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:
- Live Event of the Year – honouring unforgettable moments that brought people together.
- Excellence in Film & TV – celebrating screen magic made right here in the region.
- Creative/Media Individual of the Year – recognising trailblazing talent.
- Creative/Media Organisation of the Year – spotlighting standout success stories.
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.
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
Contact Information
CA Communications
LCR Combined Authority
communications@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Picture: 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.
The Categories:
NEW: Live Event of the Year
This award celebrates an outstanding live event that has showcased creativity and culture within the Liverpool City Region.
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.
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.
NEW: Excellence in Film & TV
This award celebrates excellence in the creation and development of film and television within the Liverpool City Region.
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.
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 LCR. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.
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 LCR. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.
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.
Community Cohesion Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on bringing communities together.
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.
Health & Wellbeing Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has in health and wellbeing.
Improving Education & Learning Award
This award is to celebrate the impact of culture and creativity to achieve positive outcomes in education and learning.
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.
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.
International Reach Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on strengthening international relationships.
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.
Judges Inspiration Award – Outstanding Achievement
This award is to celebrate and recognise an individual’s outstanding creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region.
Nominations
Nominations can include an individual, organisation, group or partnership that is involved in the creation, promotion and use of culture and creativity within the following:
- Performing Arts (including Theatre, Dance, Music, Opera)
- Visual Arts
- Digital Art
- Photography
- Film and broadcast media
- Gaming
- Technology
- Business
- Innovation and Science
- Literature (including comedy and comics)
- Museums, Galleries and Heritage
- Sculpture
- Craft
About the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards.
Part of the Metro Mayor’s Percent for Culture initiative, these awards recognise the value and huge contribution that the cultural and creative sector bring to the Liverpool City Region, reinforcing it as one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live, work, visit, study or do business.
The judging panel shortlist the finalists for each category from the nominations received. For the People’s Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture, the public are able to vote for their chosen winner.
Nominees must live, study and/or work in the Liverpool City Region (e.g. Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) or have created work/projects that significantly benefit the residents or visitors to the Liverpool City Region and/or has positively contributed to the development of the local economy.
For more news from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, click HERE.