HOW TO ENTER

Entry deadline: 23:59 hrs (GMT) on Wednesday 1 February 2023

Shortlist announced: Friday 10 March 2023

Winners announced: at a live ceremony in London on the evening of Wednesday 10 May 2023

For details about How To Enter the new Innovator of the Year category go here.

ENTER HERE

Who can enter?

We welcome entries from all sector organisations, regardless of size or location.

The Awards are open to all museums, galleries and archives as well as digital, cultural, natural and built heritage. We welcome and encourage entries from all areas of the cultural sector; from organisations that connect objects, stories and spaces with audiences and people, as well as the individuals, companies, agencies, consultants, freelancers and organisations which support their work. 

There are also opportunities for sector support organisations, charities and bodies plus their suppliers, contractors and partners. All projects/entries must be carried out in the UK, with the exception of the following categories which are open to international entrants:

• Best Use of Digital – International
• Exhibition of the Year – International

If you are a supplier, contractor or partner entering these awards, please ensure you have the prior consent of your client (ie museum, gallery or heritage visitor attraction). We strongly recommend that you collaborate with your client to ensure you are providing all the necessary insight, facts and figures which our judges will be looking for. 

What is the period of eligibility?

The 2023 awards, as always, will focus on achievements of the previous calendar year ie 1 January to 31 December 2022.  These eligibility dates (ie the calendar year 2022) are to ensure that entries relate, in the main, to the achievements of 2022. Wider context can be given to your entry, if relevant, but submissions which relate to projects/events which took place years ago and ended prior to 2022 are not eligible.

When you come to providing the dates to which your entry applies, please bear in mind the following examples:

1. ‘Project’ started in 2019 and ended in 2022 ✅ Eligible *
2. ‘Project’ started in 2019 and is still ongoing ✅ Eligible *
3. ‘Project’ ran only during 2022 ✅ Eligible
4. ‘Project’ started in 2022 and is ongoing ✅ Eligible
5. ‘Project’ started in 2019 and finished in 2021. ❌ Ineligible

* focus on the activities of 2022 but we’re happy for you to provide context by including information about the time preceding 2022.

This is done to ensure that the awards are timely and relevant and that they reflect the sector as it is today, not as it was in the past.

In considering your submission please do bear in mind that you are required to give evidence of outcomes and so if the ‘project’ you have in mind has only just started at the very end of the eligibility period eg December 2022, you may find that you do not have sufficient evidence to make a submission. Please give this careful consideration.

It is worth noting that context is important and so whilst the focus of your submission should be on 2022, you are able to give background reference to earlier times, if relevant.

How much does it cost to enter?

Free to Enter: three of the categories are entirely free to enter: Volunteer(s) of the Year; Sustainable Project of the Year and the new Sector Support Award.  

Early Bird Rate:  enter during November 2022 and the entry rate is £100 + VAT. On submitting your entry, use Discount Code: EarlyBird

Standard Rate: enter from 1 December 2022 up until the closing deadline of 23:59 hrs (GMT) on Wednesday 1 February 2023 and the entry fee is £125 + VAT

To enter the awards, head to the Museums + Heritage Awards online entry platform.  You will find that the information shown here is also accessible within the entry platform. Please note the following before proceeding:

