The shortlist for the 2025 Art Fund Museum of the Year award has been revealed, marking the first time in four years that all five finalists are based outside London.
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham, is among those competing for the £120,000 prize, alongside Chapter in Cardiff and Compton Verney located in Warwickshire.
The list is completed by Belfast’s Golden Thread Gallery and the Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross.
Art Fund director Jenny Waldman said this year’s selected museums “are inspiring examples of museums at their best” which are “closely embedded in their local communities, responsive to the contemporary world, and brimming with energy and new ideas.”
“Each delivers a unique experience, highlighting the remarkable creativity and commitment that make museums dynamic and engaging spaces for all,” she added, representing the views of the judging panel.
The winner will be named on Thursday 26 June at a ceremony held at the Museum of Liverpool, signifying the first time the event will take place outside the UK’s capital.
Here is an in-depth look at this year’s finalists, each of which is guaranteed a minimum award of £15,000.
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham is an open-air attraction that immerses visitors in the history of north east England from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Through interactive exhibits and live demonstrations with costumed staff and volunteers, the museum revives Georgian, Edwardian, and wartime eras.
Judges commended Beamish for its enduring dedication to local heritage and for providing an “outstanding visitor experience.”
Recent projects include the Remaking Beamish initiative, featuring a recreation of a 1950s town shaped with community input, and the opening of Aged Miners’ Homes, highlighting welfare for retired miners.
As part of National Railway 200, Beamish will host the Festival of Transport from 24 May to 1 June.
Chapter is a leading contemporary arts hub in Cardiff that houses galleries, studios, performance spaces, and cinema screens.
The centre has recently commissioned fourteen exhibitions by a diverse lineup of international artists—such as Adham Faramawy, Ntiense Eno-Amooquaye, and Abi Palmer—addressing topics ranging from the climate crisis to material culture.
The Art Fund praised Chapter for its consistent delivery of exceptional, collaborative programmes that enhance Cardiff’s cultural scene, spanning printmaking to music.
Offering pay-what-you-can pricing and complimentary community tickets, Chapter also established an artist residency with free studios and launched Wales’ largest deaf-led creative event, Deaf Gathering Cymru.
Compton Verney in Warwickshire, home to six art collections, a sculpture park, and a café, occupies a Grade I-listed 18th-century mansion and parkland.
Described as a “vibrant cultural destination,” the gallery is lauded for its commitment to making art accessible through connections with art, nature, and creativity.
Last year saw the unveiling of its Sculpture in the Park show with works by Sarah Lucas, Permindar Kaur, Larry Achiampong, Helen Chadwick, and Erika Verzutti.
Compton Verney also invites artists and communities to reimagine its historic facade, with exhibits exploring figures such as Capability Brown and Chila Kumari Singh Burman.
Over 6,000 schoolchildren engaged in creative activities; the gallery also runs a dementia café and will host Emma Talbot’s large-scale exhibition on life and death (5 July–5 October).
The judges highlighted its initiatives in “breaking down barriers to cultural careers for young people with disabilities.”
Belfast’s Golden Thread Gallery features two main exhibition spaces, a dedicated participation hub, and Northern Ireland’s first visual art library and archive.
After closing in 2023, the gallery reopened at a new city centre venue, showcasing artists including Charlotte Bosanquet, Rob Hilken, Graham Fagen, Susan Hiller, and Claire Morgan.
Since then, the gallery has welcomed more than 23,000 visitors.
It partnered with Translink NI to install a public sculpture by Kevin Killen, incorporating local stories at York Street station.
This summer, Golden Thread Gallery will present Sophie Calle’s video and photography exhibition, Beyond the Gaze – Shared Perspectives (21 June–27 August).
Perth Museum is now the new home of the Stone of Destiny, one of Scotland’s most revered national artifacts, which has returned to Perthshire after over seven centuries.
The museum reopened last year within the transformed Perth City Hall, following a £27 million redevelopment by Dutch architects Mecanoo, offering a deep dive into Scottish history.
Using immersive technology, the Stone of Destiny display explores the object’s role and its relevance to the medieval King Alexander III.
Currently, the museum is hosting an exhibition on the legacy of Macbeth (25 April–31 August 2025).
Educational outreach now involves partnerships with ten primary schools, supporting connections between students, teachers, and local heritage.
Since its latest opening, Perth Museum has attracted around 250,000 visitors, contributing significantly to the region’s economy.
Art Fund is the national charity dedicated to supporting museums and galleries across the UK.
The last time London-based institutions were absent from the main award shortlist was 2021, when Firstsite in Colchester, Essex, claimed the prize.
Waldman expressed hope this year’s announcement will encourage the public to explore “remarkable places” locally and appreciate “the profound role museums play in society.”
The chosen winner will succeed last year’s recipient, the Young V&A in London.
Human remains were recently returned in a moving ceremony at Belfast’s Ulster Museum.
The Hull Maritime Museum’s reserve collection now includes newly acquired historic documents and artworks.
Following a £4.5m refurbishment, one of the city’s leading museums has fully reopened to the public.
“Erased from the Face of the Earth” is on view at Bristol’s M Shed museum until July.
LEGO figures and animals have been created as a tribute to a Roman mosaic discovered near Cirencester.