The Museums + Heritage Awards, recognise the innovators and leaders of the UK and international museums, galleries and heritage visitor attractions and there are 13 awards are up for grabs this year. Following the 1 February deadline, which saw hundreds of entries, the judging panel, made up of five sector leaders, has deliberated long and hard over this year’s M+H Awards entries to make its final shortlist.

Judges include Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, Diane Lees, Director General of the Imperial War Museums, Matthew Tanner, Chief Executive of the SS Great Britain Trust, Stephen Duncan, Commercial and Tourism Director for Historic Scotland and Maggie Appleton, Chief Executive of the Royal Air Force Museum. Bernard Donoghue said of this year’s applications: “The entries have been amazing; outstanding examples of clever, creative, provocative story-telling and partnerships with audiences.”

The award winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony at the historic staterooms of 8 Northumberland Avenue on 16 May where more than 300 industry professionals will converge in the heart of London to find out who has triumphed.

Among last year’s big winners were National Museums Scotland, who picked up the Permanent Exhibition award and Helsinki City Museum who were recognised as the International winner for their new museum.

Museums + Heritage Awards 2018 Shortlist

Project on a Limited Budget

Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery, Illustrating Harry Potter

Maidstone Museums, Research & Display of Mummified Remains for ‘Ancient Lives’

Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL, The Whale Weekender

The Natural History Museum at Tring, Dodos: Old Bird, New Tricks

Heritage Learning with Ferens Art Gallery, Explore Art (Under 5s and Families Gallery)

Supported by Arts Council England


Temporary or Touring Exhibition

People’s History Museum, Never Going Underground: The Fight for LGBT+ Rights

The Salisbury Museum, Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition

National Trust, Prejudice & Pride

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, Eric Gill: The Body

Science Museum, London (as part of the Science Museum Group), Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human

Victoria and Albert Museum, You Say You Want a Revolution?

National Museums Liverpool / Arts Council Collection, Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender & Identity

Sponsored by Displayways


The International Award

Museum of South East Demark, Vikingeborgen/The Viking Fortress

Canadian Museum of History, Canadian History Hall

Holland Open Air Museum and Kossmann.dejong, The Canon of Dutch History

Vardemuseum in co-operation with Tinker imagineers, TIRPITZ – hidden stories on Danish west coast

Denis Byrne Architects (Architects/Project Leaders) Thirty Three Trees Landscape Design, Derrigimlagh: The Marconi Station / Alcock & Brown Landing Site

The Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamon Museu, Berlin State Museums, The Syria Initiative – Museum as Mediator of Shared Heritage


Volunteers of the Year Award – Team

Old Royal Naval College, Painted Hall Conservation Volunteers

Scottish Football Museum, Football Memories Volunteer Network

National Trust – Buckland Abbey, Buckland Abbey Art Ambassador Volunteers

Century of Stories – Leicestershire County Council, Bosworth Tommies

Ripon Museum Trust, The Refurbishment Team

Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association (HSFA) HSFA survivor speakers

In Partnership with Association of Independent Museums


Volunteer of the Year Award – Individual

National Football Museum, Allan Maull

The Mid Hants Railway (the Watrecress Line) Ltd, Miss Jessica Arnold

Canal & River Trust, National Waterways Museum, Barry Green

Museum of London, Claire Madge

Cornwall’s Regimental Museum, Jenny Simmons

In Partnership with Association of Independent Museums


Innovation

Museum of London Archaeological Archive, #ArchiveLottery

Tate, Preloaded and HTC VIVE, Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier

Canal & River trust, National Waterways Museum and Jam Creative Studios, Boats of Every Description: An Interactive Journey

Science Museum Group, Space Descent VR with Tim Peake

National Gallery with Van Gogh Museum, Neue Pinakothek, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Seiji Togo Memorial and Facebook, #SunflowersLive

Sponsored by The Hub


Permanent Exhibition

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford Museums & Galleries, The David Hockney Gallery

National Army Museum, National Army Museum Permanent Galleries

National Science and Media Museum, part of the Science Museum Group, Wonderlab

Brooklands Museum, The Brooklands Aircraft Factory & Flight Shed

Haley Sharpe Design (hsd) on behalf of The Postal Museum, The Postal Museum and Mail Rail

Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, The Ashmolean Story

The Natural History Museum, Hintze Hall


Best Shop under £500k

National Museums Liverpool (NML Trading Ltd), World Museum’s Newly Redeveloped Shop

Bury Art Museum, Bury Art Shop

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter, The Shop at RAMM

Brontë Parsonage Museum, Brontë Parsonage Museum Shop

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, The University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Shop


Best Shop over £500k

The Hepworth Wakefield Enterprises Ltd, The Hepworth Wakefield

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), YSP Shop

British Library, British Library Retail

Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge ‘Gift Shop Redesign’


Educational Initiative

Leeds Museums and Galleries, Exceed Expectations … with objects and artworks

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Sharing Shakespeare’s Story

The Royal Parks, Speak Up! The Hyde Park Debating Challenge

UCL Museums and Collections, Museums on Prescription

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), Summer Club

Chiltern Open Air Museum, Literacy Theme Days for Primary Schools

Sponsored by Volunteer Makers


Marketing Campaign

Victoria Art Gallery, Here Be Dragons marketing campaign

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender & Identity

The Postal Museum, Launching The Postal Museum and Mail Rail

Oxford University Gardens, Libraries & Museums, Mindgrowing Campaign

Bristol Aero Collection Trust, Aerospace Bristol

Sponsored by BDRC


Fundraising Initiative of the Year

Friends of RvCP + The Royal Victoria Chapel, Raise the Roof

Haslemere Educational Museum, Museum in a Million

National Museums of Scotland, Save the Galloway Hoard

Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, #YayNotNeigh

Gairloch + District Heritage Co Ltd, Our Land, Our People, Our Story


Restoration or Conservation

National Museums Liverpool, Murillo’s Virgin and Child in Glory Conserved

Royal Museums Greenwich, Armarda Portrait of Elizabeth I

Norfolk Museums Service – Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Nelson & Norfolk

The Royal Parks, Brompton Cemetery Conservation Project

London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, London Mithraeum

Sponsored by Each Art Unique

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M+H Awards Tickets

The winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on 16 May and places are limited so be sure to book your ticket!