AMTA Wins a 2026 Hermes Gold Award for Innovative Research Campaign

We are proud to announce that AMTA has received a 2026 Gold Hermes Creative Award for our Advancing Massage Therapy Through Innovative Research Integrative Campaign! As a mission-driven association, AMTA is dedicated to advancing the massage profession through our strategic investment in research.

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 the Hermes Gold Award, which reflects AMTA’s unwavering commitment to advancing massage therapy through high-quality research. This recognition underscores the impact of our integrated efforts in elevating massage therapy as an evidence-informed, essential part of whole-person health care,” says AMTA National President Rick Greely.

About AMTA's Integrative Research Campaign

A growing body of research shows that massage therapy is effective for pain relief, plays a role in cancer care, boosts mental health, and aids in recovery from surgery or injury. These findings do not just confirm what many clients and therapists experience—they help define when massage therapy is most effective, for whom, and how it can be safely integrated into broader health care plans.

At AMTA, we are deeply committed to advancing this work through advocating for federal research funding, supporting innovative studies with the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF), and educational outreach to both our massage community and the public. This sustained investment in research helps ensure massage therapy is represented in national health priorities, strengthens the evidence base on its benefits, informs policy decisions, and expands access as part of whole-person care.

Investment in High-Quality Massage Research

Through our partnership with the MTF, AMTA has invested more than $16 million in massage therapy research since the foundation’s inception. In 2025, we pledged an additional $2.5 million over the next five years—an unprecedented level of support for research projects that strengthen the evidence base for massage as an effective integrative health treatment.

Additionally, AMTA was the Presenting Sponsor of MTF’s 2025 International Massage Therapy Research Conference, bringing together leaders in the massage therapy field, clinicians, educators and researchers to discuss the implications and applications of the latest massage therapy science. AMTA also supported MTF through two matching-gift fundraisers, reinforcing our shared commitment to advancing massage therapy research and the profession.

Strategic Advocacy and Awareness Efforts to Promote Research

AMTA also championed the importance of massage therapy research through advocacy efforts at the federal level. In 2025, AMTA submitted a statement to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, urging continued federal funding for and strongly opposing the elimination of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. This advocacy helped protect a vital pipeline of federal research that benefits massage therapy and preserves its place within national health initiatives.

To help increase awareness, AMTA highlights the latest research in press releases distributed to media outlets across the country on massage therapy for mental health, autoimmune conditions, and breast cancer care—reaching millions of people. Our research-driven content is also shared across AMTA’s website, email communications, and social media channels, amplifying reach to members and the public alike.

Research Resources and Continuing Education

AMTA also empowers massage therapists with the data they need to strengthen their practices and advance the profession. Our website features a suite of resources that translate research into practical insights to help massage therapists better care for their clients, understand the value of massage therapy, and engage confidently with health care partners and policymakers. These resources include AMTA’s online Continuing Education library, which offers over 140 online courses, as well as the Massage Profession Research Report, Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet, Massage Therapy in Integrative Care and Pain Publication, and Consumer Views and Use of Massage Report. 

Winning the Hermes Gold Award highlights how AMTA’s collective efforts in funding, advocacy, communications, and education are accelerating research-informed progress for the massage profession and the public it serves. This marks the sixth consecutive year that AMTA has received a Hermes Award for our advocacy and marketing communications campaigns. Through sustained research investment, strategic advocacy, and integrated communications, AMTA is advancing massage therapy as a credible, evidence-based profession with expanding influence in health care.