AMTA's Massage for Veterans Campaign Wins 2025 Gold Hermes Award

We are proud to announce that AMTA has received a 2025 Gold Hermes Creative Award for our Massage Therapy for Veterans Advocacy Campaign! As a mission-driven association, AMTA is committed to elevating the massage therapy profession and creating meaningful opportunities for massage therapists through impactful, award-winning advocacy work.

The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition that recognizes excellence in traditional and emerging media. Administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), the competition receives over 6,000 entries annually from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising and PR agencies, design studios, production companies, and freelancers across the United States, Canada, and more than two dozen other countries.

“We are honored to receive a Hermes Gold Award for AMTA’s Advocacy Campaign on Massage Therapy for Veterans. This outstanding campaign exemplifies how AMTA continues to elevate our profession and play a crucial role in advancing access to massage therapy for our nation’s veterans,” said Cindy E. Farrar, AMTA National President.

About AMTA’s Massage Therapy for Veterans Campaign

Promoting Prescription of Massage for Veterans

AMTA’s campaign champions massage therapy as a key part of veterans' healthcare by encouraging providers, including those within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), to prescribe it as a non-pharmacological option for managing chronic pain, PTSD, and related conditions. This approach offers a safe, effective alternative to opioids while enhancing veterans' quality of life.

Expanding Insurance Coverage and Highlighting Research

To expand access, AMTA advocates for coverage of massage therapy through Medicare Advantage, TRICARE, and private insurance providers, ensuring it becomes a widely available benefit for veterans. Another central focus of the campaign is promoting research that demonstrates massage therapy’s efficacy in treating veterans’ health concerns. By sharing these findings with legislators, insurers, healthcare professionals, and the public, AMTA builds awareness and support for integrating massage therapy into veterans' care.

Educational Outreach

Through educational outreach—including research-based articles, all-member email communications, online courses, and social media—AMTA continues to highlight the important role massage therapy plays in holistic, veteran-centered care. This campaign also empowers our members to engage in advocacy by providing the tools and resources they need to make a difference.

Winning the Hermes Gold Award underscores the powerful impact of AMTA’s advocacy and our ongoing commitment to ensuring that all veterans have access to the high-quality, integrative care they deserve. This is the fifth year in a row that AMTA has won a Hermes Award for our compelling advocacy campaigns.