Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018

The biggest museum prize in the world, Art Fund Museum of the Year seeks out and celebrates innovation and exceptional achievement in museums and galleries across the UK.

We award £100,000 to one outstanding winner and £10,000 to each finalist to support future activity. It’s a moment to spotlight the originality and creativity of our sector.

With past winners including The Hepworth Wakefield, the V&A and William Morris Gallery, the prize has done much to draw national and international attention to the remarkable creativity and accomplishments of UK museums.

Key dates

13 December 2017 – applications open

6 February 2018, 12noon – applications close

w/c 30 April 2018 – shortlist of finalists is announced

May or June 2018 – judges visit finalists

5 July 2018 – winner is announced

This year's judges

Eligibility

Art Fund Museum of the Year is open to all museums, galleries and historic places in the UK.

Applicants are usually either provisionally or fully accredited under the Arts Council England Accreditation Scheme but exceptions are considered where organisations are in the public sector, have charitable status or have activities that are based on the care, display or interpretation of collections of artistic, historical or scientific interest. Organisations should also be open regularly to the public.

Only one entry may be made per individual museum or gallery, though where an organisation operates several museums and galleries an entry may be submitted for each. Museums or galleries can enter in consecutive years.

Previous Winners

The Hepworth Wakefield

Wakefield, WF1 5AW

Wakefield's art gallery has its toes in the gushing waters of the river Calder and was the winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017.

V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum)

London, SW7 2RL

Winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016, the V&A is home to more than two and a half million objects.

The Whitworth

Manchester, M15 6ER

Winner of the Museum of the Year 2015, the Whitworth impressed with its extensive £15 million redevelopment project.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Wakefield, WF4 4LG

Winner of Museum of the Year 2014, YSP is an international centre for modern and contemporary art inspired by the natural beauty of the historic 18th-century Bretton Estate.

William Morris Gallery

London, E17 4PP

Housed in a fine Georgian building, the gallery is the only one in Britain dedicated to the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery

Exeter, EX4 3RX

Housed in a magnificent Victorian building designed by architect John Hayward, the museum has diverse collections of both local and international importance.

More about the history