The winners of the inaugural Internal Communications and Engagement Awards represent the best in internal communications and showcase the ongoing commitments companies across Europe are making to improving their relationships with employees.

This year’s winners were celebrated at a sparkling gala last night in central London. The awards, supported by CIPR Inside, highlighted the best campaigns, programmes and strategies across internal communications and identified the year’s standout internal communications individual and team.

This year’s ‘Grand prix’ winner, RBS, has exemplified this across all its employee engagement and internal communications activities. It is a true winner of the premier prize of the evening. The CIPR Inside’s ‘Team of the year’ award goes to Nationwide, for its unique attitude and long-term strategic approach to improving the building society from the inside out. Its ‘Internal communicator of the year’ prize was given to Schroders’ Meriel Crawford, who has spearheaded a company-wide improvement of its internal communications and employe engagement.

UCB Pharma, one of the night’s winners, took home two gold awards for its strategic approach to internal communications. Other winners exemplified best in class uses of publications to achieve challenging objectives during mergers or to express corporate change.

The winners were showcased last night at the Brewery in London, at an event hosted by comedian Zoe Lyons.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best internal communications campaign
Gold – UCB Pharma and Chamberlain Healthcare PR, a Syneos Health Company
Silver – Nationwide Building Society
Silver – Nationwide Building Society and Sequel Group
Bronze – Community Integrated Care
Highly commended – Herbert Smith Freehills and blue goose
Highly commended – Southwest Airlines and the Team

Best ongoing commitment to internal communications
Gold – Slido
Silver – Curo
Silver – MyCSP
Bronze – Rail Safety and Standards Board and Big Button
Highly commended – Action Against Hunger and Brandworkz
Highly commended – Genus plc and Sweet Comms

Best internal communications campaign across multiple markets
Gold – UCB Pharma and Chamberlain Healthcare PR, a Syneos Health Company
Silver – IMI Precision Engineering and Big Button
Bronze – Action Against Hunger and Brandworkz
Bronze – Essilor and Bladonmore

Best communication of change or business transformation
Gold – RBS and Synergy Creative
Silver – Schroders
Bronze – Photobox Group and the Team
Bronze – Sovereign and Synergy Creative
Highly commended – Baker Tilly and Brandworkz
Highly commended – Renewi and Wardour

Best internal communications in a crisis
Gold – RBS and Synergy Creative

Best intranet
Gold – Travelex and Interact
Silver – Wheatley Group
Bronze – Curo
Bronze – Nationwide Building Society
Highly commended – NBS and Interact

Best use of mobile or apps
Gold – RBS and the Team
Silver – Sovereign and Synergy Creative
Bronze – BP and wtv.
Bronze – Vesuvius plc and Black Sun plc

Best use of video and animation
Gold – Nationwide Building Society (Arthur Webb campaign)
Silver – Sovereign and Synergy Creative
Bronze – Renewi and Wardour
Bronze – Serco and Big Button
Highly commended – Nationwide Building Society (driving conversations campaign)

Best use of social media
Gold – Nationwide Building Society

Best event
Gold – Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust Communications Team
Silver – Loughborough University
Bronze – Community Integrated Care
Bronze – Schroders
Highly commended – Irwin Mitchell

Best internal publication: Print
Gold – Connected magazine, for Drax Group, by Lucy Walton and RED
Gold – Renewi and Wardour
Silver – ODEON Cinemas Group
Bronze – Sir Robert McAlpine
Highly commended – Cobham and Wardour
Highly commended – Nestlé UK & Ireland and Sequel Group

Best internal publication: Digital
Gold – GSK
Silver – White & Case and Sequel Group

Best innovation
Gold – Sovereign and Synergy Creative
Silver – BP and wtv.
Bronze – Jaguar Land Rover and DRPG

Best alignment of internal communications with external messaging
Gold – SSE Energy Services
Silver – Pernod Ricard and Bladonmore
Bronze – Action Against Hunger and Brandworkz
Bronze – Harry Fairclough Construction and Engage Comms Ltd

Best engagement of brand ambassadors
Gold – Baker Tilly and Brandworkz

Best use of storytelling
Gold – RBS and Synergy Creative
Silver – Sovereign and Synergy Creative

CIPR Inside Internal Communicator of the year
Winner – Meriel Crawford, Schroders

CIPR Inside Internal Communications Team of the year
Winner – Nationwide Building Society

Grand prix
Winner – RBS and Synergy Creative