A public relations industry group is receiving widespread backlash after naming disgraced Kirt Webster as the 2017 "Publicist of the Year."
Formerly one of the most powerful public relations executives in Nashville, Webster shuttered his company, Webster PR, after multiple people came forward accusing him of sexual misconduct.
This morning, PR News released its list of 2017 PR People Awards winners, which were presented earlier this week in Washington D.C. In the press release, Webster was named as Publicist of the Year. The group wrote in a statement that "no other publicist this year excelled as a brand advocate and crafted more positive media coverage than Kirt Webster."
Shortly after it was released online, news spread across social media about the award. Earlier this afternoon, PR News removed Kirt Webster's name from the press release. The organization has not publicly commented on if they plan on or already have revoked the award.
READ MORE: Nashville PR Exec Kirt Webster Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Country Artist
It's also currently unclear if the awards were decided prior to when the allegations against Webster were made public. It's also unknown if the award was formally presented at the luncheon earlier this week.
Since Austin C. Rick first came forward, over 20 additional individuals have spoken out about alleged sexual harassment and misconduct from Kirt Webster.
