A huge round of applause goes out to everyone who entered the 2023 Plain Language Awards. And particularly to our finalists!
Our finalists and shortlisted entries are printed under the categories below. You’ll notice we haven’t published finalists for every category. We can only say that any announcement would let the cat out of the bag!
We appreciate the hard work that went into all the entries. Well done to everyone who made it to the shortlists and beyond!
Save the date!
We’ll be celebrating our finalists and winners at an in-person ceremony at Parliament on Thursday, 26 October. We’ll also be live streaming the event so you can watch from wherever you are! Pop the date in your diary now and stay tuned for details on how to register for the ceremony.
Plain Language Champion — Best Organisation
We can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet!
Plain Language Champion — Best Individual or Team
- Finalist: Digital and Customer Experience Team, Auckland Council
- Finalist: Talking Trouble Aotearoa NZ Team, Talking Trouble Aotearoa NZ
Best Plain Language Document — Public Sector
- Finalist: Ministry of Social Development — Feeling Anxious About Work webpage
- Finalist: Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission — De-jargoning Money
- Finalist: Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga / Ministry of Education — DI4OL Privacy Impact Assessment: Plain language summary
- Shortlist: Fire and Emergency New Zealand — Wildfire Safer Housing Guide
- Shortlist: Nicola McKenzie — My Plan for a Good Life, Right to the End
- Shortlist: Te Aho o Te Kahu / Cancer Control Agency — Disability and Cancer Project, Lived-Experience Advisors — Expressions of Interest
Best Plain Language Document — Private Sector
- Finalist: AA Insurance — Working Towards a Resolution brochure
- Finalist: Simplicity NZ Ltd — Money Made Simple: Managing your money — a guide for all New Zealanders
- Finalist: Stronger Schools, Streamliners — Nurturing Wellbeing in the Classroom
Best Plain Language Website — Public Sector
Best Plain Language Website — Private Sector
Best Plain Language Sentence Transformation
- Finalist: Kate Sumner, Auckland Council — sentence from Auckland Plan: Measuring progress
- Finalist: Kate Sumner, Auckland Council — sentence from Digital Knowledge Hub: Writing for the web
- Finalist: Michel Mathew, Auckland Council — sentence from Industrial and Trade Activity (ITA) business and stormwater
- Shortlist: Michel Mathew, Auckland Council — sentence from Industrial and Trade Activity (ITA) business and stormwater
- Shortlist: Zinal Bhadra, OSPRI — sentence from Pisa TB Management Area (TMA)
- Shortlist: Zinal Bhadra, OSPRI — sentence from Registering as a Person In Charge of Animals (PICA)
- Shortlist: Zinal Bhadra, OSPRI — sentence from Catlins Otago and Southland TB Management Area (TMA) webpage
Best Plain Language Annual Report
- Finalist: Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage — 2021/22 Te Pūrongo ā-Tau Manatū Taonga Annual Report Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- Finalist: Westpac New Zealand Staff Superannuation Scheme — Westpac New Zealand Staff Superannuation Scheme: Navigating through uncertain times
- Finalist: National Trauma Network — Annual Report 2021/22
Best Plain Language Legal Document
We have no finalists but one highly commended entry. For obvious reasons, we can’t reveal the entrant’s name until the ceremony!
Best Plain Language Technical Communicator
- Finalist: Helen Bradford, Capire
- Finalist: Mercedes Glover, Fusion5
- Finalist: Sarah Bichan, Streamliners
Best Plain Language Turnaround
- Finalist: Manaaki Tāngata / Victim Support New Zealand — Victim Assistance Scheme (VAS) overview poster
- Finalist: Ministry of Social Development — Emergency Housing webpage
- Finalist: New Zealand Parole Board — NZPB Victim Notification Pack
- Shortlist: OSPRI — National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) compliance letter template
- Shortlist: Te Tari Pūreke / Firearms Safety Authority — Firearms licence
People’s Choice — Best Plain Language Communication
People’s Choice — Worst Brainstrain Communication
We can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet!
