Art Fund, the national charity for art and museums, has announced the five finalists for Museum of the Year 2026, the world’s largest museum prize. The announcement marks one of the most significant moments in the British Museum calendar. This prize has, since its inception, done more than most initiatives to shift public conversation about what museums are for and who they serve.
The five shortlisted institutions will now enter the final stage of judging before the winner is announced later in the year. Each has been selected on the strength of its ambition, its engagement with audiences and its contribution to cultural life in the UK. The prize, which awards £100,000 to the winning institution, is administered by the Art Fund and has grown in stature and reach each successive year.
Previous winners have ranged from major national institutions to smaller regional museums, and the prize has consistently demonstrated a willingness to recognise work happening outside London and beyond the established cultural centres. That breadth of vision is part of what gives Museum of the Year its authority.
The shortlisted museums are:
The Box (Plymouth) – Celebrating its fifth birthday in September 2025, The Box has welcomed over 1 million visitors. It is a museum, gallery, and archive that narrates the rich history of Plymouth, preserving the city’s cultural collections of more than 2 million artworks, objects, specimens, and archival materials.
The Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge) – The University of Cambridge’s principal museum since 1816, the Fitzwilliam is expanding its narrative and evolving its collection to create a museum where everyone belongs. Collection remixes, bold exhibitions, and innovative partnerships are encouraging reflection, dialogue, and creativity and driving record-breaking visitor numbers.
The National Gallery (London) – Founded by Parliament in 1824, the National Gallery houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The gallery celebrated its Bicentenary in 2025 with a UK-wide programme and an entire rehang of its collection.
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery (Norwich) – Following major redevelopment, Norwich Castle’s Norman Keep reopened in 2025 and is now the most accessible castle in the UK, with rooms furnished to create an authentic sense of life in the twelfth century, immersive storytelling and the new Gallery of Medieval Life.
V&A East Storehouse (London) – Opened in May 2025, V&A East Storehouse is a world-first museum experience that invites visitors to walk among half a million creative works, enabling them to get up close to their national collections on a scale and in ways previously impossible.
The winning museum, recipient of £120,000, will be announced on 25 June at a ceremony at Cutty Sark in London. £20,000 will be given to each of the four other finalists — an increase of £5,000 per museum — bringing the total prize money to £200,000.
The Art Fund annually shortlists five outstanding museums for the Art Fund Museum of the Year. The 2026 edition recognises inspiring projects and activities from autumn 2024 through to winter 2025. In addition to looking at the organisation’s overall achievements, judges are tasked with evaluating museums that, through unexpected, innovative, and forward-thinking practices, push the boundaries of what a museum is or can achieve.
The 2026 judging panel, chaired by Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, includes: Tony Butler OBE (Executive Director of Derby Museums), Yinka Ilori MBE (artist), Alice Loxton (historian, author and broadcaster) and June Sarpong OBE (broadcaster, writer and campaigner). The judges will visit each finalist to inform their decision-making. At the same time, each museum will make the most of its shortlist status over the summer through events and activities for new and existing visitors.
Speaking on behalf of the judges, Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said: “The five shortlisted museums this year showcase the extraordinary creativity and innovation that make museums such vibrant and essential places. From opening up world-leading collections to connecting with communities of all ages through ambitious exhibitions and programmes, each one offers something special. “We are thrilled to celebrate their achievements as finalists for Art Fund Museum of the Year, thanks to our National Art Pass members who make the prize possible. We hope people everywhere will be inspired to explore the finalists and their local museums, to see firsthand the treasures and experiences that are open to everyone.”
The prize is funded by Art Fund’s members who buy a National Art Pass, as well as by the many funders and individuals who generously support Art Fund’s work. National Art Pass holders enjoy discounts and benefits at the shortlisted museums and hundreds more across the UK.