Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

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Graphic Solutions believes clear design brings out the best in a communication. Photo by Crissy Jarvis on Unsplash


The Plain Language Awards owes a huge amount to design sponsor Graphic Solutions. This boutique Wellington-based design company has sponsored the Awards for many years now!

Craig Christensen is the inspired designer behind our favourite Awards catchcry ‘Who’s the clearest of them all?’ Craig has infused the Awards brand with bold colour and quirky, eye-catching icons.

Read Craig’s story behind the Awards branding

Craig has always been a keen supporter of clear communication and of the Awards, and says becoming a sponsor was an easy decision to make. He believes in the intimate link between clear communication and clear design, so he welcomed the opportunity to sponsor a cause so closely related to his professional practice.

Good design starts with good content. Clear, well-designed, and well-planned content means your messages get through with less effort.

We agree!

Read more about why Graphic Solutions chooses to sponsor the Awards

Posted In: 2021 Plain English Awards, Sponsors

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The Write team believes in the power of words for good. Photo by Jess O'Brien Photographer


Sister companies Write and WriteMark are the founding sponsors of the Plain English Awards — New Zealand’s celebration of clear communicators. With the Awards returning in 2021, both Write and WriteMark are renewing their support.

This year, Write has an extra-special reason to commit to the Awards. As Write has just become a certified B Corporation, CE Lynda Harris feels an even greater commitment to the Awards as yet another way of demonstrating impact in the world.

Lynda explains:

We believe that people have the ethical and democratic right to understand communications that are central to their lives — government forms, legal documents, financial applications and agreements, terms and conditions, and more.

Ultimately, we want people to be able to understand critical information easily, and to make key life decisions based on that information being as clear as possible.

Getting the plain language message out

The Awards celebrate the communicators who create clear, accessible documents and websites. And in doing so, the Awards help to share the message that we all benefit from plain language in so many ways.

Plain language enables us all to participate more easily in society and make important legal, financial, and health decisions based on better understanding. That’s got to be a good outcome!


Are you willing to join the call?

A plain language approach to communication means truly committing to putting customers and colleagues first — a culture-changing shift in how business and society operate. Our sponsors are joining the call for fairer, clearer communication from all sectors.

If you’re interested in supporting the 2021 Plain English Awards, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you, and we’d love to have you on our team.

Meet our sponsors

Become a sponsor

Posted In: 2021 Plain English Awards, Communications, Sponsorship

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Share the stories of your plain language projects and inspire others! Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash


This year, we’re introducing something new to shine a spotlight on the amazing achievements of our entrants and supporters.

We’re inviting you to share videos telling the story behind your document, project, or passion, or to tell your story of why plain language matters to you.

Why share your stories?

We’re all keen to see what a plain language approach is like in action, and the work you’ve done to achieve it.

Your stories are a chance for you to acknowledge the hard work that your team has put into the project. Your stories will showcase the thinking, planning, and drafting that goes into producing plain language content.

We hope your stories will inspire others to see how plain language can make a difference in people’s lives. No story is too big or too small!

Share your plain language story

Your stories will form part of a video gallery

We’ll showcase your stories on a gallery on the Plain English Awards website so that together we can inspire, challenge, and enlighten others. Your videos will be promoted in our newsletter, and will appear alongside those from other individuals and organisations. The story gallery will be a wonderful resource to share with your own audiences too.

As Awards project manager Jonny puts it:

It’s clear to us that, every year, projects and documents that are entered into the Plain English Awards have often taken a lot of thought and effort. Previously, our judges have been the only ones to see and enjoy your work.

In 2021 we want to know why you used a plain language approach. We also want to celebrate the positive impact that plain language has on organisations, customers, and the public.

View stories of plain language in our gallery


Discover some of our previous winners

Find out more about the entry process

Posted In: 2021 Plain English Awards

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