Viewing entries tagged
UnAwards 2025
The Unawards 2025 entries are open, and the spotlight is yours.
It's that time again. Not just fireworks and festive plans…
It's Unawards season, where the boldest, brightest, most human communications (and communicators) get their well-earned moment in the spotlight.
by Alan Oram
We’re doing something a bit special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UnAwards – and it’ll be music to your ears.
by Mark Gardner
Brand new for the UnAwards, when you submit your entries, you get the chance to choose a tune that relates to that entry. Or else just one of your own music faves.
And you’ll get to hear it on the brilliant online station FusionRadio.uk – which we are taking over for the whole UnAwards ceremony day of 5 December!
Even better, if you win an UnAward, you’ll get a namecheck alongside your chosen track.
FusionRadio.uk has been delivering on its promise – “Sounds Different” – for almost a year now. It plays pop, rock and alternative music with a pulse from the 1960s till now.
UnAwards organiser Darren presents his own show “Sunday Sounds” at 9pm on Fusion each week. Do tune in to hear his choice of indie with a twist live or on catch-up. And other leading comms pros from our industry have shows too - Helena Hornby, Ian Curwen and James Morton. Do check them out.
Enter UnAwards by the 28 October (midnight) deadline for your chance to pick a track. There’s a space for your choice on the entry form: www.comms2point0unawards.co.uk/reservations
It’s free to enter. We want to celebrate the best of communications from the public sector and its partners.
And search “fusionradio.uk” to listen to this fab station. Sounds different.
Mark Gardner is owner and creator of Fusion Radio
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When it comes to AI, there are no shortages of hot takes on what it all means for society - for better and for worse.
by Alex Waddington
Our jobs, our health, even our relationships – they are all in scope for impact and disruption by Generative AI, if the experts and headlines are to be believed.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned AI could affect nearly 40% of jobs, replacing some and changing others. OpenAI founder Sam Altman has even been quoted as saying that AI is going to replace "95% of what marketers use agencies, strategists, and creative professionals for today". Gulp.
But when I looked for blogs on AI on comms2point0 there were only two – one from myself, and one from Ian Curwen. Considering it’s nearly three years since ChatGPT launched and changed everything, that’s a little surprising.
Does this mean public sector organisations are behind the curve on AI adoption? Are comms professionals scared of it? Are they being frustrated by internal processes and risk aversion? Are people using it regularly - but unofficially and very quietly?
The answer is, I suspect, yes to all of the above.
Sorting substance from sensation
Part of the challenge is the sheer noise about AI and what to believe. Last year PR legend Stephen Waddington of Wadds Inc (no relation) called peak hype on AI. Almost a year on, that hype seems alive and kicking, with AI being deployed with gusto into more products and services we all use every day.
And only the other week, UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle breathlessly declared that the UK “can entirely rethink and reshape how public services help people through crucial life moments using the power of emerging AI technology… we could provide a level of service to citizens across the country that was previously unimaginable”.
Thankfully, we are seeing emerging use cases and sector responses that can help us sort the substance from some of the sensationalism.
Showing what is possible
At a national level, the Government Communications Service (GCS) has been leading the charge for AI in public sector and not for profit comms, showing what is possible.
In May, it revealed its Assist tool (based on Anthropic’s Claude) was being used by 4,500 users across more than 210 government organisations - over 70% of all potential GCS users. What is more, it says the average comms professional in the civil service is saving around three hours per week by using Assist.
Projected annual efficiency savings for GCS users are £5.5 million. Imagine what you could do and achieve with just a fraction of that cash saved.
Use cases for Assist include developing draft crisis communications plans, conducting COM-B analysis for behaviour change campaigns, and testing material for accessibility. I met one former GCS member recently who admitted they were struggling to operate without it in their new role, such were the benefits.
In the NHS – where we’ve seen communications roles in the political firing line in recent months – a Communications AI Network has just been launched. There is also the development of a national operating framework, an ethics framework and online training hub.
A report published to mark the launch of the new Network noted AI is being used to simplify technical language and analyse feedback from patients and staff. It also found widespread informal use of AI tools such as ChatGPT outside of formal approval processes and governance.
Growing curiosity and exploration
In the challenging and budget-constrained world of not-for-profit and public sector comms, I detect a growing uptake, curiosity and enthusiasm around Generative AI and its many possibilities. Not to replace what we do, but to enhance and complement it.
Every workshop I run about using data in comms, the AI part tends to generate the most discussion and curiosity. Webinars on AI organised by LGComms earlier this year were in high demand.
From conversations with communications professionals, Copilot is starting to be trialled and rolled out as part of the Microsoft corporate workplace package.
Comms teams are also putting their hands up to be involved with policy development, piloting and roll-out – which they should be, of course, given the reputational risk of botched deployment or starry-eyed adoption in blind faith.
