The list has been announced in stages over recent days. We’re honouring people who have risen in prominence or significantly enhanced their reputations this year due, at least in part, to their comms prowess. The full list:

Arguably this year’s breakout UK social media influencer, Sabrina Bahsoon, famously known as Tube Girl, gained viral acclaim for her dance videos filmed on the London Underground. Her confident and entertaining videos, starting with one set to the David Guetta track Where Them Girls At, have resonated with TikTok users, amassing millions of views. Bahsoon’s approach to self-expression has made her a TikTok sensation and her success has inspired other users of the platform to express themselves in creative and unique ways. She has also become a role model for young women, suggesting that anything is possible with confidence.

Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams has been in the public eye this year for speaking out on a case of gross misconduct against herself and her partner, fellow athlete Ricardo dos Santos, who were in their car with their young child when they were pulled over in a police stop and search in 2020. The couple filed a complaint of racial profiling, leading to a police watchdog tribunal that took place this autumn. Despite facing online trolling, Williams has been vocal in the press, insisting that she has “no regrets” about reporting her experience. She told the BBC she wanted to use her voice to “help the next person” and speak up for those who have faced similar mistreatment.

Twenty-one-year-old model Emily Goldstein has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle this year, advocating for the beauty and fashion industries to stop excluding those with disabilities. Essex-born Goldstein, who has Down’s syndrome, is on a mission to create a more diverse definition of beauty standards, having proudly welcomed the introduction of the first Barbie doll with Down’s. She warns against “ridiculing” people with disabilities, saying they need to be “out there in the world” and not “hidden away”, “overlooked” or “written off”.

Emily Atack, an actor, comedian and television personality, fearlessly opened up about the prevalent issue of online sexual harassment. In her documentary Emily Atack: Asking For It?, aired on BBC Two, she shed light on her experiences from childhood to the present, challenging cyberbullying and advocating for change. Atack’s impactful efforts led to the criminalisation of cyberflashing in the new Online Safety Act. Her documentary has been praised for its brave and honest storytelling, which has made a lasting impact on society. Atack has become a role model for young women, encouraging them to speak up and fight for their rights.

Without a doubt, Just Stop Oil has been making headlines throughout 2023, and Zoe Cohen has become one of the group’s key spokespeople. The climate activist has consistently raised awareness among young people about Just Stop Oil’s involvement in climate change control. During a TV debate, she intentionally sat on the floor to attract attention, defending Just Stop Oil’s non-violent tactics, which have included disrupting traffic and major sporting events. Cohen – who was a guest on PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast in August – insisted that unless the group’s campaigns include actions that are “slightly transgressive”, ordinary Britons won’t take notice.

Dan Neidle has caused a stir this year for his forensic examination of the tax affairs of a selection of famous names – most notably, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi – and the subsequent media coverage that was generated by Neidle’s social media posts on the subject. The tax campaigner, who was formerly head of UK tax at international law partnership Clifford Chance, has also had private equity groups and law firms in his sights. Interestingly, though, Neidle told the Financial Times in July that he didn’t think bankers should be subject to extra tax.

Former nurse and general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen has become an effective spokesperson for the cause of UK nurses as they fight for fair pay and safer staffing. Just like PRWeek’s 2022 Communicator of the Year, the RMT’s Mick Lynch, Cullen succeeds by explaining the RCN’s requests in simple and easy-to-understand terms. However, it hasn’t been an easy ride for the trade unionist, who’s had a particularly challenging job in 2023, with RCN members rejecting a deal back in June. However, with the government’s pay offer for senior doctors back in the news and causing fury among nurses, Cullen may continue to be a leading figure for NHS staff.

Ben Francis is the fresh-faced tycoon behind the fast-growing fitness apparel and accessories company Gymshark, which he founded in 2012 at the age of just 19. He is a popular interviewee for the business pages and elsewhere, where the Bromsgrove native’s rise from pizza-delivery man to the UK’s youngest billionaire has proved an enticing narrative. The affable Francis, who became an MBE this year, is also adept at his own social channels, providing inspiration and insights to his 540,000 LinkedIn followers. In June, he posted a YouTube video of his trip to Gymshark’s factories in Vietnam and Bangladesh – suggesting openness amid controversy about working conditions in garment factories across the industry.

Known as one of Britain’s greatest Paralympic athletes, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has become a spokesperson for rail commuters across the UK and, more specifically, disabled passengers. The former wheelchair racer spoke out against the train companies’ cost-cutting plan to close most station ticket offices in England, highlighting the inaccessibility of the plan, the lack of assistance that would be available from station staff and the challenges people with disabilities face in using ticket machines. In October, the Government said it had asked the train operating companies to withdraw their proposal after passenger watchdogs said their public consultation had received 750,000 responses to the plan, 99 per cent of them objections.

Alongside the pomp and pageantry, another ‘p’ – protest – dominated pictures from the Coronation in May. Republic chief executive Graham Smith was the highly able spokesperson for the anti-monarchy cause as the spotlight swung on the campaigning group amid high-profile arrests – and accusations of heavy-handed policing. In an emotive, impactful statement, he slammed the arrests as “a direct attack on our democracy” and skilfully positioned Republic on the ‘reasonable’ side of protest groups; for example, by reiterating how it was in regular contact with the police about its protests and emphasising that individuals who support the monarchy – many of whom expressed sympathy for the arrested campaigners – were not the target.

