Award Categories
Rising Star
This award recognises that the profitable future of digital publishing depends on the development of young talent and aims to celebrate those individuals who are in their first three years of working within digital publishing and are already making a noticeable contribution to the growth of their business. Publishers are invited to nominate individuals from across all teams within their organisations – marketing, product, operations, data, research, sales, editorial, etc - who have demonstrated the hard work, creative thinking, commercial instincts and stand-out qualities which make them a Rising Star.
Sales Person of the Year
This category will celebrate the skills and dynamism of an individual selling digital advertising and commercial opportunities within a publishing business. Our jury will be looking for evidence of the individual’s development, demonstrating an innovative, creative and effective approach to increasing and diversifying digital revenues across digital platforms. Entrants are advised to include testimonials from clients demonstrating skills in relationship building. There is no requirement for the individual to be solely working on digital sales. Publishers are invited to nominate their most promising sales person or people, or individuals may nominate themselves. In either case, please provide two specific pieces of supporting materials: [1] a testimonial from a senior representative of the publisher, [2] a statement from the nominee on what inspires them to do better in their role.
Journalist of the Year
This Award will celebrate the contributions of individual journalists to the quality output of online publishers. Our judges will be looking for a winner, working in either B2B or B2C publishing, who has demonstrated that they embrace the opportunities of digital journalism and are building a relationship with their audience. They will be looking to reward engaging writing, investigative journalism and/or a real understanding of the interests and information needs of the audience. Publishers are invited to nominate their most promising journalists, or journalists may nominate themselves. In either case, please provide two specific pieces of supporting materials: [1] a testimonial from a senior representative of the publisher, [2] a statement from the nominee on what inspires them to do better in their role.
Editor of the Year
Judges will be looking for an individual who has a strong editorial vision and has built a team to deliver compelling content that resonates with their target audience – whether working in B2B or B2C publishing. They should demonstrate a strong understanding of what drives the relationship with their end users; strategic thinking; good use of data and tools; and an audience development plan which encompasses all relevant platforms. Evidence of how they have contributed to commercial success is also desirable. Publishers are invited to nominate their editor[s], or editors may nominate themselves. In either case, please provide two specific pieces of supporting materials: [1] a testimonial from a senior representative of the publisher, [2] a statement from the nominee on what inspires them to do better in their role.
The AOP Award for Inspiring Local Journalism sponsored by Google News Initiative
This award recognises the value of local journalism and its contribution to society. The AOP invites entries from regional publishers for journalists who are proving that investigative and campaigning journalism is alive and well in the communities of the UK. Our jury will also be looking for journalists who recognise the added power that digital publishing provides for the amplification of local stories and the building of local communities around great journalistic content. Publishers are invited to nominate their most promising journalists, or journalists may nominate themselves. In either case, please provide two specific pieces of supporting materials: [1] a testimonial from a senior representative of the publisher, [2] a statement from the nominee on what inspires them to do better in their role. This category is free to enter.
Sponsored by: Google News Initiative
More
Advertising Operations Team of the Year
This category seeks to recognise the contribution of the often-unsung heroes of online publishing – the advertising operations teams who ensure that all the creative innovations and incremental commercial opportunities are effectively implemented. Our jury will be looking for a winning team who have helped to drive the business forwards without impacting on the quality of service provided. Entries should include testimonials from the team’s internal customers – the editorial and sales teams – and from the publisher’s clients.
Audience Development Team of the Year
The winners in this category should be able to demonstrate innovation and sophistication in understanding content strategy as part of audience development. Our judges will be looking for deep insight into on- and off-platform audience behaviour and intelligent use of social and search analytics, and the winning team should demonstrate an effective relationship with editorial and a real impact on business performance.
Sales Team of the Year
This award is open to entry by any sales or commercial team working to increase digital revenues within a publishing business (although there is no requirement that the team is working solely on digital revenues). Judges will be looking for evidence of creative and innovative thinking to grow and diversify revenue opportunities across digital platforms; for evidence that the team has effectively grown the business and delivered an impact for the publisher. The winning team should also have a culture of nurturing and developing new talent. Testimonials from clients affirming the success of the team at developing profitable relationships should also be included.
