City Nation Place Awards 2023

9th annual awards

Over the years, we've been fortunate to see some of the best and brightest that place branding and place marketing has to offer. Congratulations to all our winners - and good luck to all those who will be entering next year!


2023 Winners and Highly Commended


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

THE BAHAMAS
People-to-People Experience
Entered by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Aviation and Investments

Highly Commended

TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA
Little Tasmanian
Entered by Brand Tasmania


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Winner

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Vilnius TechFusion - Got Fired By Meta/Twitter? Move to Vilnius
Entered by Go Vilnius

Highly Commended

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Positioning Copenhagen As The World’s Leading Life Science Hub
Entered by Copenhagen Capacity & Copenhagen Convention Bureau

THE SAINT JOHN REGION, CANADA
Find Your Future – Targeted Talent Attraction & Retention Campaign
Entered by Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: PLACE BRAND

Winner

UKRAINE
#WhatWeAreFightingFor
Entered by Brand Ukraine NGO

Highly Commended

SCOTLAND
How Trojan Horses Helped Scotland’s Nation Brand Leap Ahead
Entered by Brand Scotland


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: TOURISM

Winner

FIJI
Where Happiness Comes Naturally
Entered by Tourism Fiji

Highly Commended

ICELAND
OutHorse Your Email,
Entered by Business Iceland
[Credits: SS+K, Peel Iceland, M&C Saatchi TALK, Republik]


BEST PLACEMAKING INITIATIVE

Winner

BRIXTON, ENGLAND
Brixton X Harlem Twinning
Entered by Brixton BID

Highly Commended

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND
Look Up
Entered by Marketing Sheffield


BEST USE OF DATA

Winner

GLASGOW CITY REGION, SCOTLAND
Using Data Storytelling To Showcase Glasgow’s Tech And Investment Story
Entered by Glasgow City Council (Digital Economy), 
[Credits: Glasgow City Council]

Highly Commended

SALT LAKE COUNTY, USA
Overtourism On Mountain Trails - Insights Show It’s The Resident Not The Visitor 
Entered by Visit Salt Lake, [Credits: Zartico]


BEST USE OF DESIGN

Winner

SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE, USA

Seattle Southside Gets A Brand New Identity
Entered by Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, 
[Credits: 123W]

Highly Commended

HIGH POINT, USA
High Point Community Brand
Entered by CivicBrand


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS
European City of Science, Leiden 2022 
Entered by Leiden&Partners, [Credits: Leiden2022, Municipality of Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden Kennisstad, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Hogeschool Leiden]


2022 Winners and Highly Commended


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

MOLDOVA
Moldova For Peace
Entered by Invest Moldova [Credits: Future Technologies Activity | Association of Creative Industry Companies in Moldova]


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Winner

DENMARK
The Danish Machine
Entered by Copenhagen Capacity [Credits: Talent to Denmark | COPUS] 

Highly Commended

ESTONIA
Work In Estonia - Just Log In
Entered by Work Estonia


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: PLACE BRAND

Winner

SCOTLAND
Scotland Is Open
Entered by Brand Scotland


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: TOURISM

Winner

ICELAND
Welcome To The Icelandverse
Entered by Business Iceland [Credits: SS&K] 

Highly Commended

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Find Your Freedom
Entered by Cape Town Tourism [Credits GoPro | Expedia]


BEST USE OF DATA

Winner

LONG ISLAND, USA
Discover Long Island’s Data Driven Approach To Identify New And Future Visitor Markets
Entered by Discover Long Island


BEST USE OF DESIGN

Winner

COSTA RICA
Biometric Passport Of Costa Rica
Entered by essential COSTA RICA

Highly Commended

AUSTRALIA
Australia's Nation Brand: More Than Just A Pretty Face
Entered by Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) [Credits: Fiftyfive5]


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

ESTONIA
Brand Estonia
Entered by Estonian Business and Innovation Agency

Highly Commended

CHILE
Chile. Creating Future.
Entered by Imagen de Chile

MADEIRA ISLANDS, PORTUGAL
Belong To All: The Place Brand Strategy For Madeira
Entered by Madeira Promotion Bureau [Credits: Bloom Consulting]


2021 Winners and Highly Commended


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

FORT MCMURRAY WOOD BUFFALO, ALBERTA
The key to revealing our regional identity during a global pandemic: LISTENING.
Entered by Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development & Tourism


