The search for next year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year Award begins today. Museums, galleries and heritage sites in the UK have until 9 January 2023 to apply for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023, which the organisation claims the world’s largest museum prize.

Art Fund Museum of the Year will award £120,000 to the winning museum, a figure increased for 2023 and beyond to mark 120 years of Art Fund supporting museums.

A further £15,000 will be given to each of the four other finalists – bringing the total prize money to £180,000.

Art Fund is seeking applications from any UK museum, gallery or historic house of any size, “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.”

Winners of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2013 - 2022:

2013 – William Morris Gallery, London
2014 – Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
2015 – Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
2016 – Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London
2017 – The Hepworth, Wakefield
2018 – Tate St Ives
2019 – St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
2020 – Aberdeen Art Gallery; Gairloch Museum; Science Museum; South London Gallery; and Towner Eastbourne.
2021 – Firstsite, Colchester
2022 – Horniman Museum and Gardens, London

Winners of The Art Fund Prize 2008 – 2012
2008 – The Lightbox, Woking
2009 – Wedgwood Museum, Stoke-on-Trent,
2010 – Ulster Museum, Belfast
2011 – British Museum
2012 – Royal Albert Memorial Museum

The 2023 edition will celebrate 10 years of Art Fund Museum of the Year.

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.

The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 was the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London.

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