The second annual Digital Impact Awards are now live. Last year’s inaugural Digital Impact Awards were the first awards to celebrate the best in UK digital stakeholder communications, and the 2011 Awards will carry on this tradition.

The Digital Impact Awards provide an opportunity for all staff, companies and agencies alike, to see their efforts in digital corporate communications recognised. The Awards benchmark excellence in digital communications and celebrate the best work from across the UK.

Judged by a panel of digital experts, communications practitioners and academics, the Awards welcome entries from in-house communications professionals, digital agencies, business strategists, design firms, advertising agencies, non-profit organisations and government agencies. Work is eligible so long as its strategy or execution was developed, launched or carried out between January 2010 and May 2011.

The Digital Impact Awards are unique in recognising digital work across all areas of corporate communications, including media relations, investor relations and internal communications, with categories that focus on strategy, content, execution (including four awards dedicated to social media usage) and evaluation. They also provide a platform to discuss digital communications, online reputation and brand management, and to share best practice.

All winners’ projects will be showcased at digitalimpactawards.com, and a media campaign will be launched in the autumn of 2011 to announce the winners and publicise the display showcase. The unique website for the awards was designed by digital web agency Intendance.

Publisher of Communicate Andrew Thomas said: “Companies increasingly need to talk to all their audiences with a single voice, and digital and social media tools allow them to achieve that quickly and effectively. The Digital Impact Awards have helped organisations recognise where excellence lies. The awards have created an industry-wide benchmark, and given digital communications the recognition they deserve. Last year’s awards programme saw a staggering amount of entries, attendees and coverage generated. This year we will build on that.”