The supremely successful coach of the England Women’s Football side, who led the team to victory at Euro 2022 and almost did the same at this summer’s World Cup, has continued to be a calming voice of authority in media interviews in 2023. Her comms that really stood out came after the tournament, however. Amid the outrage over Spanish football president Luis Rubiales kissing forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips, without her consent, at the final’s post-match ceremony, Wiegman gained plaudits when she dedicated the Coach of the Year award to the Spain team, which she said “deserves to be celebrated and to be listened to”.

The former commissioner of the police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission become known as the voice against racism in the Met this year. After being exonerated of charges of misconduct relating to evidence supression, Izekor made headlines when she criticised the “defensiveness” and “siege mentality” among the leadership in sections of British policing. She accused the police of trying to destroy her career to limit her work investigating racism in policing. “I met people who came into the Met with an optimism of building bridges between their communities and policing, and were broken – totally, completely broken,” Izekor said.

Brearley is an activist on the subject of discrimination against mothers and is one of the first people the media calls whenever mothers’ rights need defending. Ahead of the Government’s spring Budget in March, Pregnant Then Screwed, which she founded, held the biggest-ever family protest, with 15,000 families taking to the streets in 11 UK cities. Protestors demanded flexible jobs for all by default and increased funding for the childcare sector, as well as ring-fenced and properly paid parental leave for all parents. The ‘March of the Mummies’ campaign was a winner in the PRWeek UK Awards 2023, with judges commending how the group “delivered mass awareness, policy impact and government recognition”.

The former frontman of punk band The Undertones, Feargal Sharkey has become a regular in PRWeek’s best communicators lists as the leading voice in the campaign to protect the UK’s inland and coastal waters from pollution. In 2023, the lifelong fly fisherman further ramped up the pressure on the water companies and regulators, appearing regularly in print and broadcast media – including an interview on The Rest is Politics podcast and a big profile interview in The New York Times. His PR campaign seems to be working: a poll in September revealed that more than half of the UK public will weigh the Government’s handling of sewage spills into how they vote at next year’s general election.

Alex Mahon is the powerhouse behind broadcaster Channel 4. Since she became chief executive in 2017, Mahon has innovated, making the state-owned media company’s content and programmes more diverse and accessible. Within the TV business, she has developed staff policies on pregnancy loss and menopause, one of the first in the UK media sector to do so. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, though, as C4 faced allegations of a toxic culture from former staff members, plus the fallout from the Russell Brand: In Plain Sight documentary. When Mahon speaks, people listen; that was certainly the case when she controversially suggested short-form videos on social media have resulted in Gen Z not having the skills to debate in the workplace. It’s hard to deny that she’s an excellent communicator when championing C4 and the wider creative industry. She famously challenged the Government’s plans to privatise Channel 4, which it abandoned in January.

Since a meteoric rise and debut season for Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club, Alli’s footballing career has been on a seemingly relentless, downward trajectory. Fast-forward to this summer and, just three weeks after coming out of rehab, Alli decided to reveal all in a dramatic and emotional interview – partly in an attempt to thwart tabloid newspapers that had got hold of the story, but also to offer his take on a tale of redemption and rehabilitation, that others might learn from his story. The raw, emotional power of that heart-breaking interview has resonated well beyond the hearts and minds of those playing a simple game loved by so many around the world.

Whatever you think of Rory Stewart and his liberal, centrist politics, you have to accept that he’s a brilliant communicator. Via his and Alastair Campbell’s chart-topping The Rest is Politics podcast, his new book Politics on the Edge – which The Guardian described as “a blistering insider portrait of a nation in decline” – and several major interviews this year, Stewart has proven one of the most influential people of 2023. The former Conservative minister’s fundamental analysis of British politics as increasingly “broken”, its institutions dysfunctional, and its society and culture dangerously polarised, has struck a chord with millions of people across the country.

It’s been an unexpectedly tough year for Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden, who announced in May that she’d been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Although some stars would understandably struggle with being thrust into the limelight as a result of receiving such alarming news, Dowden has taken it in her stride, setting out to become a role model and providing comfort for anyone else in a similar situation. Dowden hasn’t shied away from vulnerability, showing the realities and frustrations of her illness with her Instagram followers, including updates on her chemotherapy treatment and its side-effects.

Marks & Spencer is arguably the corporate success story of 2023. In August, after a couple of decades of decline, the retailer returned to the FTSE 100 for the first time in four years. And the executives being credited with such an impressive turnaround are principally the chairman since September 2017, Archie Norman (69), and chief executive Stuart Machin (52), who took over last year. While Norman is a veteran corporate turnaround specialist and well known to be an adept communicator, Machin (a dyed-in-the-wool retailer who has been described as a “Marmite character”) has started to take the spotlight as this year progressed.

PRWeek UK’s top communicator for 2023 has appeared on these lists in the past. But his consistency as a strong media performer makes Richard Walker our top pick this time around. The year started with Walker moving from MD to executive chairman of Iceland Foods as his father, Malcolm, stood down. The promotion saw no let-up in Walker Junior’s willingness to speak out on big topics such as food inflation. Linked to this has been the ‘epidemic’ of shoplifting, for which Walker has become something of an industry spokesperson. In September he wrote a comment for the Daily Mail describing how the spate of thefts means Iceland store workers “often [feel] like they are serving on the front line of an actual war”.