The “Survivor 50” publicity team earned the top honor at the 2026 Television Publicity Executive Committee Awards on Wednesday, also taking best campaign for a returning unscripted series as the 4th annual ceremony recognized major comms work across TV and str
When the winners were announced at the 2026 Television Publicity Executive Committee Awards on Wednesday, the “Survivor 50” publicity team didn’t just stand out — it took the evening’s top honor for its communications campaign.
The 4th annual ceremony, held in Los Angeles, celebrated impactful publicity campaigns across television and streaming. Along with the top prize, “Survivor 50” also won best campaign for a returning unscripted series, adding another layer to a night already crowded with standout work.
The awards also recognized campaigns supporting Apple TV’s “Pluribus,” FX’s “Dying for Sex,” HBO Max’s “The Pitt” and more. Among the other major winners, “The Pitt” was named returning drama series, while “Pluribus” took new drama series honors.
A spotlight also fell on emerging talent. Three early-career publicists — Warner Bros. Television’s Victoria Hernandez. NBCUniversal’s Christopher Quintana and National Geographic’s Kate Squier — were named this year’s recipients of the Robert Pietranton Rising Star Award for their standout contributions.
TPEC Chair Wendy Zocks said the submissions exceeded expectations, adding that the campaigns demonstrated “an incredible range of originality, strategic thinking and successful initiatives.” She also praised the continued momentum of publicity teams working at a high level.
The night also recognized long-term impact. Kevin Brockman received the Ben Halpern Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 35 years of experience in publicity. including work as a C-Suite global communications executive for WarnerMedia. Disney. Viacom and NewsCorp. Patrick Gomez, editor-in-chief and general manager of Entertainment Weekly, won the Press Impact Award.
Competitive winners at the 2025 TPEC awards included a wide spread across categories and networks. featuring campaigns for “Emily in Paris. ” “Pluribus. ” “All’s Fair. ” “Fear Factor: House of Fear. ” “South Park. ” “Reading Rainbow. ” “Star Trek: Section 31. ” “Dying for Sex. ” “The Daily Show. ” “The Americas. ” “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” and “Squid Game. ” among others.
In the returning drama series category. “The Pitt” was credited to Kristi Strupinsky (WBTV). Joslyn Martinez (WBTV). Courtney Brown (HBO Max). Kelley Sheets (HBO Max). and Lily Walker (HBO Max). For new drama series. “Pluribus” went to Nicole Smith (Sony Pictures Television). Pilar Wafer (Sony Pictures Television). Virginia McMillian (Apple TV). Brittney Fierro (Apple TV). and Amanda Munoz-Temple.
Returning comedy series went to “Emily in Paris. ” with Taylor Diaz-Rogers (Netflix). Allison McManus (Netflix). Sophia Dekermendjian (Netflix) and Mardi Houn (Netflix). New comedy series honors went to “All’s Fair. ” with Lauren Burnett (Hulu). Kelsie Boudreau (Hulu). Maura Wong (Hulu). Chris Kaspers (20th Television). Lilit Zakaryan (20th Television) and Leila Mekhid (Hulu International).
Returning unscripted series was awarded to “Survivor 50,” credited to Lori DelliColli (CBS), Shawna Malcom (CBS), and Jennifer Mendez-Ruiz (CBS). New unscripted series went to “Fear Factor: House of Fear,” with Jacqueline Gonzalez (FOX) and David Hail (FOX).
Genre series recognized “Wednesday. ” credited to Allison McManus (Netflix). Brandy Phillips (Netflix). Zana Najjar (Netflix). Funto Tambe (Netflix). and Brittany Howard (Netflix). Animated series (adult) was “South Park,” credited to Nicole Platt (Comedy Central). Children’s series (animated or live action) went to “Reading Rainbow. ” with Ryan Milling (Sony Pictures Television). Mallory Pritzl (Sony Pictures Television) and Pilar Wafer (Sony Pictures Television).
Television movie honors went to “Star Trek: Section 31. ” with Jennifer Verti (CBS Studios). Nikki Kozel (Paramount+). Rachael Wesolowski (CBS Studios) and Cornelia Thomson (CBS Studios). Limited or anthology series went to “Dying for Sex. ” with Adrienne D’Amato (FX). Bill Brennan (FX). Charlotte Simon (FX) and Erin Riley (20th Television).
Talk show recognition went to “The Daily Show. ” credited to Nicole Platt (Comedy Central). Parker Moreno (Comedy Central). Craig Minassian (Minassian Media) and Natalie Lee (Minassian Media). Documentary movie / limited series went to “The Americas. ” with Chloe Bremner (NBCUniversal). Rebecca Boswell Pinato (NBCUniversal). Jordan Gutierrez (NBCUniversal). Axie Weir (NBCUniversal). Summer Sanchez (NBCUniversal) and Margaret Crane (NBCUniversal).
Live or taped variety show / special went to “SNL50: The Anniversary Special. ” with Lauren Roseman (NBC). Lauren Manasevit (NBC). Julianne Pinell (NBC) and Cassidy Aquino (NBC). International series was “Squid Game,” with Shannen Heath (Netflix), Siena Escobar (Netflix), Nzinga Dixon (Netflix) and Maya Brooks (Netflix).
Multicultural campaign honors went to “Forever. ” credited to Maya Brooks (Netflix). Taylor Diaz-Rogers (Netflix). Nzinga Dixon (Netflix). Chardae Jenkins (Netflix) and Mei Coble (Netflix). Press event recognition went to “BravoCon,” with Jenn Geisser (NBCUniversal), Ryan McCormick (NBCUniversal), Chloe Bremner (NBCUniversal) and Courtney Powell (NBCUniversal).
With the night’s biggest comms win landing on “Survivor 50,” the awards underscored what publicity teams have been chasing across streaming and broadcast alike: campaigns that don’t just announce — they earn attention.
Survivor 50 TPEC Awards 2026 Television Publicity Executive Committee Los Angeles publicity campaign Robert Pietranton Rising Star Award Ben Halpern Lifetime Achievement Award Press Impact Award Wendy Zocks Kevin Brockman Patrick Gomez Entertainment Weekly