Shortlisted nominees announced for the 22nd annual Museums + Heritage Awards

For the first time, the public and the museum & heritage industry will be asked to vote

The shortlisted nominees have been announced for the annual Museums + Heritage Awards. The global awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions and will take place on the evening of Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at Hilton Park Lane, London.

Among the 18 awards is a new award for 2024: Museums and Heritage Sector Impact Award and for the first time, there will be the opportunity for the public to vote for the cafe or restaurant of the Year and also members of the museum & heritage sector to vote for Innovator of the Year.

The independent panel of nine judges, who are all well-known in the museum’s world, include three new judges for 2024 who are curator and previously Director of the Arts Council Collection, Deborah Smith; Keith Merrin (Director of Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums) and Sally Shaw MBE who has been Director of Firstsite, Colchester since 2016.

Anna Preedy, Director of Museums + Heritage Awards commented: “It’s truly inspiring to witness the broad range of organisations featured on this year’s shortlist, where small local museums stand shoulder-to-shoulder with globally renowned institutions. This diverse line-up beautifully reflects the rich tapestry of this sector, showcasing the inclusive and eclectic nature of our global cultural heritage.” 

“We are very pleased, for the first time, to be encouraging supporters of the museums to get more involved with an opportunity to vote on one of the awards. Museums’ Cafes and Restaurants are a great community hub and a wonderful way to generate revenue in a time when the cost-of-living crisis is affecting our sector more than ever before.” 

Shortlist

Best Use of Digital

• The Mary Rose Trust – Dive 4D: The Mary Rose Museum
• University of Bristol Cultural Collections (with Library Research Support) – The Uncertain Space: a virtual museum
• English Heritage, Brunel University, London, and University of Essex – Sancho’s Journey – Decolonising heritage sites using Mixed Reality performances
• Victoria and Albert Museum – V&A –  mused
• National Portrait Gallery – Schools Hub

Best Use of Digital – International

• Histovery – Notre – Dame de Paris, the Augmented Exhibition
• Museum Odense and Event – Carl Nielsen Museum
• Trinity College Dublin – The Book of Kells Experience
• The Museum of Abandonment is a digital project run by Q – Arts Association (NGO) based in Bucharest, Romania. – UNBOXING the Museum of Abandonment – Live Museum
• Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) – Stories from the skies: Te Katiu immersive projection experience

Cafe or Restaurant of the Year TO BE VOTED BY THE PUBLIC

• American Museum & Gardens – American Garden Deli
• The Bowes Museum – Café Bowes
• Thackray Museum of Medicine – Thackray Cafe: Explore Beyond Medicine

Community Engagement Programme of the Year

• National Galleries of Scotland and Rowan Alba – Enriching Lives and Supporting Recovery
• History of Science Museum & Pitt Rivers Museum (Oxford University) – Multakaoxford
• Imperial War Museum – Perspectives: Remembrance
• Warwick Arts Centre – Playing Out in Canley
• Wilberforce House Museum, Hull Museums – Changing Perspectives

Innovator of the Year TO BE VOTED BY MEMBERS OF THE SECTOR

• TM Lighting – TM MasterLight
• Fortecho Solutions – Fortecho TGAI Tag
• PinPoint Visualisation Limited – Voyager Art
• Look2Innovate – Twister Hifi, The All-One Headset Audioguide Solution
• Give A Little – Give A Little – affordable, flexible and easy-to-use cashless fundraising
• Bev/Art – Custodian: Small, smooth, and secure museum monitoring
• National Collection of Aerial Photography / Historic Environment Scotland – The DOS Project: Automated Digitisation Using Collaborative Robots, 2021 – 2023

International Exhibition of the Year sponsored by Beck and in partnership with ICOM UK

• The Franklin Institute – Wondrous Space
• Swiss Alpine Museum – Home. Tracing the Story of Mitholz
• Royal Court Affairs and Event – Oman Across the Ages
• The Danish Welfare Museum – Placed in Care (Anbragt)
• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam – Mission Masterpiece at the Rijksmuseum –  Are you discovering a new masterpiece?

Learning Programme of the Year in partnership with the Group for Education in Museum

• National Museums NI – Museum on the Move
• Sainsbury Centre – Art And…
• Real World Science partners and the Natural History Museum – Explore: Urban Nature, UK – wide Learning Programme
• Horniman Museum and Gardens – Horniman Museum and Gardens
• Brunel Museum – Mud, Flood and Fire

Marketing + Communications Campaign of the Year sponsored by Cabbells Ltd and in partnership with the Arts Marketing Association (AMA)

• The British Museum – The Citi exhibition China’s hidden century
• Wellcome Collection – The Cult of Beauty
• V&A Dundee – Tartan – a campaign for the 21st century
• The Tank Museum – YouTube & The Creator Economy
• National Portrait Gallery – The new National Portrait Gallery – Reopening Communications Campaign
• Black Country Living Museum – 75 babies – bringing the Black Country’s past and present together