And so, with these visible developments and examples of innovation, it feels like the right time for a new ‘Best Human x AI Collaboration’ UnAward, proudly supported by Whetstone Communications.
Yes, there are most certainly ethical, legal and environmental considerations you must deal with before letting Generative AI loose on real work and projects.
But as GCS and now others are showing, with the right guardrails, tools and training in place, many things are possible. You could free up time for more interesting work that draws on your human strengths, and use it to unlock fresh ideas and creativity, even at times when you are not at your most sparkling.
And if you are only just starting your AI journey now, you can benefit from the work and lessons already learned by the early adopters.
Centaur or cyborg?
In his excellent book Co-Intelligence : Living and Working with AI, Prof Ethan Mollick talks about centaur and cyborg approaches as being key to gaining the benefits of AI without the disadvantages.
Centaur work has a clear line between person and machine. Centaurs have clear red lines on tasks they will allow AI to handle, and tasks that must be done by humans. An example might be the creation of a campaign plan to increase recycling, where you give a very detailed prompt with clear parameters of what is needed, based on your very human lived experience, knowledge and insights. The AI quickly produces a plan (with helpful suggestions), which you check, seek further feedback on, and sign off in the usual way.
On the other hand, cyborgs blend machine and person, integrating the two deeply. Cyborgs don't just delegate tasks; they fluidly and rapidly intertwine their efforts with AI, as a successful partnership.
Cyborgs find themselves working in tandem with the AI depending on the strengths and limitations they have identified – and of course, as technology develops (the release of ChatGPT 5, for example) the balance and nature of this may change.
An example of cyborg work might be the creation of a campaign plan to increase recycling rates, where you would entrust an AI to do ‘deep research’ and use academic literature on what works. You would then challenge and prompt in turn, iteratively refining the plan by combining the AI’s speed and powers of reference with your own critical thinking, judgement and practical considerations like budget.
Will AI come to the UnAwards party?
To enter for this new award, you don’t need to have created your own version of GCS Assist and saved millions of pounds – although hard examples of real, tangible impact will certainly impress the judges.
Examples of successful AI x Human collaboration might be in supercharging a successful campaign with initial AI-powered research into ‘what works’ (and importantly ‘what doesn’t’) for creating behaviour change among hard-to-reach audiences.
You might have used your corporate instance of Copilot to overcome a lack of in-team data literacy, to crunch large public datasets and find important sparks of insight for effective local audience targeting. Or maybe you used the tool to analyse several hundred open text survey comments, to find hidden themes, shaping new approaches to internal communications and employee engagement.
You might even have deployed AI in your planning and stress-testing crisis scenarios, using it to generate unforeseen events that really put your team through its paces. AI might have helped identify training needs, ultimately resulting in your team being more prepared and resilient.
Or perhaps you’ve helped more of your residents or customers get the support they need by creating a chatbot that has breathed new life into hundreds of pages of dense but valuable content sitting online.
When all said and done, the UnAward for Best Human x AI Collaboration hopefully does three things;
1) shows good ways forward for safe and ethical AI-human collaboration in public sector comms
2) encourages teams and individuals to be bolder and more positive, proactive and transparent about their use of AI, and
3) showcases to sceptical stakeholders the outcomes and benefits that can be achieved when the technology is made available to skilled communicators
Ethan Mollick talks about the core principle of always inviting AI to the party - even if it ultimately only plays a minor role, or you ultimately decide to discount what it suggests. Only through this approach, can you really learn about what the technology can and can’t do (yet).
When the UnAwards winners are announced later this year at the famous and fabulous winners party in Brum, it’ll be fascinating to see whether AI is up there in the limelight taking some of the plaudits - or still stubbornly lurking in the corner.
Alex Waddington is owner of Whetstone Communications, a sponsor of the UnAwards 2025
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Winning an UnAward is a very special thing.
But how can you win one?
Find out exactly how by getting the inside track from past winners and current judges in this all-new webinar.
by Darren Caveney
This week saw the launch of the special 10th annual UnAwards.
You can find out all about it HERE.
The impact an award shortlisting can have…
I’ve seen first hand the difference an award shortlisting or win can make to an individual and to a team. Even an organisation. I truly believe that they’re a very important part of what we do.
External, independent recognition makes us feel good, yes, but it’s also an important endorsement that what we do makes a real difference and is considered to be good practice.
They look pretty good on the CV too.
I see brilliant work every single week on my travels around the UK working with teams.
But some teams are convinced that they haven’t done anything good enough to enter.
I disagree – everyone has delivered good and valued work in the past 12 months.
Now is the time to showcase your work – no one else will do this for you
It’s absolutely a time to be selfish and to spend some time on you and your work and to get an entry in, and see how far it can go.
