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The finalists in the 2026 Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards are revealed today – including in FOUR exciting new categories.
The new Excellence in Film & TV award celebrates the huge growth of the industry, with hundreds of productions choosing to film in the City Region and homegrown talent being honoured across the world with BAFTAs, Emmys and Golden Globes.
The awards also recognise the talents within the digital, gaming and creative media sectors for the first time and the unforgettable moments that brought people together will be celebrated with another new award – Live Event of the Year.
Other categories praise the use of culture and creativity in areas such as innovation and community cohesion celebrating the sector’s contribution to education, health, business and the environment.
Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said:
“The Liverpool City Region is at the forefront of culture. We are an area brimming with creativity and these awards give us a chance to celebrate our own artists, innovators, community activists and businesses who are all using culture and creativity to make a difference within their own communities.
“From local grassroots projects to large scale events, it’s been an incredibly exciting year for culture in the Liverpool City Region, and competition has been tough. All our finalists are extremely successful to get this far, and I wish them the best of luck.”
An independent judging panel considered more than 500 nominations, creating a shortlist of 55 finalists across 17 categories that celebrate the individuals and organisations helping drive the city region’s thriving cultural and creative sector.
A number of new judges joined the selection process this year including Jay Hynd, Founder and Managing Director of The Guide Liverpool, TV producer Jernice Easthope and BBC presenter Ngunan Adamu who hosted the awards in 2022.
They joined veteran adjudicators Kate Royse, Director of the Hartree Centre, and Dr Emma Roberts, Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Reader in History of Art and Design at Liverpool John Moores University.
One accolade that isn’t decided by the judging panel is the People’s Choice Award for Outstanding Contribution to Culture, which is voted for by the public from six finalists. Online voting for this category will open next month and the finalists are:
Ngunan Adamu, one of the 2026 judges. Picture: Jason Roberts.
Making her judging debut at this year’s awards, broadcaster Ngunan Adamu said:
“Judging such a high standard of entries was far more challenging than I expected, in the best possible way. I honestly thought I’d seen it all, but these awards are just scratching the surface of the talent and innovation in our creative sector.
I was genuinely inspired by the creativity, passion and real-world impact of these projects. The culture of the Liverpool City Region is truly special, and it was a real privilege to be part of the judging panel.”
In another first, the glittering awards ceremony will be held at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool in June – a fitting stage for a night of celebration, inspiration, and creative brilliance.
The 2026 event is sponsored by The ACC Liverpool Group, The Guide Liverpool, Hope Street Hotel, Trojan Lighting Solutions and Copeland Group Services.
To find out more about all the categories and to nominate, go to: www.lcrcultureawards.co.uk
2024 People’s Choice winners – Africa Oyé
People’s Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture
This award is to celebrate an outstanding contribution to culture and creativity, which has made a significant difference to the quality of life at either local, borough or City Region level.
The finalists are:
Artist / Creative of the Year
This award is to celebrate an individual whose work has stood out and contributed to the cultural and creative reputation of the Liverpool City Region. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.
The finalists are:
Arts Organisation of the Year
This award is to celebrate an organisation whose work has stood out and contributed to the cultural and creative reputation of the Liverpool City Region. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.
The finalists are:
Business in the Arts Award
This award is to celebrate businesses that make a significant contribution to economic growth within the arts, culture and creativity sector.
The finalists are:
Community Cohesion Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on bringing communities together.
The finalists are:
NEW: Creative / Media Individual of the Year
This award recognises an individual working in the creative / media industries including film, television, digital, gaming, or music, who has made a significant impact over the past year.
The finalists are:
NEW: Creative / Media Organisation of the Year
This award celebrates a business or organisation in the creative / media industries including film, television, digital, gaming, or music, that has achieved outstanding success over the past year.
The finalists are:
Creative Innovation Award
This award is to celebrate game changing innovation, through the development of a new product or process in either the creative media industries – film, television, digital, gaming, music, or technology, business, healthcare or science by the application of creativity. This game changing innovation could develop and introduce new ideas and improved ways of doing things.
The finalists are:
Developing Creative Skills Awards
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on developing creative, technical, transferable and life skills in preparing young people for the world of work in the arts and creative industries.
The finalists are:
Environmental Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on the green agenda, including environmental sustainability and contribution to net zero targets.
The finalists are:
NEW: Excellence in Film & TV
This award celebrates excellence in the creation and development of film and television within the Liverpool City Region.
The finalists are:
Health & Wellbeing Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has in health and wellbeing.
The finalists are:
Improving Education & Learning Award
This award is to celebrate the impact of culture and creativity to achieve positive outcomes in education and learning.
The finalists are:
Inspirational Young Person Award
This award is to celebrate the impact of a young person under the age of 25 who displays an innovative and inspiring approach to art, culture and/or creativity.
The finalists are:
International Reach Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on strengthening international relationships.
The finalists are:
NEW: Live Event of the Year
This award celebrates an outstanding live event that has showcased creativity and culture within the Liverpool City Region.
The finalists are:
Judges Inspiration Award – Outstanding Achievement
This award is to celebrate and recognise an individual’s outstanding creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region. This award will be decided by the judging panel.
The winner will be someone whose body of work merits recognition for outstanding achievement and who has made a significant creative impact on their area of activity or expertise and will be announced at the ceremony.