Product Development Team of the Year
This category is designed to reflect the importance of the product development team’s role in assisting digital publishers to grow revenues and build deeper audience engagement. This could be through brand innovations, extensions and rewires that drive and diversify revenues - all underpinned by elegant technology solutions with a strong focus on great UX. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate that they have created a user experience that is nurturing deeper relationships between readers and content, and that they’ve supported the business. Entries should include testimonials from the team’s internal customers [the editorial and sales teams] and ideally also from the publisher’s clients.
Editorial Team of the Year: B2B
Our jury will be looking for the editorial team which can demonstrate a real understanding of the industry sector the team is serving, creating a distinctive voice and providing industry leadership on key issues. Your entry should demonstrate a great understanding of the opportunity to create engagement and grow audiences both through your own brands and off platform. There is no requirement that the editorial team should be solely working online.
Editorial Team of the Year: Consumer
Our jury will be looking for the editorial team which can demonstrate the creativity and enterprise that drives digital consumer publishing. The winning team should have a strong understanding of their end users and have created their own distinctive voice, creating new conversations to deepen the audience relationship. Your entry should demonstrate the ability to create engagement and grow audiences both through your own brands and off platform. There is no requirement that the editorial team should be solely working online.
Best Digital Publishing Innovation
[For entry by publishers only]
This category is for entry by publishers and is designed to celebrate entrepreneurial endeavour. We invite entries for innovation projects, which could include the successful launch of a new digital property or properties, or the effective use of new publishing technology or the successful leveraging of new partnerships. Our jury will be looking for publishers who are clearly aiming to foster a spirit of innovation, who can demonstrate a clear understanding of how new ideas will work with their target audience, and evidence of the commercial viability of new innovation.
Best Diversification of Commercial Strategy
[For entry by publishers only]
This category reflects the innovative approaches that publishers are taking to create new commercial opportunities. The jury will be looking for effective strategies for delivering new revenue streams over the past year, for example but not limited to: driving subscription growth, and/or membership models, and/or events, and/or ecommerce revenues, and/or data monetisation strategies.
Best Publisher-led Social Good Initiative or Campaign
[For entry by publishers only]
This category celebrates the potential for strong digital publishing brands to take the lead on the challenges that the world is facing around the environment, sustainability, poverty, and diversity and inclusion. Our jury will be looking for initiatives that have engaged audiences and made a difference – whether in B2B, specialist consumer, or broader consumer markets. Entries that can also demonstrate how strong partnerships with not-for-profit organisations and/or commercial partners have added to the value of the initiative will do well in this category.
Best Research / Insight Project
[For entry by publishers, trade bodies, and/or media tech partners]
The winner in this category will be a stand-alone research or insight project that has demonstrated the application of innovative and/or effective methodology to deliver new insights into, for example but not limited to: audiences and audience behaviour, or the digital publishing and advertising ecosystem, or the business of digital publishing, or the effectiveness of digital advertising. Our jury will be looking for evidence that the research project has had an impact [or has the potential to have an impact] on the future profitability and success of a digital publisher or of the digital publishing sector.
Best Use of Data
[For entry by publishers only]
This category is for entry by publishers who can demonstrate the effective use of data within their organisation to drive key business decisions - from product development, audience growth, monetisation of audiences, development of new commercial trading methods and communication to key stakeholders. For this category, the jury will be looking for an effective use of data sources to deliver quality information on an ongoing basis; for evidence that the data is presented effectively throughout the organisation to impact on strategy and for a robust measurement process that has demonstrated effective results.
The AOP Employer Excellence Award
For entry by publishers, trade bodies, and/or media tech partners
This award category reflects the importance for the digital publishing industry to attract and nurture the best talent, provide professional growth, support wellbeing, and foster a strong culture of diversity and inclusion. Our jury will be looking for examples of strategic initiatives that can inspire best practice in our industry, and for evidence of a commitment to developing a culture of employer excellence.
