Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

Plain Language Champion

Our premier category celebrates champion plain language communicators

The Plain Language Champion category has two awards.

You can switch between them here:


Entries are open 1 May to 15 July.

Read the terms and conditions, including the fees, for entering the Plain Language Awards

Please email enquiries@plainlanguageawards.org.nz if you have any questions.


Plain Language Champion — Best Organisation award

The award for Plain Language Champion — Best Organisation is the premier award. This award is open to any organisation in New Zealand or Australia that can show evidence of a successful campaign to create an organisation-wide culture of plain language communication.

Who has won a Plain Language Champion award before?

Read our blog: Are you the Champion we’re looking for?

Read our blog: Championing our champions — a proud word from our founder

Please note that the award for the Best Organisation will only be awarded if entries of a high enough quality are received.


What you need to know

Present your entry in two parts: project description and supporting evidence.

By entering this category you agree that if you win, you’ll meet the timeframes and other criteria for using your prize.

1. Project description

Please describe your project in up to 2500 words, using the three headings below. We’ve given some examples of content, but you can include whatever information you need to support your entry.

Planning

Content could include:

  • a business case for the project
  • project objectives
  • ideas to achieve management commitment
  • a detailed plain language project plan.

Activities and resources

Content could include:

  • staff training
  • documents redrafted into plain language
  • internal and external publicity campaigns
  • internal or external plain language standard
  • a style guide that supports plain language
  • intranet materials
  • publications
  • online forums
  • staff champions
  • plain English editing software.

Results to date

Record successes, milestones achieved, and lessons learned, including:

  • audits or other measures of plain language use
  • solicited and unsolicited feedback from readers, staff, or clients
  • ‘before and after’ documents and results
  • other tangible results.
2. Supporting evidence

You can include as much supporting evidence as you like.


Prizes for this award

The winner of the Plain Language Champion — Best Organisation award will receive plain language consultancy services to the value of $5,000 from Write Limited. The prize is to be used on a specific plain language project designed to produce measurable results for the winning organisation or their stakeholders. That means, savings in time or money, or improved service levels and better feedback from customers.

The winner must start and complete the prize project within a 6-month period and produce a publishable case study shortly after.

The winner will also receive:

  • a stunning steel and bronze trophy produced for the Awards by Wellington sculptor Campbell Maud
  • the latest StyleWriter plain English editing software — single-user licence (from Editor Software)
  • a place on any of Write Limited’s 1-day open workshops (to be booked before 31 March 2024)

Read the terms and conditions, including the fees, for entering the Plain Language Awards

Please email enquiries@plainlanguageawards.org.nz if you have any questions.