It’s Time to Go Beyond Brilliance — 2026 Prism Awards 101

TL;DR

• What: 2026 Prism Awards
• When: Entry deadline – February 27; Awards ceremony – May 7
• Where: Scottish Rite, 332 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68508

Good work deserves more than a pat on the back. It deserves a spotlight.

The 2026 AMA Lincoln Prism Awards are officially open for entries, and the deadline is only a week away! Prisms are Lincoln’s premier marketing accolade, and this year’s theme says it all: Beyond Brilliance. So, if you’ve done work in the past year that pushed past the expected, challenged the brief, or just flat-out delivered results…this is your moment.

Why enter?

Because the Prisms aren’t just a trophy on a shelf. Entries are judged by an outside AMA chapter (no hometown bias here) across meaningful criteria: your challenge, your strategy, your tactics, your results and the work itself. Winning means your campaign was independently verified as “beyond brilliant,” and that carries real weight. With 16 categories spanning everything from social media and website design to DEI and NIL, there’s room for work of every kind to shine.

You don’t even need to be an AMA member to submit. Student? There’s a category for you. Non-profit? Covered.

But don’t just enter. Show up.

The awards ceremony is set for Thursday, May 7, at the Scottish Rite, 5:30–8:30 p.m., and it’s the kind of evening Lincoln’s marketing community looks forward to all year. Here’s what you’ll get out of being in that room:

• Recognition in real time. If your work wins a Prism or Sterling award, your physical campaign materials could be on display at the banquet. There’s nothing like seeing your work celebrated in front of the people who understand what it took to make it.
• The flagship moments. Beyond the category awards, the night includes the announcement of Corporate Marketer of the Year, Marketer of the Year, Student Marketer of the Year, the Dorothy B. Clarke Award, and a new inductee into the AMA Lincoln Hall of Fame. These are Lincoln marketing’s biggest honors…and you’ll want to be there when they’re announced.
• Real connections. This is the room where Lincoln’s brightest marketers gather. An evening like this — filled with inspiration, shared craft and genuine celebration — is the kind of networking that actually sticks.
• A night that feels like the industry you love. Creativity. Results. The Prism Awards aren’t just about celebrating what’s already been done. They’re about setting the tone for what Lincoln marketing can become.

So take this week to organize your brilliant marketing pieces from 2025, make sure to submit them for our Prism Awards, and don’t forget your tickets to the event itself!