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Liverpool City Region rolls out the red carpet as the winners in the 2026 Culture and Creativity Awards are revealed.
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Get ready to celebrate the heartbeat of creativity across the Liverpool City Region as the Culture and Creativity Awards return in 2026 with FOUR brand-new categories shining a spotlight on even more of the incredible talent shaping our cultural landscape!
New for 2026:
They join the coveted People’s Choice Award which is voted for by the public and 12 others categories recognising the use of culture and creativity in areas such as innovation, community cohesion and education.
Nominations are now open, whether it’s a grassroots community project, a blockbuster production, or a game-changing innovation – one great nomination is all it takes. Quality counts, not quantity.
L-R, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram with 2025 Judges Inspiration Award winner Karen Gallagher MBE and Awards host Billy Hui BEM.
And for the first time ever, the glittering awards ceremony will be held in Liverpool next June – a fitting stage for a night of celebration, inspiration, and creative brilliance.
Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said:
“The introduction of four new categories for 2026 reflects the incredible breadth of creativity across the Liverpool City Region. We are a cultural and creative powerhouse. If you know someone making waves in the arts, media, or creative industries, now’s the time to shout about it!
“These awards are about celebrating the people and projects that make our region so vibrant — from grassroots initiatives to global productions. One great nomination is all it takes.”
Nominations are not just restricted to work done by professionals but can include creative activity that brings people together from virtual projects to real-world impact, so this can involve volunteers and community activity too.
New judge Rachel McLean, Chair of the Combined Authority’s Creative Industries Cluster Board and Director of the School of Art and Creative Industries at Liverpool John Moores University, joins the panel in 2026. She said:
“Creativity connects us, inspires us, and drives innovation. I’m thrilled to join the judging panel for 2026 and I’m looking forward to seeing what exciting work has been happening across the city region this year.
“These awards are a powerful way to recognise the impact of creativity in every corner of our communities, and I would encourage everyone to enter.”
The awards, launched in 2019 as part of the Metro Mayor’s Percent for Culture initiative, honour the individuals and organisations whose creativity enriches lives and powers the region’s cultural economy.
Nominations are completed online and the closing date for entries is 5pm, on Monday 10 November 2025.
An independent judging panel will consider all the nominations and choose category winners, while the public will be able to vote for the People’s Choice award.
The 2026 event is sponsored by Hope Street Hotel, ACC Liverpool and Trojan Lighting Solutions.
To find out more about all of the categories and to nominate, go to: www.lcrcultureawards.co.uk
