We celebrate New Zealand’s and Australia’s clearest communicators
Unfortunately we’re unable to run the Plain Language Awards in 2026.
Please get in touch if you would like to help with the 2027 Awards! It’s a huge effort and we always need more help. We’d love to hear from you with any ideas.
Do you have a story to share about your passion for plain language? Or maybe about a project you’re currently working on? We love to hear your stories, so our inbox is open year-round for you to share your videos. Let’s share the love and celebrate your hard work!
Share your plain language story
We announced the winners in each category at our Awards ceremony on Thursday, 30 October at Parliament, Wellington, New Zealand.
Huge congratulations to all winners! And thank you to everyone who entered, judged, supported, and followed the Awards in 2025 — we truly appreciate it.
Check out the winners and finalists in the 2025 Plain Language Awards
Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with Awards news. And get in touch if you’d like to contribute to our blog or newsletter. We’d love to share your plain language success with other lovers of clarity.
Read the entry requirements for each category
We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at enquiries@plainlanguageawards.org.nz
The Best Communication award honours an outstanding example of a plain language document or webpage nominated by a member of the public
The Brainstrain award reveals, in good humour, the document or webpage most notable for confusing and dumbfounding its target audience
Winner: Specialist Channels team, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Finalist: Enliven Plain Language Team, Enliven
Finalist: Jamila Savoy
Winner: Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) Alliance
Finalist: National Emergency Management Agency
Finalist: Office of the Inspectorate
Winner: Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support
Finalist: Healthify He Puna Waiora | Health Navigator Charitable Trust
Finalist: Make it Easy Kia Māmā Mai | People First New Zealand Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi
Winner: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora — info.health.nz
Finalist: Auckland Council — voteauckland.co.nz
Finalist: Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand | Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa — konae.org.nz
Finalist: Volunteering New Zealand | Tūao Aotearoa — volunteeringnz.org.nz
Winner: Kate Sumner, Auckland Council
Finalist: Jeanette Muscat, Little pink typewriter / FIELD Engineers
Finalist: Kate Sumner, Auckland Council
Winner: This category doesn’t have a winner this year
Finalist: Whai Rawa — Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
Winner: Enliven Plain Language Team, Enliven
Finalist: Moretalk and Family Law Society NZ
Finalist: Nicolina Newcombe and Imalka Kannangara, IHC Group
Winner: Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support
Finalist: Palmerston North City Council
Winner: Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Finalist: Justice Andrew Becroft, Courts of New Zealand | Ngā Kōti o Aotearoa
Finalist: Mercury
Winner: CityFitness
Finalist: Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand
Finalist: Wellington City Council
Winner: Sorted, Te Ara Ahunga Ora | Retirement Commission
Finalist: Ministry of Social Development
Finalist: Te Waihanga | New Zealand Infrastructure Commission
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© WriteMark Plain English Awards Trust. All rights reserved. 2026