We’re incredibly proud to share that Tuesday Media founder Sophie Wilson has been named Independent PR Practitioner of the Year at the 2026 CIPR Excellence Awards.
The CIPR Excellence Awards recognise the people, campaigns and organisations making a genuine difference to the communications profession. To receive this recognition is an incredible honour, not just personally, but for the business we’ve been building since Tuesday Media was founded.
More importantly, it reinforces something we’ve believed from the very beginning: great PR starts with great strategy.
More than an individual award
Although the award recognises an individual, it reflects everything Tuesday Media stands for.We founded the consultancy with a simple ambition: to help ambitious organisations tell stories that matter.
Over the years we’ve worked with innovative startups, healthcare organisations, charities, entrepreneurs, innovation ecosystems, growing businesses and established brands, helping them communicate with greater clarity, confidence and purpose.
The judges recognised not only the results delivered during the judging period, but also the way Tuesday Media has been built. They highlighted the consultancy’s clear and measurable impact for clients, its disciplined and strategic approach to growth, and the consistent commercial outcomes delivered across multiple sectors.
“The judges were impressed by Sophie’s clear and measurable impact over the judging period, alongside her disciplined and strategic approach to running and growing her business. Working across multiple sectors, she has demonstrated strong commercial outcomes and clear return on investment for a range of clients, evidencing both credibility and consistency as an independent practitioner.”
That recognition reflects exactly what we strive to achieve for every client: communications that don’t just generate coverage, but contribute to real organisational goals. Every organisation has a story. We help you to uncover the narrative that genuinely differentiates you, connects with the audiences that matter most and supports your wider business goals while being authentically you.
Rather than jumping straight into tactics, media lists or social campaigns, we help clients define the strategic narrative that sits at the heart of their communications. From there, every piece of activity has a clear purpose, whether that’s building reputation, supporting growth, attracting investment, influencing decision-makers or establishing thought leadership.
It’s an approach that has helped clients secure national media coverage, launch new products and services, raise the profile of founders and leadership teams, strengthen stakeholder relationships and build lasting reputations in increasingly competitive markets.
Storybuilding at the heart of everything we do
At the centre of our approach is our proprietary Storybuilding methodology.
Developed through years of experience across agency, in-house and consultancy roles, our Storybuilding Workshops help organisations uncover the stories that make them distinctive. They bring together business objectives, audience insight, messaging and positioning to create a communications platform that can be used consistently across PR, content, thought leadership, speaking opportunities and wider marketing activity.
For startups, that might mean creating an investor-ready narrative that clearly explains a complex proposition.
For healthcare organisations, it could be communicating innovation in a way that builds trust with patients, clinicians and stakeholders.
For charities, it often means finding powerful human stories that inspire action while staying true to their mission.
For founders and leadership teams, it means developing authentic thought leadership that builds credibility over time.
Whatever the sector, the principle remains the same. Clear strategy creates stronger storytelling, and stronger storytelling creates better business outcomes.
A business built with purpose
The past eighteen months have marked an important chapter in Tuesday Media’s evolution.
The consultancy has been intentionally rebuilt around strategic communications, long-term partnerships and helping ambitious organisations use storytelling as a driver of growth. Rather than chasing volume, we’ve focused on delivering senior strategic counsel that creates meaningful impact for the organisations we work with.
Alongside client work, we’ve continued investing in the future of the profession, embracing emerging technologies including artificial intelligence while remaining clear that the best communications will always combine innovation with strategic thinking, creativity and human judgement.
Technology is changing the way organisations communicate. Our role is to help clients harness those opportunities without losing sight of what matters most: understanding people, building relationships and telling stories that resonate.
Championing the communications profession
Supporting the wider profession has always been an important part of Tuesday Media’s ethos.
Over the past year, Sophie has contributed to industry initiatives through the CIPR, PRCA and Women in PR, organised events bringing together communications professionals and senior journalists, continued mentoring emerging practitioners, and invested in ongoing professional development to ensure clients benefit from the latest thinking and best practice.
The judges also recognised this commitment beyond client work.
“Her commitment to continuous upskilling, coupled with a genuine dedication to supporting the progression of others in the industry, reflects both professional maturity and generosity. Sophie’s work shows a meaningful and positive contribution to both the PR profession and the wider industry, making her a highly deserving winner.”
We believe a strong communications profession depends on people who are willing to share knowledge, support others and continue raising standards. We’re proud to play our part in that.
Thank you
No independent consultancy succeeds alone. We’re incredibly grateful to every client who has trusted us with their story, every freelancer and specialist who has become part of our extended team, and everyone who has supported Tuesday Media since the business began back in January 2018.
We’re also grateful to the CIPR and the judges for recognising the value of independent strategic communications and the impact that thoughtful, purpose-led consultancy can have.
Looking ahead
Winning Independent PR Practitioner of the Year is an encouragement to keep pushing forward.
As Tuesday Media continues to grow, we’ll keep refining our Storybuilding methodology, embracing new technologies where they add value, and helping ambitious organisations build the visibility, credibility and influence they need to achieve their goals. Because while communications continues to evolve, one thing hasn’t changed. The organisations that tell the clearest, most compelling stories are still the ones people remember.
Ready to tell your story?
Whether you’re launching a new venture, scaling an established business, raising investment, building thought leadership or strengthening your reputation, every successful communications programme starts with a clear strategic narrative.
Our Storybuilding Workshops help ambitious organisations uncover the stories that set them apart and create a platform for PR and communications that delivers measurable results.
If you’re ready to build a stronger story and a stronger reputation, we’d love to talk.
Get in touch to find out how Tuesday Media can help your organisation stand out through strategic storytelling and purposeful communications.
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