Never has internal communications been more important than in the midst of the current international crisis. Its value to the corporate agenda has been reaffirmed by the quality of work shortlisted by the Internal Communications & Engagement Awards.

The Internal Communications & Engagement Awards will celebrate the best in communications with a company’s employees and internal stakeholders for the second year. The CIPR Inside’s ongoing support sees two key categories recognise the best individuals and teams working in internal communications.

Judges examined entries from across different sectors, making the difficult determination as to who would set the benchmark for excellence. Categories like ‘Best use of video and animation,’ ‘Best event’ and ‘Best intranet’ saw a number of companies shortlisted as they all exhibited a high standard of work.

The ‘CIPR Inside internal communicator of the year’ shortlist is composed of George Kenning from NatWest Group and Sinéad Meckin of Hanover Communications. The ‘CIPR Inside internal communications team of the year shortlist sees GVC, NatWest Group and the Office of the Public Guardian receiving nods.

Brittany Golob, editor in chief of Communicate magazine, says, “We’ve covered excellent internal communications work for years in Communicate magazine so it’s really rewarding to see a shortlist as strong as this in the second year of the Internal Communications and Engagement Awards. Congratulations to every team and company that has been shortlisted!”

In addition to the categories and shortlisted companies already judged, the awards night will see a new one-off award announced. The 'Best internal communications during the Covid19 pandemic’ category will reward any structured communications programme or process during the coronavirus crisis. Communicate magazine does not want to profit from this global tragedy. To this end, this category is free to enter and all companies that make the shortlist will be invited to attend at no cost. The category will close for entries on 1 September, and judging will take place during September. For more information please contact Cat Price.

To book your places at the Internal Communications and Engagement Awards, click here or email Lauren Ditcher.

The shortlist is as follows:

Best internal communications campaign
Avanti West Coast
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions and Home
Dentsply Sirona and Gauly Advisors and LINGNER.COM
GVC
Methods
Office of the Public Guardian
VGZ and PROOF internal and employer branding

Best ongoing commitment to internal communications
Barnardo's
Irwin Mitchell 
MyCSP
NatWest Group and Synergy Creative
Royal Mail Group and Linney
VGZ and PROOF internal and employer branding

Best internal communications campaign across multiple markets
Coats
GVC
Hogan Lovells and MadeVision

Best communication of change or business transformation
adi Group and Promontory
Delft University of Technology and PROOF internal and employer branding
East Midlands Railway
Methods

Best intranet
Emperor
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Interact
NSPCC and Interact
Sony PlayStation Europe and Interact
The Hyde Group
Voyage Care and Interact

Best use of mobile or apps
Aldi and Synergy Creative
Jaguar Land Rover and DRPG
William Hill and Sequel Group

Best use of video and animation
Avanti West Coast
Community Integrated Care
Dentsply Sirona and Gauly Advisors and LINGNER.COM
GVC
Post Office and Webvid
Royal Mail Group and Linney

Best use of social media
Coats
GVC
Royal Mail and AB Communications

Best event
Barclays
BT Consumer and DRPG
Carlsberg UK and Allman Communications
Denstply Sirona and Gauly Advisors and LINGNER.COM
GVC
Sir Robert McAlpine
Slido
The Hyde Group

Best internal publication: Print
Emperor
Methods
MyCSP
Royal Mail and AB Communications
Smart Energy GB
VGZ and PROOF internal and employer branding

Best internal publication: Digital
Nestlé Global and Sequel Group
Serco and Big Button
White & Case and Sequel Group

Best innovation
Arvato CRM Solutions UK
Dentsply Sirona and Gauly Advisors and LINGNER.COM
GVC
NatWest Group and Synergy Creative
NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group
SUEZ recycling and recovery UK with Macmillan Cancer Support and adart.design
Unilever and Edelman

Best alignment of internal communications with external messaging
GVC
MyCSP
Stedin and PROOF internal and employer branding

Best evaluation process of internal communications
GVC
Serco and Big Button

Best use of content
Direct Line Group and DRPG
GVC
McDonald's and blue goose
NatWest Group and Sequel Group

Best use of data
Adevinta and Home
Irwin Mitchell
Unilever and Edelman

Best engagement of brand ambassadors
Carlsberg UK and Allman Communications
Elsevier
Royal Mail and AB Communications
Wiser

Best use of storytelling
Direct Line Group and DRPG
GVC
Metropolitan Police Service
Ministry of Justice
Volkswagen UK and Promontory 

CIPR Inside internal communicator of the year
George Kenning, NatWest Group
Sinéad Meckin, Hanover Communications

CIPR Inside internal communications team of the year
GVC
NatWest Group
Office of the Public Guardian