Special category

When it was established earlier this year, the Public Affairs Awards filled a gap in the communications awards landscape, says MD of Zetter’s Political Services, Lionel Zetter. The existing public affairs awards, the Public Affairs News Awards, run by Dods, is on a hiatus this year, allowing for a successful launch of the Public Affairs Awards this year.

“If you look at all the awards that celebrate communications generally or PR, there are a great many of them and they are very large and very well supported and that is great. But public affairs was, we thought, neglected, even when PAN was running it as an annual event,” said Zetter in a September interview.

The shortlist includes a number of campaigns run in the transport sector – no surprise, considering the plethora of new infrastructure developments in the UK, including HS2 and Crossrail.

The awards also includes specific categories for campaigns in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the EU to recognise lobbying and public affairs activities outside of Westminster.

The response to our inaugural awards was very high, not just in terms of the number of entries, but also very much in terms of their quality. The public affairs industry can be a bit shy about blowing its own trumpet, but I believe these awards clearly show that there is some great work begin done in our sector. These awards are here to stay, and I hope that in the years to come we get even more entries of an even higher standard," Zetter says.

Francis Ingham, PRCA director general, adds, “In the inaugural year of the PRCA’s Public Affair Awards, the calibre has been reassuringly high. I’d like to congratulate entrants for the wide variety of entries that our judging panel shortlisted – from Anthony Nolan’s MP campaign ‘Capes vs Cancer,’ to EDF Energy’s in-house team. We set out to celebrate the work and the people behind it, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the industry’s response.”

The judging council is comprised of public affairs experts working in the field or involved in networking or trade bodies. Winners will be announced on 9 December at a ceremony and dinner in London. The programme is run jointly by the PRCA, Zetter's Political Services and GovKnow.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Oustanding Contribution

For the individual who made an outstanding contribution to the public affairs industry over a protracted period of time. This category will be announced at the Awards.

In-house categories

In-house professional of the year

Jonathan Roberts - UK Chamber of Shipping

Martha Mackenzie - Shelter

Tim Alderslade - Airport Operators Association

In-house team of the year

Crossrail Limited - "a textbook example of how to get things right."

Glasgow 2014

EDF Energy - Navigating a complex business through stormy political weather

R3 - New ways of working in R3’s public affairs team: our most successful year yet

Shelter Corporate campaign of the year

Crimestoppers - Stamping Out Crime

Knight Frank - Campaign to inform the debate on mansion tax

Pimlico Plumbers - 'Giving opportunity to the next generation'

Trade body campaign of the year

Airport Operators Association

R3 - 'Personal insolvency solutions fit for 21st century debt'

UK Active - 'Turning the tide of inactivity'

Voluntary sector campaign of the year

Anthony Nolan - 'Capes vs Cancer'

Cancer Research UK - Cancer Research UK and 'Voice for radiotherapy'

Leonard Cheshire Disability - 'End to fifteen-minute care'

MS Society - 'Treat Me Right'

The Ramblers - 'One Coast for all' Public sector campaign of the year

Cream Consultancy - Rotherham enquiry

de Winter - CH1ChesterBID

Insight Public Affairs - "Keeping Business Alive in Camden: Scrapping the HS2 Link"

Sandwell Council - Taking Control – your health, your future!

TfL - Keep London working and moving

Consultancy categories

Consultancy of the year

Bellenden

Fishburn

Hume Brophy

Insight Public Affairs

Open Road

Consultant of the year

Ben Lyons - Fishburn

Rachel Barrett - Fishburn

Rebecca Lury - Westbourne

Soniya Ganvir - Bellenden Consultancy

Campaign of the year

Bellenden/Barratt Developments - Changing Perceptions, Housing People

Bellenden/Pupaid - "Where's Mum?"

Bellenden: High Court Officers Enforcement Association and Civil Enforcement Association - Reforming the Bailiff Legislation

Insight Public Affairs - Securing Camden's Future: Ditch the HS2 Link

PLMR Ltd - The Boost Bingo Campaign

Combined categories

Best in-house agency collaboration

Cogitamus Limited - Network Rail GNGE Alliance and Cogitamus Limited

Freshwater and the League against Cruel Sports - 'What The Fox?'

Greener Journeys - Catch the Bus Week 2014

John Lewis Partnership & Hanover Communications - Employee Ownership, A Shared Goal

Best campaign in Scotland

Good Relations - Seizing the health agenda in Scotland

MS Society Scotland - Treat me right

Orbit Communications - My Life, My Death, My Choice

Pagoda Public Relations - McCarthy & Stone

Best campaign in Wales

Deryn - Public NASS 'AS it is' campaign

Good Relations - Seizing the health agenda in Wales

Positif Politics - Dot Cymru Domain Names

Best campaign in Northern Ireland

Aiken PR

Cancer Research UK - Standardised packs of tobacco

MCE Public Relations - Knocking out Sectarianism and Racism in Boxing in Northern Ireland

Best campaign in the EU

Cancer Research UK - Tobacco Products Directive

The Whitehouse Consultancy - European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance

UK Active - Turning the tide of inactivity