The five finalists for Art Fund's UK Museum of the Year 2025 have been revealed – and none are in London
Art Fund Museum of the year is basically the Oscars of the museum world. With £120,000 up for grabs, it's one of the most coveted awards that a UK gallery or attraction can get. Each year, judges look for places that have delivered brilliant projects or exhbitions and embraced community spirit, spotlighting a 'wide range of remarkable people'. Last year the top gong was won by London's Young V&A.
This year, Art Fund has picked five museums across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that stood out between autumn 2023 and winter 2024. Jenny Waldman, the director at Art Fund said: 'This year's finalists are inspiring examples of museums at their best – deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas. Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone.'
Here's everything you need to know about each contender for this year's grand prize. Spoiler: not one of them are in London.
The five museums shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North (County Durham)
This open-air attraction takes visitors through northeast England's history, from the Georgian era to the 1950s with live actors and immersive exhibits. It made the shortlist this year for its Remaking Beamish project, which involved over 32,000 community members, 14,338 schoolchildren, and 35,000 volunteer hours to create 31 new exhibits within the museum. It also opened the aged miners' homes to tell the story of retired miners in the region and this year, it'll also host the Festival of Transport to celebrate 200 years of the National Railway.
Chapter (Cardiff)
Cardiff's international centre for contemporary arts has been commended by Art Fund for prioritising 'social and cultural equity, connection and shared purpose'. Chapter recently started offering free studio spcae through an artist residency programme, launched Wales' largest festival of D/deaf-led creative activity and expanded its 'pay what you can' pricing and free community ticketing scheme. A highlight in its upcoming programme is screening of Steve McQueen: Grenfell, which will be playing from May 10 to June 15.
Compton Verney (Warwickshire)
Compton Verney boasts six art collections, a sculpture park and a cafe that ArtFund says 'offers enriching experiences for a wide range of audiences'. 2024 was the year that it unveiled its Scultpture in the Park exhibition with works by artists like Sarah Lucas, Permindar Kaur, Larry Achiampong and Helen Chadwick. It also won recognition for its commitment to breaking down barriers to cultural careers for young people with disabilities.
Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast)
Belfast's Golden Thread Gallery, a contemporary art hub, reopened in August 2024 after a year hiatus. It's grand reopening revealed two large new gallery spaces, a a community participation hub, and the Northern Ireland Visual Art Research Library and Archive, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.
Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross)
Sat in the former Perth City Hall, Perth Museum showcases 10,000 years of Scottish, UK and global history. There, you'll find the Stone of Destiny (an important ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy), Shakespeare's First Folio and loads of medieval treasures. It opened in March last year after a huge £27 million renovation of the building. ArtFund notes that it has given a significant boost to the local economy, with Perth and Kinross Council reporting an average city centre footfall increase of 68 percent since opening.
When is the winner announced?
The winning museum will be revealed in a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool on June 26.
Previous winners
The very first Museum of the Year prize was awarded to London's William Morris Gallery. Here's a roundup of all the winners since then.
2024 – Young V&A, London
2023 – The Burrell Collection, Glasgow
2022 – Horniman Museum and Gardens, London
2021 – Firstsite, Colchester
2020 - Aberdeen Art Gallery; Gairloch Museum; Science Museum; South London Gallery; and Towner Eastbourne.
2019 - St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
2018 - Tate St Ives
2017 - The Hepworth, Wakefield
2016 - Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London
2015 - Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
2014 - Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
2013 - William Morris Gallery, London
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