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Winner

HELSINKI
Freedom
Entered by Helsinki Marketing


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: PLACE BRAND

Winner

FINLAND
Hän Honours
Entered by Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Highly Commended

THE NORDIC REGION
Nordic Talks: Inspire to act, Act to inspire
Entered by Nordic Council of Ministers [credits: LEAD Agency, The Lake Radio, 1508, Afton Halloran (podcast host)]


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: TOURISM

Winner

ICELAND
Looks Like You Need To Let It Out Campaign
Entered by Visit Iceland


BEST USE OF DATA

Winner

CHILE
Chile's Comparative Perception Panel Study in Key Markets, for a more Data Driven and Multisectoral Strategy
Entered by Imagen de Chile


BEST USE OF DESIGN

Winner

ZUIDOOST DISTRICT, AMSTERDAM
Zuidoost, Amsterdam's Fastest Changing City District: A New Visual Identity
Entered by Zuidoost City [credits: Studio Wesseling, amsterdam&partners]


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

TASMANIA
Tasmanian
Entered by Brand Tasmania


2020 Winners and Highly Commended


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

HELSINKI
#Vappuathome - Finland’s once-in-a-lifetime virtual May Day party
Entered by City of Helsinki (Credit: Miltton Ltd)


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Winner

VILNIUS
Vilnius: Amazing Wherever You Think It Is
Entered by Go Vilnius


BEST USE OF DATA

Winner

LITHUANIA
The Strategy for Presenting Lithuania Abroad
Entered by Office of the Government of Lithuania


BEST USE OF DESIGN

Winner

BERGEN
Brand Bergen New Profile by ANTI
Entered by Visit Bergen

Highly Commended

VAUXHALL, LONDON
Vauxhall London
Entered by Anatomy Brands


BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Winner

WESTERN CAPE
Dreaming of One Day Social Media Campaign
Entered by Wesgro


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

AUCKLAND
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is Calling
Entered by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, (Credit: Destination Think)


2019 Winners and Highly Commended


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

LITHUANIA
Lithuania's DNA
Entered by Brand Lithuania Unit at the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Winner

FAROE ISLANDS
Closed For Maintenance Open for Voluntourism
Entered by Visit Faroe Islands


BEST USE OF DESIGN

Winner

AZERBAIJAN
Take Another Look: Azerbaijan County Rebrand
Entered by Landor

Highly Commended

THE ROYAL DOCKS, LONDON
The Royal Docks Team
Entered by Greater London Authority [Credit: DNCO]


BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Winner

FINLAND
Rent a Finn 
Entered by Visit Finland

Highly Commended

HELSINKI
WeChat MyHelsinki 
Entered by City of Helsinki / Helsinki Marketing


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

COSTA RICA
Our Brand Essence
Entered by essential Costa Rica


2018 Winners


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

FINLAND
Checkout 247
Entered by Visit Finland


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Winner

PUERTO RICO
From "Come Back" to Comeback: How Puerto Rico Tourism Defied Two Hurricanes and Major Misconceptions
Entered by Discover Puerto Rico


BEST USE OF DESIGN

Winner

ESTONIA
Entered by Enterprise Estonia


BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Winner

COPENHAGEN
Entered by Copenhagen Capacity


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR 

Winner

EINDHOVEN
Entered by Eindhoven 365


2017 Winners


BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

HELSINKI
Entered by the City of Helsinki


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Winner

DEN HAAG
Entered by Municipality The Hague


BEST EXPRESSION OF PLACE IDENTITY

Winner

LUXEMBOURG 
Entered by Binsfeld-Vidale Gloesener


BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Winner

FAROE ISLANDS
Entered by Visit Faroe Islands


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

GREATER COPENHAGEN
Entered by Copenhagen Capacity



2016 Winners


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Winner

GREAT BRITAIN
Welcome to GREAT Britain 
Entered by the GREAT Britain Campaign


BEST EXPRESSION OF PLACE IDENTITY

Winner

EDMONTON
Entered by Edmonton


BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Winner

FINLAND
Finland Emojis
Entered by Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Finland


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

THE HAGUE
Entered by the Municipality of The Hague City Branding Department


2015 Winners

BEST CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Winner

IRELAND
Entered by ConnectIreland


BEST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Winner

LONDON
London's Official Guest of Honour
Entered by London & Partners


BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Winner

CROATIA
The Battle of Croatian Coaches
Entered by the Croatian National Tourism Office


PLACE BRAND OF THE YEAR

Winner

OSLO
Project Oslo
Entered by the City of Oslo