Manchester Museum shortlisted for European Museum of the Year
Manchester Museum has been announced as one of the nominees for the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2025.
The annual prize is one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world and Manchester Museum, which is part of The University of Manchester, will compete against 41 museums from across the continent.
The nomination is a reflection on the Museum’s recent, values-led transformation, which led the New York Times to hail its ‘pivot to empathy-machine’. Described as the most ambitious museum transformation in a generation, it has been underpinned by a £15 million redevelopment, which was completed in February 2023.
Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field. It aims to recognise museums that promote inter-cultural dialogue and community participation, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and show creative and imaginative approaches to the production of knowledge.
The winner will be announced in Białistok, Poland on 25 May 2025. Aside from the main prize, there are also categories that recognise Institutional Courage and Professional Integrity, Community Participation and Engagement, Environmental Sustainability, and Welcoming, Inclusion and Belonging.
Manchester Museum Director Esme Ward said: “This nomination means an awful lot to the whole team at Manchester Museum because it recognises our efforts to make this a place where everyone belongs. The Museum’s redevelopment was about much more than just bricks and mortar, it was about transforming our spaces and our approach to ensure we’re the museum our city and communities need us to be.”
Manchester Museum is one of the largest university museums in the UK and a centre for research and learning. Built on values of inclusion, imagination and care, the Museum has undergone a transformation designed to bring communities together and build understanding between cultures. Its £15 million bricks and mortar redevelopment introduced new galleries, partnerships, visitor facilities, and sector-leading work around repatriation, restitution and indigenisation.
This includes the award-winning South Asia Gallery, the first permanent gallery in the UK to celebrate the experiences and contribution of the South Asian diaspora, co-curated with 30 inspiring community members. Manchester Museum has also transformed its Top Floor into an environmental and social justice hub, creating a space for collaboration with environmental and educational charities to address issues affecting communities within Manchester. Pinc College, a specialist creative college for neurodiverse young people, has even set up its headquarters within the Top Floor.
Visitor numbers for the first year following reopening were up 157 per cent on 2019/20, with 57 per cent of those visitors new to Manchester Museum and more than one in seven (15 per cent) visiting a museum for the first time.