LIA Insider Issue 455: Sophie Raine, Managing Director, Havas Red London as Jury President for 2026 Creativity in PR Jury

This year, LIA has invited top professionals and practitioners to the 2026 Creativity in PR Jury, who are experts in building brands through their PR skills. As in previous years, all jury members will convene in Las Vegas for for in-person judging at Encore @ Wynn, from the first round of judging through the final round of judging, which culminates in awarding statues.

Sophie Raine
Jury President

Sophie Raine is Managing Director of Havas Red in London, bringing over two decades of expertise in PR and communications with a deep-rooted passion for the craft of earned.

Throughout her career, Sophie has partnered with global brands to create award-winning campaigns that deliver measurable business impact. She spent over a decade at leading creative comms consultancies W and Frank, before serving as Managing Director at Omnicom’s Ketchum, where she led the UK's second-largest consumer PR practice. She joined Havas Red in 2024.

Sophie has played a pivotal role in developing and executing celebrated work for brands including Danone, Unilever, Quorn, Lynx, and Iceland Foods - with campaigns for the latter two earning multiple Cannes Lions.

Undoubtedly, earned media is one of the most powerful ways to help a brand build credibility and reach new audiences as it is generated from third-party sources that the audience trust. Statistics tell us that authentic third-party endorsements drive 4 times higher consideration for a brand than paid advertising. Media coverage of a brand makes the brands more trustworthy to the target audience. Consumers are seeking recommendations from trusted sources to help them make the right choices.

“PR is no longer just disseminating a release or news. It’s about telling a narrative that engages emotionally with the audience. The jury we have assembled for our 2026 Creativity in PR categories are practitioners who have first-hand experience in creating successful PR strategies and ideas that have won the hearts and minds of audiences. They will be able to pick out the pieces of work that will elevate the PR landscape in 2026,” added Christina Shaw, VP – Awards Director, LIA.

LIA judging in Las Vegas will run from 25th September through 3rd October, 2026. There is no pre-judging, as all judges must sit through all stages of the judging process before setting the standard of excellence for the year.