Manchester Culture Awards 2026 Finalists Revealed

More than 400 nominations have been received for this year's Manchester Culture Awards, with winners set to be announced on Saturday 14 November.

The finalists for the 2026 Manchester Culture Awards have been announced, with some of the city's most talented artists, performers, cultural organisations and community projects competing for recognition at this weekend's ceremony.

Now in their ninth year, the annual awards celebrate the people and organisations contributing to Manchester's thriving cultural and creative scene.

This year's winners will be revealed on Saturday 14 November, at a ceremony hosted by Manchester-based composer, DJ and broadcaster AFRODEUTSCHE.

Organised by Manchester City Council, the awards attracted more than 400 nominations across 11 categories, highlighting the breadth of creative talent across the city.

Celebrating Manchester's cultural achievements

Launched in 2018, the Manchester Culture Awards recognise achievements across the arts, music, theatre, exhibitions and community creativity.

The awards celebrate everyone from emerging artists and grassroots organisations to major cultural institutions, recognising their contributions to Manchester's reputation as a leading city for culture.

Nominations were invited from members of the public, arts professionals, voluntary organisations and community groups.

Eligible projects and activities had to take place between April 2025 and March 2026, with nominees either based in Manchester or demonstrating a strong contribution to the city.

Major events and performances shortlisted

Among those competing for Best Event are Manchester Jazz Festival 2025, The Success of Moss Side, Balkan Erotic Epic and Music for the Senses.

The Best Performance category features productions and performances including ROAD at the Royal Exchange Theatre, The Home We Made at HOME, the Philharmonia Orchestra with Alisa Weilerstein and The Hallé's collaboration with Honey Dijon.

Meanwhile, the Best Exhibition finalists include The Beginning of Knowledge at The Whitworth, Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts, Recoverist Curators: Reimagining the World We Live In and Roots in the Sky.

Young talent and independent creatives recognised

The awards also celebrate Manchester's emerging creative talent.

Demereece Green, Marques Jones and Sam Wright are shortlisted for Bright Spark: Young Creative of the Year.

The Independent Creative of the Year finalists are Joshua Wilkinson, Hawwa Alam, Michael Beard and Sam Edwards.

These categories recognise individuals making important contributions to Manchester's creative industries.

New storytelling award introduced

A new category for 2026 is Outstanding Storytelling, recognising creative work that communicates compelling stories through film, digital media, podcasts and other cultural formats.

Six projects are shortlisted, including 40 Years of HIV Activism: The Movie, BLOOM, The Corinthians: We Were the Champions, There's a Lot I Haven't Asked Podcast, The Marcus Rashford Wall of Hope: An Educational Resource and LIBERATION.

The category reflects the growing importance of storytelling across different artistic and digital platforms.

Celebrating equality, wellbeing and the environment

Several categories highlight how cultural activities can address wider social challenges.

The Champions of Equality and Social Justice category includes projects from the LGBT Foundation, Reform Radio CIC and Bolton Deaf Society, Castlefield Gallery and the National Football Museum.

The Excellence in Creative Health and Wellbeing category recognises projects including Mindgames, Home from HOME, The Creative Drop In and Man Made Men.

Environmental creativity is also recognised through the Our Planet: Acting on Climate Change category, with finalists including the Science and Industry Museum's Power Hall and EarthSonic Live at Manchester Museum.

Cultural Welcome Award returns

A special Cultural Welcome Award, organised in association with the Manchester Evening News, will also be presented.

Voted for by readers, the award recognises venues and organisations that provide an outstanding welcome to audiences, visitors and participants.

This year's finalists are Gobefest, The Circus House, The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre, Hope Mill Theatre and 53two.

Council praises Manchester's creative community

Councillor Shazia Butt, Manchester City Council's executive member for culture, leisure and libraries, praised the quality of this year's nominations.

She said:

"Our annual awards are a reminder of just how much talent and creativity there is in Manchester and give us the chance both to celebrate the individuals and organisations that help make Manchester such an incredible place for culture."

She added:

"All our finalists are exceptional, and we couldn't be prouder of them and their contribution in helping make Manchester such a brilliant creative city."

Winners announced this weekend

The ceremony takes place on Saturday 14 November and will be hosted by AFRODEUTSCHE, whose work spans electronic music, orchestral composition and contemporary storytelling.

The event will celebrate the achievements of Manchester's cultural community and recognise the individuals and organisations helping to shape the city's creative future.

With more than 400 nominations received, the awards highlight the scale and diversity of artistic activity taking place across Manchester.

Source: Manchester City Council – Manchester Culture Awards 2026 finalists announcement.