The phrase “in it to win” is much over-used but it does however still ring true.
So what’s this new webinar?
It’s a one-off chance to hear from past winners, current judges and sponsors who will share their trade secrets about what has gone in to an UnAward win and, importantly, what the judges look for.
You can pitch in with questions to our extra special panel too.
When is it?
Monday 15 September, 12 noon - 1pm.
Fancy it?
We’ll do it on Teams and you can register below.
if you can’t be there we’ll make the recording available.
But try to be there – it will be a fun hour that might just help you get an UnAward win.
Darren Caveney is creator and owner of comms2point0 and Creative Communicators Ltd and creator of the UnAwards
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The 10th annual UnAwards launch TODAY. They're the most exciting and accessible industry awards around. Now is not a time to quietly sit back and hope your organisation recognises and appreciates your efforts. Instead try and get yourself shortlisted for an UnAward to really put your work on the organisational map on this, the very special 10th anniversary of the UnAwards.
by Darren Caveney
Well, 2025 has been more of the same for communicators everywhere - stretched, busy, in demand, and with a groaning inbox and to do list. But still you have delivered brilliant and important work.
So, as summer turns to autumn, it’s time to launch the 10th annual UnAwards and get you, your teams and the industry proudly entering and showcasing your best work. Now is not the time to let it pass and wait until next year.
The UnAwards are a huge passion of mine. They were established to recognise the hard work, creativity, successes of the communications and PR industry, largely but not exclusively by any means in the public sector.
They are truly accessible and do not run to generate a profit. They exist to celebrate and fly a flag for good people doing good things.
Something I think are now even more important than ever before.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY ACCESSIBLE?
Well, for starters it’s £free to enter
For seconds, it’s the simplest entry form you’ll find anywhere. This year again there is the fancy online entry form, courtesy of UnAwards partners, CAN Digital. You can enter multiple categories with a single entry form too.
And for thirds, if you manage to bag a golden ticket to the most fun awards ceremony around it will cost you just £30.
I hope you’ll agree that definitely classes as accessible.
NEW TO THE UNAWARDS?
Well there's more here but in a nutshell they are the most accessible and innovative awards in our industry - free to enter, fun to attend and a celebration of our community's achievements.
There are 22 categories, so something for everyone, including this year an all-new AI category sponsored by Whetstone Communications.
Even better you can enter the same piece of work in multiple categories to increase your chances of being shortlisted.
And if you come along to the big day – shortlisted or not – you’ll enjoy one of the very best networking events of the year
Oh and you get to watch a classic movie, which always remains a closely guarded secret until the day.
THE UNAWARDS IN NUMBERS…
10th annual UnAwards
600 entries last time
22 categories
3 public votes categories to decide winners
2k public votes last year
25 external judges
140 attendees
THE UNAWARDS – THEY KEEP ON GIVING...
Each year the winners are invited to showcase their winning work at the popular UnAwards Winners Masterclass in the new year. Also free to attend. More on that another time.
HOW DO I ENTER AND WHAT IS THE DEADLINE?
The cool new online entry form can be found HERE.
And the closing date is Tuesday 28 October at midnight. Please, please remember that the closing date is NEVER extended.
WHEN IS IT AND HOW CAN I ATTEND?
The 10th annual awards will be held at its iconic home - the Everyman Cinema in the Mailbox, Birmingham - on Friday 5 December at 9am for a 9.30am start.
Tickets cost just £30 + vat and will go on sale on 16 September via this website. Please remember it’s always a sell out so don’t be slow to buy.
And there’s more…
There will be a pre-UnAwards social at the comms world’s favorite Brum restaurant, The Indian Streatery on 4 December. The food is delicious and I’ve agreed a £25 per head menu that you’ll love. If you’d like to join us you can register HERE.
So, ‘People of Comms’
How often have you heard the phrase – comms and PR people are bad at their own comms and PR?
That really shouldn’t be the case should it? Would you buy the services of a web agency who had a terrible web site?
So it’s time to kill that one off for good.
It's time to promote our successes – shout about them, if not quite from the rooftops then at least down the corridors of power. Let’s be proud and celebrate our achievements.
Other professions do, and some may deliver a hell of a lot less than you do.
So embrace this rallying call and book out some time in your diaries to pull together your entries and showcase your best work.
No one else will do this for you.
That other non-important work demand which can stifle – meetings, ad-hoc requests, multiple distractions and the “could you just…” passing trade won’t go away. Ever.
But you might have a rather nice UnAward-winning certificate hanging proudly on your office wall. So be a little selfish with your time for once.
Darren Caveney is creator and owner of both comms2point0 and the UnAwards, and the owner of creative communicators ltd
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