Axios HQ’s Best-in-Class Communications Awards celebrate the organizations redefining what great communications looks like today. From aligning teams to engaging communities, our 2026 winners transform clarity into trust, momentum, and measurable impact.
The world's top brands trust Axios HQ
As Cox Enterprises grew to 45,000 employees, its communications team faced the challenge of keeping a complex organization aligned without overwhelming inboxes. The team partnered with Axios HQ to redesign Inside Cox, a biweekly all-staff newsletter built for collaboration and Smart Brevity.
The approach delivers clarity at scale: Inside Cox has increased its open rate and consistently earns praise for being clear, concise, and respectful of employees’ time.
With a highly dispersed workforce across 33 countries, Bechtel faced the challenge of keeping a rapidly evolving global organization aligned. The company partnered with Axios HQ to reimagine The Bechtel Brief, a weekly all-staff newsletter built on Smart Brevity and a shared editorial model.
The results reinforce global alignment: Open rates jumped more than 18% and now hold around 80%, making The Bechtel Brief Bechtel’s most trusted and unifying internal channel.
Serving families across five schools, Ramsey School District needed a clearer, more consistent way to keep its community informed and connected. The district partnered with Axios HQ to turn the Ramsey Review into a weekly community newsletter — a single, trusted source of districtwide updates.
Families feel the difference: According to the district’s Spring 2025 Family Survey, 85% of families are satisfied with district communication and 82% say it feels open and transparent.
With 13,000 caregivers across hospitals and clinics statewide, INTEGRIS Health needed a clearer, more consistent way to reinforce safety beyond daily huddles. The organization partnered with Axios HQ to launch Safety Share, a weekly newsletter built with Smart Brevity to elevate caregiver voices and spread safety learnings at scale.
The impact is lifesaving: INTEGRIS Health saw a 41% reduction in serious safety events and a measurable increase in caregiver engagement and trust.
CSX needed a faster, more engaging way to deliver industry-critical news to its board, executives, and communications team. The company partnered with Axios HQ to transform The Mainline into a daily Smart Brevity digest that explains what’s happening, why it matters, and what leaders may need to do next.
Momentum followed quickly: Readership grew nearly 4× in three months and continues to grow, with board open rates reaching 100% and executive open rates rising to nearly 80%.
Citrin Cooperman grew from $300M to nearly $900M through rapid expansion and acquisitions. To support their growing population of leaders, in 2024 the firm established a monthly communication as a cornerstone of their change comms strategy — designed to align partners around priorities, what's changing, and why it matters — so they could continue to lead their teams with confidence.
Key results: The monthly update has become a trusted go-to for leadership alignment during a period of growth and change.
Team of the Year
Nasdaq’s internal communications team delivers reliable, twice-weekly global communications through The Week Ahead and Week in Review, keeping employees aligned with clear, succinct, and essential updates.
Their governance, delivery strategy, and data-driven optimizations transformed their all-staff communications into a trusted north star for teams across continents.
All-staff Communications
NCAA’s weekly all-staff newsletter, The Disk, turned internal communications into a trusted one-stop shop, using Smart Brevity to create a more human, inclusive experience.
Through staff features and recognition, along with clear, accessible updates, the team boosted engagement and connection across a 550-person organization — dialing down information overload, driving up open rates, and creating meaningful engagement.
Community Engagement
Through Affordable Housing & Homelessness and Let’s Talk Lawrence, the City of Lawrence built a transparent, compassionate communication channel that invite residents into meaningful dialogue around complex issues.
By pairing Smart Brevity updates with storytelling and interactive engagement, the City has strengthened public understanding, trust, and participation.
Culture Creator
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas rebuilt connection and culture through In The Know, a monthly series designed to break down silos and connect employees to one other and their mission in a hybrid workplace.
Using Smart Brevity to shape employee stories and community impact updates, the team strengthened engagement, alignment, and brand stewardship — driving record employee engagement and measurable gains in fundraising, awareness, and org performance.
Change Management
CoolIT Systems sharpened clarity through a global, multi-series communication system that kept employees aligned during one of the most transformative years in the company’s history.
By delivering a unified voice across five newsletters and five offices worldwide, the team turned rapid growth, new leadership, and global expansion into confident, connected change — driving exceptional engagement and proving communication can scale as a true operating system.
Smart Brevity Champion
Goldman Sachs embedded Smart Brevity into its new firm-wide newsletter designed to help people stay connected. The team created a disciplined, weekly cadence that delivers a clear, curated snapshot of events and initiatives happening globally, while incorporating Smart Brevity and peer reviews as core elements of the writing and editing process.
As the newsletter reaches its one-year milestone, the team is planning its next phase: incorporate new features in the weekly roundup.
See how Axios HQ can help your organization plan, compose, and measure your own internal communications.
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