Art Fund Museum of the Year is open (for a little while longer)
If you work in a museum, gallery, archive or historic house, this might be one to put back on your radar.
Applications for Art Fund Museum of the Year are currently open, and the closing date is coming up soon. It’s one of those opportunities that can easily get lost in the day-to-day — but it’s worth a pause, especially if the last year or so has included work you’re proud of.
The award exists to recognise museums and heritage organisations that are doing something meaningful — whether that’s reaching new audiences, working differently with communities, trying new approaches, or quietly making things better behind the scenes. It doesn’t have to be flashy. It just has to matter.
The headline figures are well known — £120,000 for the winner and £20,000 for each shortlisted organisation — but for many past applicants, the real value has been the chance to reflect, take stock and articulate what’s changed, and why.
A few practical details
It’s open to UK museums, galleries, historic houses, libraries and archives with public access
The focus is on recent work and impact (roughly across the last year or so)
The deadline is 5pm on 19 January 2026, which suddenly isn’t very far away
If you’ve been wondering whether what you’ve been doing is “enough”, you’re probably not alone. Most organisations who apply feel that way at first. But often, once you start writing things down, the shape of the story becomes clearer.
Even if you decide not to submit this time, looking through the criteria can be a useful exercise in itself — a moment to recognise the progress that doesn’t always get acknowledged.
And if you are thinking of applying and would value a sounding board while you shape the narrative, sometimes a quiet conversation can help bring things into focus.
