The Manchester Culture Awards are back for 2023 with nominations now open as the city gears up to celebrate the very best in culture, arts and creativity in the city.
Last year the competition to win one of the coveted awards was fiercer than ever, with 466 nominations across 12 different categories - the highest number of nominations received since the awards began. The Manchester Culture Awards were launched in 2018 to acknowledge the city's rapidly growing reputation for culture and the arts - from grassroots to international.
Nominations opened this week with awards spread across twelve different categories including Best Event, Best Performance, and Young Creative of the Year, as well as other categories that shine a spotlight on some of the important themes of our times such as health and well-being, the environment and social justice.
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Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Manchester does arts and creativity like no-one else does and it's a massive part of what helps make our city such a brilliant place to be.
"With such a diverse talent pool and creativity on practically every street corner we're a city that truly embraces the arts and really appreciates the social and economic benefits they bring. There's an amazing creative scene here in Manchester and we can't wait to hear about your favourites and those who you think deserve a gong - so get nominating!"
This year will once again also see a special award in partnership with the Manchester Evening News. The Manchester People's Cultural Award will be presented to an individual or organisation whose dedication and contribution to culture in Manchester stands out above all the rest and deserves to be recognised, with the final winner of the award chosen by public vote.
Last year, the Manchester People's Culture Award, went to Ed Wellard, co-founder of community street art project Withington Walls. Special Recognition awards were handed out to Manchester’s Director of Culture Dave Moutrey OBE, author, poet, playwright, and campaigner Lemn Sissay OBE and the late Kate Day, who led Manchester Craft Design Centre for almost 15 years.
Nominations can be made in the following categories for activity 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 - apart from the Manchester People's Cultural Award which recognises achievement over a number of years: To make a nomination visit manchester.gov.uk/cultureawards
Young Creative of the Year
A young person (aged 13-25) who is inspiring future generations of Mancunians and others through their creativity, and/or is supporting others to be creative.
Promotion of Health and Wellbeing
Fantastic creative activity that helped people feel better in their body and/or mind.
Promotion of Equality and Social Justice
Making change and creating opportunities for equality and diversity to thrive.
Promotion of Environmental Sustainability
Taking action to have a positive impact on the environment and climate change
Promotion of Talent and Leadership
Great work supporting others to develop their skills and talents for future success
Promotion of Culture and Education
Supporting education and engagement through cultural and creative activity.
Best Business Partnership
A partnership that supports culture and helps it flourish in Manchester.
Best Event
A brilliant event that you think should be recognised. It could have been live or on-line.
Best Performance
A performance, in any art form, that was amazing and really impressed you. It could have been live or on-line.
Best Exhibition
An arts or heritage exhibition that you thought was amazing. It could have been in a venue or on-line.
Independent Creative of the Year
A person working independently in the creative sector who is inspiring and innovating through their artform and/or delivery of projects in the city.
The Made in Manchester Award
A physical, digital or other form of creativity that demonstrates the depth of amazing work in the city. We are particularly keen to capture art forms that have been less represented in the awards to date. Some examples include poetry, film, street art, graphic design, music, crafts, or other forms
The Manchester People’s Cultural Award
A nomination for someone who deserves to be celebrated for their dedication and contribution to culture and creativity in Manchester. This is an award with a difference, because the final winner will be chosen by a public vote in association with the Manchester Evening News. Achievements can have taken place over several years.
In terms of criteria, nominees for each of the awards must either be based in the city of Manchester, or have a strong record of delivering activity for those who live in or visit the city, or that benefits the local economy. Judging will take place over the summer months ahead of an awards ceremony to be held at the end of the year.
This news of this year's awards come at a particularly exciting time for culture in the city - a year that has already seen the re-opening of Manchester Museum following a £15m transformation, and that along with the upcoming bicentenary of Manchester Art Gallery, will also see the latest edition of Manchester International Festival, and the official opening this autumn of a brand-new landmark venue for the arts in the heart of the city centre.
Nominations close at midnight on Thursday 22 June. To make a nomination visit manchester.gov.uk/cultureawards
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