PRCA

“The PRCA is pleased to support The Independent Impact 50, which recognises the exceptional contribution of independent practitioners to the public relations and communications industry.

“The initiative highlights professionals whose influence extends beyond client work, advancing standards, sharing expertise, and shaping the evolution of our sector.

“Independent practice remains essential to the agility and innovation of our profession. We encourage practitioners across the UK to join the conversation on the future of independent PR.”

CIPR

“The CIPR is pleased to support the Independent Impact 50 Awards for another year. The response to last year’s inaugural awards demonstrated just how vital this recognition is, not only in celebrating individual achievement but in highlighting the breadth and calibre of independent talent across our profession.”

“The independent sector is a vital part of the PR economy, yet can often operate out of sight of the broader industry conversation. These awards celebrate the remarkable work these individuals are doing, often building communications functions from scratch, providing strategic counsel during critical moments, and delivering value that extends far beyond their briefs, to organisations of all sizes. It’s time we properly recognised that contribution, and this awards programme does exactly that.”