diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature-request.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature-request.md
index aa54ae87a9..382dc5cfbf 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature-request.md
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature-request.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-name: "⚙ Feature Request"
+name: "✨ Feature Request"
 about: Submit a request for a new feature in Iris
 title: ''
 labels: 'New: Feature'
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ assignees: ''
 
 ---
 
-## ⚙ Feature Request
+## ✨ Feature Request
 <!-- Provide a clear and concise description of the feature proposal -->
 
 ## Motivation
diff --git a/docs/iris/src/developers_guide/documenting/whats_new_contributions.rst b/docs/iris/src/developers_guide/documenting/whats_new_contributions.rst
index 7498cb48c3..856d9af0a9 100644
--- a/docs/iris/src/developers_guide/documenting/whats_new_contributions.rst
+++ b/docs/iris/src/developers_guide/documenting/whats_new_contributions.rst
@@ -109,24 +109,27 @@ Contribution categories
 The structure of the what's new release note should be easy to read by
 users.  To achieve this several categories may be used.
 
-*Features*
+**📢 Announcements**
+  General news and announcements to the Iris community.
+
+**✨ Features**
   Features that are new or changed to add functionality.
 
-*Bug Fixes*
+**🐛 Bug Fixes**
   A bug fix.
 
-*Incompatible Changes*
+**💣 Incompatible Changes**
   A change that causes an incompatibility with prior versions of Iris.
 
-*Deprecations*
+**🔥 Deprecations**
   Deprecations of functionality.
 
-*Dependencies*
+**🔗 Dependencies**
   Additions, removals and version changes in Iris' package dependencies.
 
-*Documentation*
+**📚 Documentation**
   Changes to documentation.
 
-*Internal*
+**💼 Internal**
   Changes to any internal or development related topics, such as testing,
   environment dependencies etc.
diff --git a/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst b/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst
index 7aba2967ea..502e5f9381 100644
--- a/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst
+++ b/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst
@@ -10,8 +10,14 @@ This document explains the changes made to Iris for this release
    :depth: 3
 
 
-Features
-========
+📢 Announcements
+================
+
+* N/A
+
+
+✨ Features
+===========
 
 * `@MoseleyS`_ greatly enhanced  the :mod:`~iris.fileformats.nimrod`
   module to provide richer meta-data translation when loading ``Nimrod`` data
@@ -35,8 +41,8 @@ Features
   :class:`~iris.analysis.AreaWeighted` regridding schemes. (:pull:`3701`)
 
 
-Bugs Fixed
-==========
+🐛 Bugs Fixed
+=============
 
 * `@stephenworsley`_ fixed :meth:`~iris.Cube.cube.remove_coord` to now also
   remove derived coordinates by removing aux_factories. (:pull:`3641`)
@@ -89,8 +95,8 @@ Bugs Fixed
   (:pull:`3804`)
 
 
-Incompatible Changes
-====================
+💣 Incompatible Changes
+=======================
 
 * `@pp-mo`_ rationalised :class:`~iris.cube.CubeList` extraction
   methods:
@@ -131,8 +137,8 @@ Incompatible Changes
   duplicate coordinate errors in certain circumstances. (:pull:`3718`)
 
 
-Deprecations
-============
+🔥 Deprecations
+===============
 
 * `@stephenworsley`_ removed the deprecated :class:`iris.Future` flags
   ``cell_date_time_objects``, ``netcdf_promote``, ``netcdf_no_unlimited`` and
@@ -143,8 +149,8 @@ Deprecations
   removed from it. (:pull:`3461`)
 
 
-Dependencies
-============
+🔗 Dependencies
+===============
 
 
 * `@stephenworsley`_, `@trexfeathers`_ and `@bjlittle`_ removed ``Python2``
@@ -175,8 +181,8 @@ Dependencies
   dependency group. We no longer consider it to be an extension. (:pull:`3762`)
 
 
-Documentation
-=============
+📚 Documentation
+================
 
 * `@tkknight`_ moved the
   :ref:`sphx_glr_generated_gallery_oceanography_plot_orca_projection.py`
@@ -214,8 +220,8 @@ Documentation
   (:pull:`3803`)
 
 
-Internal
-========
+💼 Internal
+===========
 
 * `@pp-mo`_ and `@lbdreyer`_ removed all test dependencies on
   `SciTools/iris-grib <https://github.com/SciTools/iris-grib>`_ by transferring
diff --git a/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst.template b/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst.template
index 5a7ec9c1da..520c2aeb92 100644
--- a/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst.template
+++ b/docs/iris/src/whatsnew/latest.rst.template
@@ -10,37 +10,50 @@ This document explains the changes made to Iris for this release
    :depth: 3
 
 
-Features
-========
+📢 Announcements
+================
 
 * N/A
 
 
-Bugs Fixed
-==========
+✨ Features
+===========
 
 * N/A
 
 
-Incompatible Changes
-====================
+🐛 Bugs Fixed
+=============
 
 * N/A
 
 
-Dependencies
-============
+💣 Incompatible Changes
+=======================
+
 
 * N/A
 
 
-Documentation
-=============
+🔥 Deprecations
+===============
+
+* N/A
+
+
+🔗 Dependencies
+===============
+
+* N/A
+
+
+📚 Documentation
+================
 
 * N/A
 
 
-Internal
-========
+💼 Internal
+===========
 
 * N/A