The UK’s finest communicators descended on London last night for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Excellence Awards 2009, the annual prize-giving bash for the PR industry.

Held at the Artillery Garden of the Honourable Artillery Company, the event saw accolades go to Blue Rubicon, which was named Outstanding PR company; the comms team of the London Borough of Camden (Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team); and Bondy Consulting (Outstanding Small Consultancy).

Limelight PR won two awards for its ingenious ‘ComputerTan’ campaign while Macmillan Cancer Support was another double winner for its prescription charges campaign.

Turk Telecom won the award for corporate and business communications while the internal communications awards (sponsored by Communicate) went to Action for Children’s efforts to engage internal audiences in its rebrand.

Describing the awards ceremony as “an event the entire industry looks forward to”, CIPR president Kevin Taylor said: “Congratulations to the winners and finalists. They have proven themselves to be among the best in their industry and have highlighted just what excellent PR work can achieve.”

The full list of winners is as follows:

Corporate and Business Communications
‘Save a Tree, Plant a Tree’ - Turk Telekom

Internal Communications
‘From NCH to Action for Children: Engaging Internal Audiences in our Rebrand’ - Action for Children

Consumer Relations
‘Christmas Campaign’ - British Heart Foundation

Public Sector
‘Liverpool PCT - Liverpool's Challenge’ - Liverpool Primary Care Trust

Corporate Responsibility
‘One Million Green Fingers’ - Yorkshire Water

Public Affairs
‘Prescription Charges Campaign’ - Macmillan Cancer Support

Integrated Campaigns
‘ComputerTan’ - Limelight Public Relations with McCann Erickson

Media Relations
‘Rowse: Save the Honey Bee’ - IncrediBull

Best Use of Digital PR
‘Play O Digital PR Campaign’ - McCann Erickson Communications House

Broadcast
‘Poppy Appeal Launch from Basra’ - Royal British Legion

Global Public Relations
‘Bushmills 400’ - Smarts

Crisis Communications
‘Contaminated Water Scare: Northamptonshire 2008’ - Anglian Water

Measurement and Evaluation
‘Albert / Reputation Tracker’ - Westminster City Council

Best Campaign £10k and under
‘Vargo, The First Guide Dog to Enter a Mosque’ - The Guide Dogs For The Blind Association

Best Campaign over £10k
‘Stop the Charge’ - Communique Public Relations

External Newspaper or Magazine
‘Greenwich Time’ - Greenwich Council

Internal Newspaper or Magazine
‘Soldier Magazine’ - Soldier Magazine

Publication
‘Hertfordshire Biker’ - Hertfordshire County Council

Website, Microsite or Intranet
‘Kleenex Sneezesafe’ - Mandate Communications

Not-for-Profit
‘Prescription Charges Campaign’ - Macmillan Cancer Support

Healthcare
‘ComputerTan’ - Limelight Public Relations with McCann Erickson

Event
‘IKEA-OLOGY for Southampton’ - Primal Public Relations

Outstanding Young Communicator
Claire Gibson - Energy Retail Association

Outstanding Small Consultancy
‘Bondy Consulting - Outstanding Small Consultancy’ - Bondy Consulting

Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team
‘London Borough of Camden Communications Team’ - London Borough of Camden

Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy
‘Blue Rubicon - Building the Defining Agency of the Decade’ - Blue Rubicon