ClearMark Awards | Center for Plain Language

Spotlight your work!

The Annual ClearMark Awards recognize plain language communications created by North American organizations.

See who won | 2022 Winners

The 2023 ClearMark Awards

Check out this years Finalists on Miro!

June 22, 2023, 1:30-3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Live Virtual Awards. Find your local time.

This year, from June 1 to June 18, registrants will be able to – at their leisure – look at, comment on, and ask questions about the finalists’ submissions on Miro. And on June 22, registrants will be hosted live virtually with opportunities to participate in community activities and celebrate our award winners.

Register now (members and non-members) to receive communications around the Awards. We will send the link for the event on Wednesday, June 21.

Check out the finalists

Entry Rules

What can you submit for a ClearMark?

This year, you can nominate an entry in English, Spanish, or French in any of the following 13 categories:

What you can submit

Before & After – Print
Before & After – Digital
Shorter Brochures (up to 20 pages)
Longer Brochures (over 20 pages)
Posters, Charts, Fliers
Infographics
Websites
Blog Posts & Summaries
Emails & Newsletters
Mailed Materials
Legal Documents
Apps
Forms, Applications, and Statements
Grand Winner: The top honor given to an entry that represents the best in plain language communication across all 13 categories.

What you can’t submit

Videos
Audios
Podcasts

Rules for Entering

The deadline to enter is April 7, 2023.
Your entry should have been released from January 1, 2022 – today
You entry should be for a North American audience or developed in North America for another audience.
You can enter as many times as you would like.
If you have a bilingual document, and you’d like both versions to be considered, please enter twice as an English-language version and as a Spanish- or French-language version.

Submission Process

How to submit your entry:

Create an account. We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions. You’ll be able to start now and finish later if you need to.
Complete the online nomination form. You’ll need to complete this form online.
Pay a processing and handling fee. This fee is paid through Submittable. You can pay this fee with a credit card. If you don’t have a card and need an invoice, email us and we’ll help.

Judging Process

Along with recognizing the best entries, we provide useful feedback to all submitters. This feedback helps them rework and improve their content. Review our judging criteria for more information about how we review and rate each submission.

Previous Winners

See who won in 2022.

2021 |2020| 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013

Submission Fees

Members: $180
Non-Members: $230

Save on your entry fee with a membership for only $50/year!

Center for Plain Language Members get:

member rate on submissions and special events
information about international plain language standards
access to our new forthcoming job list.

When to submit

Remember, submit your entries by April 7th, 2023

Submit your entry!

Need Help?

If you have questions about the awards, please email us at info@centerforplainlanguage.org.