AOP announces shortlist for 2025 Digital Publishing Awards

Published: 24 Apr 2025

London, 24^th April 2024: The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) has today announced the shortlist for the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards. The awards celebrate the individuals and teams working to create, deliver and monetise quality content online.

The Digital Publishing Awards champion talent across 26 categories, and set the standard for editorial, commercial, partnership and publishing excellence. The entries are judged by a panel of digital industry experts under the guidance of co-chairs Katie Le Ruez, former Director of Digital at Guardian News & Media, and Thomas Lake, Product & Technology Director at Infopro Digital. The winners will be announced at the AOP Awards ceremony on 11th June at Old Billingsgate, London.

Now in its 23^rd year, the 2025 finalists list includes entrants from a variety of sectors, including sustainability-focused titles such as Carbon Brief and edie, alongside news, fashion, automotive, manufacturing and sport publishers. Telegraph Media Group, Immediate and Haymarket standout as leaders with impressive inclusion across the categories.

“At a transformative time for digital publishing, I’m proud that we continue to spotlight the highly talented people and impressive innovation in our industry,” said Richard Reeves, Managing Director at AOP. “Once again, we’ve seen an impressive variety of submissions this year, covering a range of sectors within the industry. I’m excited to announce the winners and celebrate at the awards ceremony in June.”

The full list of finalists is as follows and can also be viewed online here.

Individual Excellence Awards

Editor of the Year

• Morgan Jeffery - Radio Times, entered by Immediate
• Natalie Hardwick - goodfood.com entered by Immediate
• Charlotte Collins - SheerLuxe, entered by SheerLuxe
• Lauren Davidson – The Telegraph, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Journalist of the Year

• Dr Simon Evans, entered by Carbon Brief
• Pippa Neill, ENDS Report, entered by Haymarket Media Group
• Dominic Nicholls, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Rising Star

• Lara-Jane Johnston, entered by Immediate
• Max Copeman, entered by Immediate
• Ollie Corfe, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Rachel Duffy, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Trang Nguyen, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Alice Treasure, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Libby Darcy, entered by Times Media

Sales Person of the Year

• Victoria Bruce, entered by Carwow Group
• Abdul Ahad, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Fleur Rollet-Manus, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Emma Shields, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Jack Scarr, entered by Times Media

The AOP Award for Inspiring Local Journalism, sponsored by Google News Initiative

• Liam Thorp, entered by Liverpool Echo
• James Holt, entered by Manchester Evening News
• Helena Vesty, entered by Manchester Evening News
• Nicole Wootton-Cane, entered by Manchester Evening News
• Luke Butterly, entered by The Detail

Team Excellence Awards

Advertising Operations Team of the Year

• Carwow
• Immediate
• Mail Metro Media
• Telegraph Media Group
• William Reed

Audience Development Team of the Year, sponsored by UKOM

• MailOnline Social Video Team – driving a TikTok phenomenon, entered by MailOnline
• Metro
• InYourArea - Everything. Local. Everywhere, entered by Reach PLC
• Telegraph Community team, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Times Media

Editorial Team of the Year: B2B

• Farmers Guardian, entered by Arc network
• edie, entered by Faversham House Ltd
• ENDS Report, entered by Haymarket Media Group
• Campaign UK, entered by Haymarket Media Group
• The Manufacturer, entered by Nineteen Group

Editorial Team of the Year: Consumer

• HELLO! entered by HELLO! Magazine Ltd.
• Radio Times, entered by Immediate
• The Independent
• Times Money Mentor, entered by Times Media

Product Development Team of the Year

• What Car? entered by Haymarket Media Group
• Metro
• Telegraph Puzzles Team, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Sales Team of the Year

• The Guardian Advertising Team, entered by The Guardian
• The Telegraph, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• Times Media

Publishing Excellence Awards

Best Creative Solutions Led / Content Marketing Campaign

• MINI & Automotive Studio: Giving Our Audience MINI Reasons To Go Electric, entered by Haymarket Automotive Studio
• Ford Pro & What Car? Vans: Making It Clear That Ford Is Best For Business, entered by Haymarket Automotive Studio
• Audi & Automotive Studio: Educating EV Sceptics Through An Engaging Approach To Myth Busting, entered by Haymarket Automotive Studio
• Good Food x Morrisons, entered by Immediate
• Taking Content Marketing To New Heights, entered by Mail Metro Media & Wavemaker For Jet2Holidays
• News UK/Movember, The Real Face of Men’s Health, entered by News UK
• Plugging into Progress: Transforming EV Perceptions, entered by The Independent
• Helping Great Rail Journeys To Embrace Digital, entered by Telegraph Media Group & Great Rail Journeys

