NSW Premier Chris Minns has been named Communicator of the Year 2025

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been named the 2025 ‘Communicator of the Year’ by Wilkinson Butler.

Minns has been praised for his clear and authentic communication on many issues, particularly his post-Bondi messaging, which Wilkinson Butler felt conveyed a balance of outrage and empathy with clarity and consistency.

For the first time, Wilkinson Butler engaged leading research company DemosAU to gauge who the public thought communicated well in the past year.

“We first canvassed the public in late November on who they thought was the best communicator, and we held off the release of the data following the Bondi attacks and went back to the community earlier this month to see if their opinions had changed,” said Wilkinson Butler Chair Peter Wilkinson

“Even though there was heavy criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the events of 14 December, many Australians stuck by their view that he was a good communicator, with the Prime Minister receiving the same score pre and post Bondi, with many citing his calm demeanour and clarity when communicating,” Mr Wilkinson said.

Interestingly, Pauline Hanson is seen to be equal with the Prime Minister by the public as favourite communicator, with admiration for her direct and unfiltered commentary, and her popularity as a communicator has only grown since the events of Bondi.Being a Premier is a tough job where you must communicate several different messages daily, and Minns stands above as an exemplar who cuts through the noise and speaks directly to the audience.

He clearly listens, and that is reflected in how his communications connect with his audience.

In the immediate aftermath of the Bondi attack, Minns emerged as a calm, steady and humane presence. At a time of shock, grief and intense public anxiety, he communicated with clarity and restraint, prioritising empathy for victims and communities while providing clear, factual updates.

In deciding ‘communicator of the year’, Wilkinson Butler balanced the community viewpoint with our own expertise to determine that Chris Minns be awarded this accolade.

Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins is also highly regarded as a clear communicator, and he often deals with volatile situations and at times aggressive media cohort.

“2025 will be regarded as the year of a few high-profile communication failures – from sunscreen manufacturers to the roll-out of the new BOM website. They’ll be studied in years to come for all of the wrong reasons,” Mr Wilkinson said.