Manchester Culture Awards - finalists announced ahead of this week's prestigious awards ceremony

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.

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