The City of Fayetteville was among 27 North Carolina jurisdictions to earn recognition in the North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C) 2025 Excellence in Communications Awards on April 10, 2025. The city’s marketing and communications team won three second place awards in the audio, public service announcement and regular programming categories. 

The awards were announced during NC3C’s annual conference in Asheville, NC. A total of 179 award program entries from 47 different local government organizations were judged by professional communications peers from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. 

“This year, we saw not only the highest number of award submissions we've ever received, but also a record number of municipalities participating,” said NC3C President Kaisha Brown in a press release. “As the competition grows each year, the level of skill and expertise needed to win these awards continues to rise. Every person who entered should be proud of their work. Whether it's managing communication during crises, producing compelling video and audio content or using social media as a key community hub for information, government communicators in North Carolina go above and beyond to keep our residents informed and connected. On behalf of the NC3C Board, we send our congratulations to all of the winners.” 

The Fayetteville marketing and communications team was recognized for their Radio Fayetteville podcast in the audio category. The Radio Fayetteville Podcast is a channel with two ongoing series, The Fayetteville 411 and the Fayetteville Fire Podcast. The Fayetteville 411 discusses current topics of interest to residents, upcoming events in the city and new programs and policies upcoming from various departments. The Fayetteville Fire Podcast is a newer series started to combat low recruitment numbers at the department. It focuses on fire safety and the life of firefighters working for the City of Fayetteville.  

The team was also recognized for a solid waste public service announcement reminding residents why it’s important to put fireworks out the right way, before placing them in the correct rollout cart. This animated video was featured during the Fourth of July holiday. 

Last year, the team developed a ‘Can Do’ employee spotlight series to highlight city of Fayetteville employees and what their jobs entail. This series was also used as a recruitment tool to give potential applicants an insight on the various jobs that the city has to offer. This series won second place in the regular programming series. 

“I’m incredibly proud to see our marketing and communications Team’s dedication recognized on this state-wide stage,” said Fayetteville City Manager Douglas J. Hewett in a press release. “Their work embodies Fayetteville’s ‘Can-Do’ spirit by keeping our community well-informed, engaged and inspired. These awards underscore the innovation and passion driving our efforts to serve the people of Fayetteville, and I look forward to seeing even more creative ways they’ll help us connect with residents in the future.” 

The purpose of NC3C is to encourage professional development and networking among local governmental communications professionals. For more information about NC3C, visit NC3C.com.