It’s that time of year again. Here are the 2022 Plain English Campaign Award winners.

Since the news cycle in 2022 was as hectic as ever, we were never short of award candidates. So, once again, it’s been tricky choosing between many worthy recipients.

Late in the day, FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the Foot in Mouth his own with an ill-advised attempt at justifying a scandalous World Cup. Until then it was between Rishi Sunak and his poor grasp of British geography, Kanye West comparing himself to George Floyd, Joe Biden failing to count and Donald Trump being Donald Trump. Yet all were blown out of the water by the witless Italian.

Long Covid was a big issue and is still swathed in confusion. We’re hopeful its effects become much clearer in the coming years.

Rachel Boyack led the way for plain English in the New Zealand Government, successfully mandating the Plain Language Act. Jessica Elgot kept a clear and eloquent head during a national and international crisis. Many others – including Hospital Graphics, The Climate Coalition, Mind, Diabetes UK, Keep Britain Tidy and Young Minds – communicated brilliantly with their audience while pushing a positive message. Less happily, Tesla, Neil Oliver, Herschel Walker, Crypto.com and Peloton had a very bad 2022. There were also countless examples of poor written communication sent our way, the best of which you can find in our Golden Bull award round-up.  

All the best for 2023 – which can’t possibly be as impossible to keep up with as 2022. Can it?

Here are this year’s winners in full.