The City of Fayetteville was among a record 39 North Carolina jurisdictions to earn recognition in the North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C) 2026 Excellence in Communications Awards. The City’s Marketing and Communications team won two first-place awards: Digital Technology - Website and Best Use of Humor, and a third-place award for Multi-Platform Campaign. 

The awards were announced on April 9, during NC3C’s annual conference in Beaufort, N.C. A record-setting 266 award program entries were judged by professional communications peers from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. 

“As our organization has grown over the last two decades, the awards contest has become increasingly more competitive each year,” said NC3C President Adam Gaub in a press release. “This year’s contest saw entries increase by more than 33 percent from last year’s record-setting amount. Phenomenal work is being done by communicators across the Tar Heel State, and any organization taking home an award this year should be extremely proud of their success.”  

The City won first place in the Digital Technology - Website category for its redesigned website, launched in February 2025. The City’s new website also received the 2025 Pinnacle Award and Members’ Choice Award from the National Association of Government Web Professionals (NAGW) in the City/County Medium Population Group (50,001-225,000), marking a triple honor at the state and national levels. This reflects Fayetteville’s dedication to creating an accessible, user-friendly digital experience that sets a high standard for government web design. 

The City won first place in the Best Use of Humor category for ‘Don’t Let This Be You: Solid Waste Holiday Collection Edition.’ This holiday video used a relatable scenario to remind residents to check their Solid Waste schedule during holidays. By mixing comedy with city services, it encourages residents to proactively avoid missing their collection day due to holiday service changes. 

Lastly, the City received a third-place award for a Multi-Platform Campaign for ‘Join the City of Fayetteville’s Solid Waste Team!’ The campaign used digital media, video stories, traditional ads and outreach to fill critical vacancies in Solid Waste. By September 2025, all equipment operator and collector roles were filled. 

“Our Marketing and Communications Team works hard every day to make sure Fayetteville's voice is heard, City Manager Douglas Hewett said in a press release. “Being recognized statewide for that work means a lot, not just to our staff, but to the community they show up for.”