Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

We’re ready to roll with the 2019 Awards!

It's time for the public to have their say! Image by Jon Tyson. Unsplash licence


We’re ready to roll with the Awards in 2019 — and we’ve got some exciting plans to tell you about.


We’ll alternate between the Plain English Awards and the People’s Choice Awards

As you might imagine, it takes a tonne of support and time and resources to bring together annual awards. We’re now in our 14th year, and we know that our momentum is strong and that people’s appetite for plain English continues to grow.

After lots of planning and consideration, we’ve decided to alternate between having the full Plain English Awards one year and the People’s Choice Awards the next. Having held the full Awards last year in 2018, this means we’re focusing on the People’s Choice only in 2019.

Some of you will remember that the idea of holding the People’s Choice Awards on their own is actually not a new one. You may recall we held them on their own in 2016, to coincide with the Clarity2016 conference here in Wellington.


Entries for this year’s People’s Choice Awards will open on Saturday, 1 June

Once entries are open, members of the public will be able to nominate an outstanding communication of their choice for the People’s Choice — Best Plain English Communication.

People will also be able to nominate a miserable communication for the notorious People’s Choice — Worst Brainstrain Communication.

Entries in the People’s Choice Awards are free and will be judged by a panel of plain language specialists from New Zealand and overseas.


We’re planning a mid-year Awards ceremony

Another result of our planning is that we’ve decided to aim for a mid-year ceremony. Traditionally we’ve celebrated our winners in November. However, after this year, entries will open near the end of the year and we’ll celebrate winners the following winter. Because who doesn’t love a good mid-winter celebration?!


What about next year’s full Plain English Awards?

Entries for the 2020 Plain English Awards will open in November this year. We’ll give you plenty of information before then, so keep your eye out for our newsletters and other publicity. Subscribe to our newsletter

Thanks for following and supporting the annual Plain English Awards. You all play a big part in making these Awards a valuable and exciting event.