The UK’s 2,500 museums, galleries and heritage sites have from today until 19th January 2023 to apply for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023, the world’s largest museum prize.
Art Fund Museum of the Year will award £120,000 to the winning museum, specially increased for 2023 and beyond to mark 120 years of Art Fund supporting museums. £15,000 will be given to each of the four other finalists – bringing the total prize money to £180,000.
Against the backdrop of the current cost of living and global energy crisis, Art Fund is seeking applications from any UK museum, gallery or historic house, whatever their scale, whose achievements tell inspiring stories and demonstrate the positive impact their work has had on their visitors and organisations as they adapt to a rapidly changing world.
The 2023 edition will celebrate 10 years of Art Fund Museum of the Year, a prize grounded in 50 years of history championing the UK’s museums and galleries.
Jenny Waldman, Art Fund director and Art Fund Museum of the Year chair of judges, said,
Museums are facing huge challenges right now. Yet they continue to adapt to a rapidly changing world with creativity and resilience. Through the prize we want to celebrate the exceptional lengths museums go to in order to be welcoming and inspiring spaces for everyone.
The 2023 judging panel, chaired by Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, will include: Larry Achiampong, artist; Mary Beard, historian and broadcaster; Abadesi Osunsade, Art Fund Trustee, author and owner of Hustle Crew, and Laura Pye, Director, National Museums Liverpool.
A shortlist of five museums will be announced in late May and the winner will be revealed in July.
There are around 2,500 museums in the UK, many of them free, including national museums, local authority museums, university museums, independent museums, historic properties and heritage sites.
Art Fund Museum of the Year complements Art Fund’s charitable programme in support of museums, which comprises its ongoing programme of grant giving, support and partnerships.
The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 is the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London.
To find out more go to: artfund.org/museum-of-the-year
