We are the CHAMPIONS

Museum funding models have been shattered by closures in the past year. ‘Revenue from ticket sales, cafes, shops, events, partnerships and sponsorship have all been hit incredibly hard, while overheads to keep buildings and collections safe remain high,’ says Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund. ‘Museums offer joy and inspiration, solace and community cohesion but they are in a perilous financial position.’

In a unique edition of its annual prize, Art Fund responded to the unprecedented challenges that all museums have faced recently by selecting five winners for 2020 (instead of one) and increasing the prize money to £200,000 – a 40 per cent rise over previous years. Art Fund has been responsible for Museum of the Year since 2008 and winning the Award is both an internationally admired accolade and a financial boost, so winners are carefully selected by a jury that changes each year. The 2020 jury comprised Jago Cooper (Curator of the Americas, The British Museum), Dame Liz Forgan (Trustee, Art Fund), Ryan