Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

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A line-up of the best for 2022 | Photo by Nicola Welby


Congratulations to all our 2021 winners — what a fabulous achievement! Our judges were so impressed with the quality of entries this year and you deserve all the praise you’ve received.

We loved hearing the plain language stories that you shared with us. And we’re proud that you’ve kept the torch burning bright for clear communication in such a busy year. So pat yourselves on the back for a job well done!


Our Awards champions — raising the bar for clear communication

An extra special shoutout to Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand, winner of the Plain English Champion — Best Organisation category. And another one to Lauren Kelindeman from Legalite in Australia, winner of the Plain English Champion — Best Individual or Team category. Your contributions to the plain language movement are making all the difference to the lives of everyone in our corner of the world.

As our founder Lynda Harris said,

Whether you’re a bold visionary, a passionate campaigner, or a quiet doer, you have qualities that the world needs more of. You have stories to tell about people who need clarity and connection. And you have the skills to inspire others to be champions like you.

So keep up the good fight and stand up for what’s right! Because you’re our champions for 2021 and we couldn’t be more proud.


Find out more about the 2021 winners

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Is your annual report awesome? Does it tell your story well? | Photo by Aneta Pawlik on Unsplash


Annual report. Those two little words often conjure up other words like ‘dull’, ‘heavy’, and even ‘eyes glaze over’. But not always! In selecting the best of the best, our Awards judges tend to use very different and much more positive words to describe winning entries. Words like ‘engaging’, ‘compelling’ and ‘impressive’.

So what does it take to get such accolades? Almost every winning entry over many years has inspired the judges to comment on the story told in the report. Here’s a great example from their comments on the Ryman Healthcare Annual Report 2018.

a strong example of how a company can take complex information and share the details both with clarity and with compelling storytelling’

‘The report tells an extremely engaging story that would undoubtedly appeal to a general reader.’

Why story? It’s easy to present data without joining the dots for readers. Stories carry messages and deliver information beyond mere numbers and facts. They answer the questions ‘so what?’ and ‘why should I care?’ Stories raise oxytocin, the ‘feel good’ hormone — we’re interested and engaged and we want more.

So if you’re proud of the story told in your annual report, yours could be the one our judges rave about this year!


Check the features of an awesome annual report below to see how yours measures up. And don’t be modest!

A checklist for Annual Report Awesomeness

Check that your annual report: Yes, it's good to go!No, it needs more work
Tells an engaging and compelling story about relevant events, context, and trends
Feels authentic
Is structured with the reader’s needs front and centre
Expresses complex information clearly and thoughtfully
Reports technical details and data in a way that keeps the reader’s attention
Uses an attractive design that helps tell the story
Is accessible to all intended audiences
Is memorable for all the right reasons (yes, it’s still about the story!)

Read the entry criteria for Best Plain English Annual Report

Meet the judges for Best Plain English Annual Report


 

 

Posted In: 2021 Plain English Awards, Annual report

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