Best Creative Solutions Led / Content Marketing Campaign
[For entry by publishers, advertisers or agencies]
This category is for the best campaign which engages a publication’s readers while delivering great results for an advertising brand. Our jury will be looking for the most creative and effective content-led campaign, delivering impact through the power of the publishing brand’s engagement with its audience through its own site and/or through social media channels. Entries are invited from publishers but also from advertisers and agencies – our jury will be looking for evidence of collaboration and innovative partnerships.
Best use of Audio
[For entry by publishers only]
This category celebrates editorial and publishing strategies which demonstrate an effective and creative use of podcasts and other audio content to grow audiences and increase engagement. The jury will be looking for publishers who have grasped the podcast and audio opportunity, developing a great editorial product to engage readers and grow their brand. The winning entry should demonstrate how the audio strategy has delivered impressive engagement metrics and/or developed new audiences and/or grown audience and/or delivered revenue growth.
Best Video Strategy
[For entry by publishers only]
This category celebrates editorial and publishing strategies which demonstrate an effective and creative approach to the use of video to grow audiences and increase engagement. Judges will be looking for examples of compelling and inspiring storytelling, great engagement metrics, shareability,viral impact, and of course effective monetisation.
Sponsored by: PubMatic
More
Best Media Tech Partner: Audiences
This award invites entries from media technology companies who are working closely with their digital publisher partners to evolve new or improved solutions for finding, growing, retaining, segmenting, and/or engaging audiences. Whether you are focused on tech solutions for effective data strategies, for optimised content delivery, for improved user experience or for any other solution that is designed to build stronger relationships between publishers and their audiences, this category provides the opportunity to demonstrate your strong contribution to the success of your clients’ business. Please include testimonials from your publisher partners.
Best Media Tech Partner: Revenues
This award invites entries from media technology companies who are working closely with their digital publishing partners to evolve new or improved solutions for monetisation of audiences, content, and/or data. Whether you are focused on tech solutions for driving subscriptions, memberships, ecommerce, or data monetisation, or for optimising advertising revenues, this category provides the opportunity to demonstrate your strong contribution to the success of your clients’ business. Please include testimonials from your publisher partners.
Best Online Brand: Consumer
Our jury will be looking for an online consumer publishing brand, or unique domain, that has demonstrated the innovative thinking so important to the future of digital publishing. Our jury will be looking for a digital publishing brand that has maintained a consistently high standard of content and commercial success across all digital platforms – we will be looking for great design and usability, editorial excellence, innovations in approach to advertising and commercial partnerships, and a strong profit performance.
Best Online Brand: B2B
Our jury will be looking for an online B2B publishing brand, or unique domain, that has demonstrated the innovative thinking so important to the future of digital publishing. Our jury will be looking for a digital publishing brand, or unique domain, that has maintained a consistently high standard of content and commercial success across all digital platforms – we will be looking for great design and usability, editorial excellence, innovations in approach to advertising and commercial partnerships, and a strong profit performance.
Small Digital Publisher of the Year
This category celebrates the best of those smaller digital publishers [with a turnover of less than £5M] who are succeeding in building a portfolio of online brands, growing their audiences and their profitability, with smaller budgets, but with ingenuity, innovation, an unbeatable understanding of their audiences and great commercial vision.
Best Digital Publishing Company 2025
Publishing companies who have demonstrated success across several categories in the AOP Awards will be invited to enter the following category.
This award is for the digital publishing business [with a turnover of more than £5M] which has demonstrated outstanding achievements across its portfolio of brands and publishing activity. Publishers entering this category should provide evidence of a strong strategic vision, innovation in approach to your digital publishing business across a portfolio of unique domains and /or audiences, and a clear achievement against objectives. The written submission will be reviewed by the full Jury in the final judging session.
