The past year has been one in which many individuals and organisations have been hard at work adapting to their new
normal. Many people have been busier than ever, getting used to an ever-changing work environment.
That’s why organisers of the annual Plain English Awards are excited to announce a stellar line-up of finalists this
year. This included, for the first time, entries from Australia. Organisers feel this shows that, despite their
busyness, people still care about clear communications.
This year’s Plain English Awards finalists are listed below.Plain English Champion — Best OrganisationCitizens Advice Bureau New ZealandLegalitePlain English Champion — Best Individual or TeamGretchen Rasch — Cawthron InstituteLauren Kelindeman — Legalitethinkstep-anz teamBest Plain English Document — Public SectorDunedin City Council— tō tātou eke whakamuri: the future of usHealth Navigator NZ — EmpagliflozinLeading Lights — Consent to Request Support and Share InformationMinistry of Social Development — COVID-19 emails to clients 2020Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency — The New Zealand code for cyclingBest Plain English Document — Private SectorSummer KiwiSaver Scheme — Transferring Australian superannuation to the Summer KiwiSaver schemeLitmus and Alzheimers NZ — This is our story: A qualitative research report on living with dementiaRyman Healthcare — myRyman Life eLearning toolBest Plain English Website — Public SectorCitizens Advice Bureau New Zealand — www.cab.org.nzCOVID-19 Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — www.covid19.govt.nzMinistry of Social Development — www.youthservice.govt.nzBest Plain English Website — Private Sector
The website thefoodcruncher.com was the only entry in this category for 2021. Judges commended the website for its purpose, tone, and general language.
However, they felt that the website needed to better follow the principles of plain language to progress beyond the
shortlist.Best Plain English Sentence Transformation
No finalists published — wait till 14 October to find out more!Best Plain English Technical Communicator
No finalists published — wait till 14 October to find out more!Best Plain English Annual ReportDomain Name Commission — 2020–2021 Annual Report » Domain Name Commission NZMinistry for Primary Industries — Ministry for Primary Industries Annual Report 2019/20National Trauma Network — New Zealand Trauma Registry Annual Report 2019/20Best Plain English Legal DocumentAccuro Health Insurance — Accuro Health Insurance SmartCare+ Policy DocumentBehavioural Science Aotearoa, Ministry of Justice — Protection Order Information PacksSouthern Cross Travel Insurance — Domestic Travel Insurance Policy DocumentBest Plain English TurnaroundAccuro Health Insurance — Accuro Health Insurance SmartCare+ Policy DocumentWaka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency — The New Zealand code for cyclingPeople’s Choice — Best Plain English CommunicationKiwibank — We’re improving our home loan documentsKiwi Wealth — Kiwi Wealth: State of the Investor Nation Report June 2021Masterton District Council — A Dog’s Tale newsletterPeople’s Choice — Worst Brainstrain Communication
No entries were received for this category in 2021. Lead judge of the People’s Choice panel, Simon Hertnon, says he’d
like to think that this is a good sign.
‘I do think that there are less examples out there — so that’s definitely progress for the cause.’Huge thanks to Awards sponsors
Sponsors play a key part in the keeping the Plain English Awards going. The Awards team would like to thank the
following organisations for their support: WriteMark Limited, Write Limited, Wright Family Foundation, Graphic
Solutions, NZ Super Fund, Newsroom, Streamliners, TechComm, Skillset, printing.com, MoneyHub, Consumer NZ, Shelly
Davies, Community Comms Collective, Editor Software, Informed Investor, Kendons, and Modica Group.Get more information