The Manchester Culture Awards are back for 2025 with nominations opening this week for the prestigious awards that recognise the city’s cultural and creative highlights over the last year, as well as some of the city’s top talent working in the arts.
The awards were launched in 2018 by the city council to acknowledge Manchester’s rapidly growing reputation for culture and the arts, with the annual awards recognising the very best of culture, creativity, and the arts in the city from the grassroots up.
More than 350 nominations were received last year recognising individuals, events, and organisations big and small that together help make Manchester the vibrant and exciting place for culture and the arts it is.
Nominations for this year’s awards open this week on Wednesday 4 June, with nominations accepted across eleven different categories including Young Creative of the Year, Best Event, and Best Performance, alongside other awards that shine a spotlight on some of the important themes of our times such as climate change, equality and social justice, and health and wellbeing.
This year will also once again see a special award made in partnership with the Manchester Evening News. The Cultural Welcome Award will be presented to an organisation or venue that provides a great welcome to everyone – whether as audience members, visitors, or participants.
Nominees for each of the awards must either be based in the city of Manchester or have a strong track record of delivering activity for the benefit of people who live in or visit the city, or that benefits the local economy. Nominations are welcome from the professional, amateur and community sector, as well as members of the public.
All nominations must reflect activity that has taken place between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, apart from the Cultural Welcome Award, which recognises achievement over a number of years.
To be recognised for a Manchester Culture Award, nominees must be involved in one or more of the following: visual art, music, theatre, performance, dance, film and broadcast media, literature, digital art, photography, craft, or heritage arts.
The award categories are:
Bright Spark: Young Creative of the Year
A young person (aged 13–25) who is inspiring future generations of Mancunians and others through their creativity or is supporting others to be creative.
Excellence in Creative Health and Wellbeing
Fantastic creative activity that helped people feel better in their body and/or mind.
Champions of Equality and Social Justice
Making change and creating opportunities for equality and diversity to thrive.
Our Planet: Action on Climate Change
Taking action to positively benefit the environment and support climate change, or raising awareness and encouraging others to act.
Igniting Creativity: Culture, Education and Talent Development
Doing great work supporting others to develop their learning, creativity, skills and talents.
Making it Happen: Best Business Partnership
A partnership that supports culture and helps it flourish in Manchester.
The Best Event
A brilliant creative or cultural event that deserves recognition.
The Best Performance
A standout performance, in any art form, that was amazing and captivated the audience.
The Best Exhibition
An arts or heritage exhibition that inspired and left a lasting impact on visitors.
Independent Creative Award
A person working independently in the creative sector who is inspiring and innovating through their artform and projects
The Cultural Welcome Award – in association with the Manchester Evening News
An organisation or venue that provides a great welcome to everyone; whether as audience members, visitors, or participants
A number of Special Recognition Awards for significant contributions to culture over a number of years will also be made on the night. Previous recipients of Special Recognition Awards include poet Lemn Sissay, former Halle Music Director Sir Mark Elder, former Director of HOME Dave Moutrey OBE, poet performance artist dramatist and writer SuAndi OBE, and DJ Paulette.
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said: “Culture and creativity is a massive part of what makes Manchester the vibrant and exciting place that it is and makes a major contribution to the city’s economy – which is one of the fastest growing in Europe.
“The incredible number of nominations we’ve had every year since the awards first began shows what an appetite for culture and the arts there is in the city. And with such a richly diverse talent pool of artists and creatives living and working here it’s no surprise that we’re a city that embraces culture and the arts.
“The creative scene in Manchester is amazing and we can’t wait to see what this year’s nominations bring.”
Nominations open on Wednesday 4 June and close at midnight on Friday 4 July.
Judging will take place over the summer ahead of this year’s awards ceremony which will be held at the Hilton Hotel Deansgate on Saturday 22 November.
Find out more information about the awards and make a nomination
