Nominations are now open for the Manchester Culture Awards 2026, giving residents, artists, venues and community groups the chance to put forward the people and projects that shaped the city’s cultural year.
The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 14 November at Manchester Deansgate Hotel. A start time and ticket or price details have not yet been listed in the source notice. Nominations close at midnight on Sunday 21 June, and entries can come from professionals, amateur groups, community organisations and members of the public.
The Manchester Culture Awards were launched by Manchester City Council in 2018 to recognise the city’s growing cultural and creative scene, including the artists, organisations and behind-the-scenes workers who keep it moving. Last year, more than 400 nominations were received across events, individuals and organisations.
November ceremony at Manchester Deansgate Hotel
The confirmed ceremony date is Saturday 14 November, with Manchester Deansgate Hotel named as the venue. The awards are aimed at Manchester’s creative and cultural sector, but the nomination process is wider than industry insiders.
Nominees must either be based in the city of Manchester or have a strong record of delivering activity that benefits people who live in or visit the city, or supports the local economy. That opens the door to cultural venues, independent artists, community groups, creative partnerships, performances, exhibitions and projects that have left a mark on the city.
Activity being nominated must have taken place between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The exception is the Cultural Welcome Award, which recognises achievement over a number of years.
Twelve categories, including a new storytelling award
This year’s Manchester Culture Awards include 12 nomination categories. They cover young creatives, health and wellbeing, equality and social justice, environmental action, education and talent development, business partnerships, events, performances, exhibitions, independent creatives, storytelling and cultural welcome.
New for 2026 is the Outstanding Storytelling Award. It will recognise compelling and relevant stories created through word, film, digital media or other cultural forms.
The Cultural Welcome Award returns in partnership with the Manchester Evening News. It will go to an organisation or venue that provides a strong welcome to audience members, visitors or participants, with the winner chosen by a public vote.
The eligible artforms include visual art, music, theatre, performance, dance, film and broadcast media, literature, digital art, photography, craft and heritage arts. That range means a nomination could come from a stage performance, a neighbourhood arts project, a museum or heritage exhibition, a digital work, or a creative programme that helped people develop skills.
For families following Manchester’s wider cultural calendar, recent local coverage has also included free museum and reading sessions in Manchester.
Special recognition awards will be decided by judges
Alongside the open categories, judges will make a number of Special Recognition Awards for significant contributions to culture over several years.
Previous recipients have included poet Lemn Sissay, former Hallé Music Director Sir Mark Elder, poet, performance artist, dramatist and writer SuAndi OBE, former HOME director and outgoing Manchester City Council Director of Culture Dave Moutrey OBE, DJ Paulette, Abasindi Black Women’s Co-operative, and former Manchester Jewish Museum chief executive Gareth Redston.
Councillor Shazia Butt, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Libraries and Leisure, said Manchester’s cultural reputation is rooted in its creative communities.
“Culture and creativity play a huge role in making Manchester the vibrant and exciting place it is,” she said, adding that the city is known globally for its “world-class cultural and creative output”.
Nominations close at midnight on 21 June
Anyone planning to nominate should work to the confirmed deadline of midnight on Sunday 21 June. The source notice says more information and nominations are available through Manchester City Council’s culture awards page.
Key details confirmed so far:
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Event | Manchester Culture Awards 2026 |
| Ceremony date | Saturday 14 November 2026 |
| Venue | Manchester Deansgate Hotel |
| Start time | Not listed in the source notice |
| Price or ticket details | Not listed in the source notice |
| Nomination deadline | Midnight on Sunday 21 June 2026 |
| Organiser | Manchester City Council |
Nominations are open to the professional, amateur and community sectors, as well as members of the public.
Source: Manchester City Council
Source check Source trail
This article is based on Manchester City Council’s published notice for the Manchester Culture Awards 2026.
- Confirmed the ceremony date as Saturday 14 November 2026.
- Confirmed the venue as Manchester Deansgate Hotel.
- Confirmed the nomination deadline as midnight on Sunday 21 June 2026.
- Kept missing start time, ticket price and venue address details marked as not listed.
- Source
- Manchester City Council
- Scope
- Manchester
- Updated
- 2026-06-01 19:05
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