Despite coming to the city, Liverpool isn’t in the running to win it
16:35, 01 May 2025Updated 01:45, 02 May 2025
Blue sky and glorious sunshine on the Liverpool waterfront(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
The UK’s top five museums have been named – but no Merseyside institutions feature on the list. Despite Liverpool’s museum’s being overlooked, National Museums Liverpool said it is “thrilled” to be hosting the awards ceremony, which will see one institution crowned the overall winner.
This year there was a notable shift in the Art Fund Museum of the Year nominees, as all five contenders are based outside London for the first time in four years.
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham, is vying for the top prize of £120,000 alongside Cardiff’s Chapter and Compton Verney in Warwickshire. Joining them on the shortlist are Belfast’s Golden Thread Gallery and Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross.
Art Fund director Jenny Waldman praised this year’s finalists, saying they “are inspiring examples of museums at their best” and are “deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas.”
She added: “Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone.”
The Museum of Liverpool shines in the sun in Liverpool today(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The winner will be announced on Thursday, June 26, in a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool, marking the first time the event has taken place outside London.
Each of the nominees is now assured of receiving a minimum of £15,000. Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool, told the ECHO: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the Museum of the Year awards this June.
“Museum of the Year is the biggest Museum prize in the country and celebrates the best of our incredible museum sector across the UK.
“We know how important our National Museums Liverpool venues are here in Liverpool and we are proud to continue to inspire millions through world-class collections and experiences.
“With exciting projects ahead, including our ambitious Waterfront Transformation which includes the redevelop of our International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum, we’re reimagining how culture connects communities, creating dynamic and welcoming spaces that meaningfully address contemporary issues.
“These are all things that the shortlisted museums have also demonstrated over the last 12 months, and we wish them good in the competition.”
Liverpool’s Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum have both been closed since the start of this year, for maintenance works ahead of a £81m redevelopment.
The two museums, both located in an old Grade-I listed warehouse on the famous docks, will remain shut until 2028. National Museums Liverpool received planning permission to expand the museums last year as part of the Waterfront Transformation Project, preserving the city’s sprawling past for future generations.
The International Slavery Museum will receive a new entrance in the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, with a striking iron and glass bridge connecting to galleries in the Hartley Pavilion.
The building will also receive a new community learning area, while an improved welcome area will be built in the Maritime Museum. There will also be improved commercial facilities, including a shop, café and events spaces.