Manchester Culture Awards take place later this week
The finalists in the running for the top spots at the prestigious Manchester Culture Awards have been announced, as the city gets ready to celebrate the stand-out cultural and creative highlights of the last year.
The awards were first launched six years ago in 2018 by the council to recognise Manchester’s fast-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.
They recognise 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 awards across twelve different categories were invited from members of the public, arts professionals, the voluntary and community sector and anyone else with an interest in culture and the arts.
Nominations had to reflect activity between April 2023 and March this year with all nominees either based in Manchester or having 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.
Award categories include Best Event, Best Performance, Best Exhibition and Young Creative of the Year, as well as other awards that shine a spotlight on some of the important themes of our times such as health and well-being, the environment, and social justice.
Following a phenomenal response to the call for nominations, judges were given the unenviable task of sifting through more than 300 nominations to decide on the finalists and winner in each of the award categories.
This year has once again also seen nominations invited for the Manchester People’s Culture Award – a special award made in partnership with the Manchester Evening News and presented to an individual or organisation whose dedication and contribution to culture in Manchester over a number of years stands above the rest and deserves to be recognised, with the winner of the award chosen by public vote and due to be announced at next week’s awards ceremony.
In addition to deciding the finalists and winners in each of the main award categories, judges also have discretion to present a Special Recognition Award to someone they consider has made a real difference to the cultural life of the city, with two such awards this year due to be made on the night. Previous recipients of Special Recognition Awards include poet Lemn Sissay OBE, former Halle Music Director Sir Mark Elder, poet performance artist dramatist and writer SuAndi OBE, and former Director of HOME Dave Moutrey OBE.
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said: “It’s clearly been yet another outstanding year for culture in Manchester. Judges have once again been completely blown away both by the number of nominations made, as well as the extraordinary breadth of talent and innovation here in the city that they reveal.
“We’re a city that embraces culture and the arts as an important part of our identity that helps make Manchester the place it is and can’t wait to announce this year’s Manchester Culture Award winners.”
The finalists in each category are:
Best Business Partnership
Odd Arts and Shoosmiths
Cargill and Z-arts
The Science and Industry Museum and The Landmark Trust ‘Station Agent’s House’
Aviva, Manchester City Council, and Factory International
Promotion of Culture and Education
Powerhouse Portraits by Crossing Footprints and Segment Arts
Studio School at CONTACT
Lekhani Chirwa
Afro Tots Community Group
Best Performance
Census- Malandra Jacks
Labyrinth of Love – Sahba Academy
In the time of Dragons – The Edge Theatre
Free Your Mind – Factory International
My Heart is in the East – Manchester Jewish Museum
Promotion of Equality and Social Justice
ALL FM
Commonword
Music and Mountains – Olympias Music Foundation
Venture Arts
Young Creative of the Year
Eden-Haya Walters
Adele Tondu
Pelumi Fatayo
Sayyed Nazar
Promotion of Talent and Leadership
Brighter Sound
MyHub Manchester’s Music Education Hub 2012 – 2024
Hope Mill Theatre Community Engagement
HOME Young Film Collective
Promotion of Environmental Sustainability
Reform Radio Carbon Literacy Programme
SNUG Project – Longsight Community Art Space CIC
The Song of Ryebank Fields – Ali Davenport
Fly on the Wall Press
Promotion of Health and Wellbeing
SMASH – Sick! Productions
Harmonise – Music Action international
Z-arts in partnership with Manchester Healthy Schools and Health Development Coordinators
Hallé Relaxed Concerts
Made in Manchester
Library of Enchantment – Z-arts
MCR Classical
TiPP
The Schools Writing Trail -Manchester City of Literature
Independent Creative of the Year
Laura Nathan
Omid Asadi
Jenny Harris
DJ Paulette
Best Event
Festival of Libraries
Hope Mill Theatre – Gypsy the Musical
East Manchester Cultural Festival
Be You Not Them – Creative Together
Best Exhibition
Yayoi Kusama ‘You, Me and the Balloons’ – Factory International/ Manchester International Festival
Castlefield Gallery Omid Asadi (Oct 2023 – Jan 2024)
Next Message 2023 Degree Show Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University
Fairy Tales – Z-arts
Halmang – esea contemporary
‘Infamous: Opium, Silk, Tea & the Mission’ Portico Library
The Manchester People’s Culture Award
Sahba Academy
53Two
Hope Mill Theatre
Peter Kalu
The awards ceremony takes place this Saturday 23 November.