1284 has been named Midlands Small PR Agency of the Year for 2026.

In a busy evening at the CIPR's Midlands PR Awards - held in central Birmingham last night - 1284 also won the Best Use of AI category, while account executive Lauren Cropper was named Rising Star.

It meant that 1284 Communications took gold in all three categories it entered.

Awarding 1284 the Small PR Agency of the Year award, judges said: “In a competitive category, the team at 1284 Communications stood out for their commitment to CPD and innovation.

“EDI, ethics, and ESG are embedded at the heart of their work, driving strong growth and client retention.”

Industry-leading event

Organisers described entries to this year’s awards as “incredibly competitive” - adding that each submission was independently read at least four times by a panel of 18 experienced PR practitioners drawn from across CIPR Scotland. 

The CIPR Midlands PR Awards launched in 2026 as a refresh of the long-running Midlands PRide Awards. It continues the long history of CIPR awards in the Midlands.

Its purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity, strategic thinking, and impact of PR and communications professionals across the region. Nominees spanned in-house teams, solo practitioners, and agencies of all sizes.

Small PR Agency of the Year

The Small PR Agency of the Year category recognises consultancies that consistently punch above their weight on results, innovation and client service.

1284’s win follows a year of working to embed independently audited standards - including ISO 9001, Crown Commercial Supplier status, and Cyber Essentials Plus.

The purpose was to evidence to clients and suppliers that 1284 takes a continuous improvement approach that goes way beyond day‑to‑day delivery. 

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Rising Star: Lauren Cropper

The Rising Star Award celebrated Account Executive Lauren Cropper’s rapid progress in the industry since joining 1284 in August 2024.

Over the last year, Lauren completed her PRCA apprenticeship, took on the management of key accounts, secured multiple award shortlistings, became 1284’s ISO 9001 internal auditor, completed two university-led innovation accelerators, and wrote an ESG and carbon reduction strategy. 

What the judges said: "Lauren has achieved rapid progression and impressive results.

"Her entry stood out for her commitment to development and collaboration, quickly becoming a key member of the 1284 team.”

Best Use of AI: EMC AI News Editor

Best Use of AI was a new category designed to reflect how agencies are helping clients respond to and harness new and emerging technology.

1284  was recognised for its role in researching and developing the AI News Editor platform which was subsequently built by Digital Planning. 

The proprietary platform was commissioned by East Midlands Chamber, where George is a Non-Executive Director.

It uses machine learning and AI to forge rapid responses to policy announcements, which align with the Chamber’s Framework for Growth and can be issued to media in dramatically reduced time. 

AI News Editor frees comms officers up from admin to instead focus on creating original member content.

What the judges said: "The AI News Editor transformed editorial processes and freed up time for proactive communications, standing out for its strong collaboration both internally and with the news industry.”

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Looking forward

1284 Communications managing director, George Oliver, said: “To come away with three wins from our three entries was a big endorsement of what we are working to achieve at 1284.

“To get that backing from an independent panel of industry peers from outside our region gives us a huge vote of confidence that we are on the right track with the kind of agency we’re building at 1284.

“These awards recognise everything we care about - delivering measurable, targeted results for our clients; application of innovation in a smart and ethical way; scheduled fixed time for our volunteering projects; and creating space and resources for our talented people to grow.”