Best Digital Publishing Innovation

• Local Ads, entered by Citymapper
• TechFinitive.com – Redefining & Monetising Premium B2B Journalism Through Innovation, entered by Engage Media Group (TechFinitive.com)
• FT Target: First-Party Context, entered by Financial Times
• DAX ID, entered by Global
• Radio Times What to Watch App, entered by Immediate
• Mail Metro Media’s EDITS: Revolutionising Digital Video Advertising, entered by Mail Metro Media
• The AI-Assisted Reporter, entered by Newsquest
• Mantis Solutions, Built With In-depth Publisher Knowledge, entered by Reach PLC

Best Diversification of Commercial Strategy, sponsored by Google

• Good Food App, entered by Immediate
• Mail Metro Media - A 360 Commerce Powerhouse, entered by Mail Metro Media
• WTF Talent, entered by The Race Media

Best Media Technology Partner - Audiences

• First-Party Data Powerhouse: How Bridged Supercharged Informa Brands, entered by Bridged Media
• JWP Connatix: Powering Rural Streaming, entered by JWP Connatix
• Teads: Creating New Moments for Publishers To Own The Screen, entered by Teads
• Authentic Audiences: How Utiq, IQ Digital & GroupM Pioneered Privacy-First Addressability, entered by Utiq
• code.store

Best Media Technology Partner – Revenues

• Brand Lift Data Helps Brand Metrics’ Publisher Partners Understand & Monetise Their Audience, entered by Brand Metrics
• Content Ignite
• DV Publisher Suite, entered by DoubleVerify
• News UK’s Nucleus Narr(ai)te, Powered By illuma, entered by illuma
• SOURCEPOINT & Bauer Media Audio: A Pioneering Partnership Unlocking Consent-led Monetisation On Amazon Alexa, entered by SOURCEPOINT

Best Publisher-led Social Good Initiative or Campaign

• Big Issue & Specsavers” Vision for Change” entered by Big Issue
• Immediate: A Platform for Change, entered by Immediate
• The Media Literacy Programme, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• The Independent: Brick By Brick Campaign, entered by The Independent

Best Research / Insight Project

• The Haymarket Automotive Indicators Research Programme – Empowering Our Clients With Industry-leading Research & Data, entered by Haymarket Automotive
• Youth: A Newsworks Study, entered by Newsworks
• 2025 Manufacturing Momentum Report, entered by The Manufacturer (part of Nineteen Group)
• Modern Progressive, entered by The Independent
• Telegraph Compass Steps Up To The Challenge, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Best Use of Audio

• The Women’s Running Podcast, entered by Anthem Publishing
• Mail Metro Media: From Print Publisher To Podcast Powerhouse, entered by Mail Metro Media
• Ukraine: The Latest, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Best Use of Data

• TechFinitive.com: Data-Driven Publishing: Leveraging Audience Insights to Power ABM Success & Sustainable Journalism, entered by Engage Media Group (TechFinitive.com)
• The inSight Accelerator, entered by Infopro Digital Services Limited
• Halifax: My First Home Campaign, entered by News UK
• Reach PLC: Breaking Records On Reddit With Smart, Relentless Data Strategy, entered by Reach PLC
• The Telegraph: Automating The Fusion Of Survey And Analytics Data To Identify Growth Opportunities, entered by Telegraph Media Group
• William Reed

Best Video Strategy

• Radio Times, entered by Immediate
• Mail Metro Media’s EDITS: A Game-Changing Video Strategy Driving Engagement & Growth, entered by Mail Metro Media
• Never Mind the Ballots US Edition x Betfair, entered by The Sun
• Times Media Video, entered by Times Media
• Which? Video Team, entered by Which?

The AOP Employer Excellence Award, sponsored by Lewis Silkin

• Bauer Media
• Faversham House Ltd
• Empowering Inclusion As A Certified Disability Confident Employer, entered by Haymarket Media Group
• Immediate
• The Future Talent Programme, entered by Telegraph Media Group

Grand Prix Awards

Best Online Brand: B2B

• Investment Week, entered by Arc network
• Farmers Guardian, entered by Arc network
• Campaign, entered by Haymarket Media Group
• Planning, entered by Haymarket Media Group

Best Online Brand: Consumer

• Good Food App, entered by Immediate
• Radio Times (radiotimes.com), entered by Immediate
• SheerLuxe
• Telegraph Media Group

Small Digital Publisher of the Year, sponsored by Deloitte

• Big Impact, Small Publisher: Reinventing B2B Media Through Smart Data & Premium Editorial, entered by Engage Media Group (TechFinitive.com)
• RocaNews
• solli: From Launch To Leadership In Pharma Media, entered by Skittle Media
• whynow Media

Best Digital Publishing Company 2025

Finalists to be announced

For more information visit: https://www.ukaop.org/digital-...

About the Association of Online Publishers

The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) is an industry body representing digital publishing companies that create original, branded, quality content. AOP champions the interests of media owners from diverse backgrounds including newspaper and magazine publishing, TV and radio broadcasting, and pure online media. For more information, please visit www.ukaop.org.