Museums and Heritage Sector Impact Award

• Group for Education in Museums (GEM) – Transforming Museums, Enriching Lives: GEM’s Trailblazing Impact in Inclusive Learning for All
• National Museums Liverpool – House of Memories
• The Heritage Alliance – The Heritage Alliance: Championing the breadth of the sector and growing confidence, connections and skills across the Heritage Workforce
• Leeds Museums and Galleries – Leeds Museums and Galleries Learning and Access Team
• Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, University of Leicester – Trans-Inclusive Culture
• Sam Bowen – Sam Bowen: SEND in Museums –  inclusion for everyone

Partnership of the Year

• Manchester Museum – Pinc College and Manchester Museum
• Bletchley Park Trust – AI Safety Summit
• Hampshire Cultural Trust in partnership with Hampshire CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) – Inspire, create and exchange: fostering positive mental health in young people through heritage
• Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens – Ushaw Historic House & St Leonard’s Catholic School
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (The Mary Rose Trust & National Museum of the Royal Navy) – Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: a partnership between the Mary Rose Trust and the National Museum of the Royal Navy
• Hackney Council – 1984 at Hackney Town Hall

Permanent Exhibition of the Year sponsored by Displayways Ltd

• Manchester Museum – South Asia Gallery: a British Museum partnership
• Historic Royal Palaces – The Crown Jewels Exhibition
• Titanic Belfast – The Titanic Experience Reimagined
• Kilmartin Museum Company LTD – Kilmartin Museum’s Permanent Exhibition
• The Royal College of Surgeons of England – The Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England
• Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year in partnership with ICON
• The Bowes Museum – The Silver Swan; Bring Back the Magic
• University of St Andrews, Libraries and Museums – Toxic Books: Detecting arsenic in 19th century book covers
• UK Parliament – Elizabeth Tower
• The Churches Conservation Trust – Bees, Bodies, Bodley – The (Re)Birth of Sudbury Arts Centre
• Historic England – #Rooswijk1740 – Conservation of a large maritime assemblage from the protected wreck of the Rooswijk
• Hardwick Hall, National Trust – A Stitch in Time: Conserving the Gideon Tapestries

Shop of the Year in partnership with the Association for Cultural Enterprises

• The Postal Museum – The Postal Museum Shop
• Young V&A – Young V&A Shop of the Year nomination
• Ashmolean Museum – Ashmolean Museum Shop
• English Heritage Trust – Stonehenge Shop
• Shakespeare’s Globe – The Globe Shop

Sustainable Project of the Year sponsored by National Lottery Heritage Fund

• Art Fund (on behalf of 530 participating museums) – The Wild Escape
• Manchester Museum and Museum Development North West (MDNW) – Roots and Branches
• Cairngorms National Park Authority, Balmoral Estate, Lateral North – Cairngorms Capercaiilie Project – Capercaillie lek experience
• The Scottish Crannog Centre – 1000 Fingerprints 1000 Voices
• Yorkshire and North East Film Archives – Nature Matters
• The Story Museum – Brilli – ANT: How someone small changed a big story

Team of the Year sponsored by Scutum Group Ltd and in partnership with the Association of Independent Museums (AIM)

• Foundling Museum – The Operations Team at Foundling Museum
• Tower Bridge – Tower Bridge Technical Team
• The Powell – Cotton Museum – Skulls on the move!
• No.1 Royal Crescent – No.1 Royal Crescent –  Front of House Team
• Whitchurch Silk Mill – Whitchurch Silk Mill Weaving Team

Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year (Budget under £80k) in partnership with the Temporary Exhibitions Group (TEG)

• Northampton Museums and Art Gallery – Punk: Rage & Revolution
• Leeds Museums and Galleries and the Leeds Hip Hop Historian Society – A Hip Hop Journey: 50 Years of Kulture
• Thackray Museum of Medicine – Private Parts
• Garden Museum – Frank Walter: Artist, Gardener, Radical
• Historic Royal Palaces – The Indian Army at the Palace

Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year (Budget over £80k) in partnership with the Temporary Exhibitions Group (TEG)

• Fitzwilliam Museum – Black Atlantic: Power, People, Resistance
• Migration Museum – Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS
• The Natural History Museum – Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur
• Irish in Britain – Look Back to Look Forward: 50 Years of the Irish in Britain
• MK Gallery – Beyond The Page South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now

Visitor Welcome Award sponsored by Tyg Ltd and in partnership with the Visitor Experience Forum

• Gloucester Cathedral – A world-class welcome awaits you at Gloucester Cathedral!
• Beamish, The Living Museum of the North – Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
• St Mary’s Guildhall, owned by Coventry City Council and managed by No Ordinary Hospitality Management. A Warm Welcome at St Mary’s Guildhall
• The Real Mary King’s Close – The Real Mary King’s Close
• National Museums Liverpool – Museum of Liverpool Visitor Experience Team

Volunteer(s) of the Year in partnership with the Heritage Volunteering Group

• Royal Air Force Museum – Roy Martin Royal Air Force Museum Engineering Volunteer
• Manchester Museum – Team Joe lead the way
• The Coffin Works Museum – Vickie Jones: Volunteer, Friend and Coffin Works’ Champion
• St Barbe Museum + Art Gallery – Prue Baker
• Cadw Welsh Government – Cadw North Wales Project Volunteers – Pod’s Pilgrimage
• Suffolk Archives – Kamal Fasi – Suffolk Archives and Volunteering Matters