1. Please ensure you read the category criteria (you can also access this information on the entry platform) as well as the FAQs and T&Cs (below) before compiling your entry.  Each category has its own entry form with a series of questions and you can view and download the blank form within the entry platform, when you start your entry.
2. To enter you must first register on the entry platform to create an account. Please refer to the above ‘who can enter’ section to check that you/your organisation is eligible.
3. Each category has a simple entry form with a few questions. Within the system, you are able to print off a blank form should you wish. This will enable you to work offline and then to later copy and past the contents into the online version.
4. You may enter as many categories as you wish, but you must complete a different submission for each one. You are permitted to enter the same project into more than one category but will be required to complete a new entry form and to tailor your answers to the criteria of that category. You are also able to enter the same category more than once, with different projects.
5. You can draft and re-draft your entry as many times as you like (even after submission) up until the closing deadline of 2359 hrs (GMT) on Wednesday 1 February 2023.
6. As a part of the entry process, you must provide six high resolution images. You also have the opportunity to provide other relevant material (images, video, website URLs, etc) in support of your entry. We wish to promote the shortlisted and winning entries extensively and cannot do this effectively without images.
7. For categories with an entry fee (see the top of this page for details), you can pay by card on submission. If your organisation is based in the UK, it is also possible to pay by invoice but please note: payment on invoice must be received before 1 March 2023.  We strongly recommend that you pay by card to avoid any issues.
8. Please note that entries will only be accepted if made via the Museums + Heritage Awards online entry platform. 
9. You may make multiple entries into multiple categories but please ensure each entry responds directly to the criteria.
10. Please also take a look at our Terms & Conditions and FAQs which are detailed below. In particular, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that all shortlistees are expected to purchase a minimum of 2 tickets to the Awards ceremony.

In an attempt to streamline the entry process, the entry forms use standardised language across most of the categories. For example, the word ‘project’ is often used in reference to entries but it is not literal. It could, for example, relate to your shop if you’re entering Shop of the Year or your Café, for Café or Restaurant of the Year. Indeed, it may relate to activities, partnerships or people. Likewise, the entry forms and criteria may sometimes refer to ‘museums’ but only as a short-hand for *all* eligible organisations. And where we give examples of groups of people or audiences, it is not exhaustive.

Q:  Can I enter the same category more than once?   
A: Yes!  But the nominee or entered project must, of course, differ.

Q:  Can I enter the same project into more than one category? 
A:  Yes!  But please ensure you tailor your entries to the specific category criteria – don’t just cut and paste your answers!

Q:  What is the deadline for entering? 
A: 2359 hrs (GMT) on Wednesday 1 February 2023

Q:  Can I view the entry form before proceeding? 
A: To view the entry form for your chosen category(s), you must first register on the Awards entry platform. It is not possible to view or print an empty entry form so simply answer each question with a single character or word and then preview/print your form.

Q:  Can I make changes to my form once it has been submitted? 
A: You can make changes to your entry right up until the closing deadline of 2359 hrs (GMT) on Wednesday 1 February 2023, even after submission.

Q:  Do I have to pay before entering? 
A:  No. Payment is only made once your application is complete and you have submitted it.  This means you can log-in, draft (and re-draft) your entry as many times as you like before submitting.  Once you have submitted and paid it is not possible to withdraw your entry.

Q:  What payment methods do you accept?
A: For categories which have an entry fee, you can pay either by credit or debit card or, if you are in the UK, by requesting an invoice.  If you do the latter, please note that payment must be made by 1 March 2023. 

Q:  How lengthy is the application process? 
A: We’ve kept it as quick and easy as possible, with most categories requiring no more than 900 words and some being considerably less.

Q:  Can awards judges enter the Museums + Heritage Awards?
A: Our judges aren’t permitted to enter the awards but their colleagues employed by the organisations they work for, can.  The awards judges are selected for their extensive experience in this sector and are on the panel in their own right, not on behalf of their own organisation. If an entry is submitted by their colleagues, our judges abstain from the category to which the entry applies. To preclude their colleagues from entering would be to exclude hundreds of organisations from having an opportunity to participate.

• All entries must be submitted online via the Museums + Heritage Awards online entry platform. Please note: no other method of entry is permitted.

• By entering the Museums + Heritage Awards, you agree to purchase a minimum of two tickets, if you are shortlisted, to the awards ceremony in London on the evening of Wednesday 10 May 2023.  The cost per ticket is £220 + VAT. 

• Please note that all information provided in your entry form is treated as confidential and shared only with the judging panel. However, general descriptions taken from your entry may be used to promote it should you be shortlisted or win.

• The entry fee, where applicable should be paid by card on submission of your entry. If you are based in the UK and need to pay by invoice, this option is also available but please note that the invoice must be settled by 1 March 2023. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.

• We reserve the right to use the photographs you supply to promote the Awards, our shortlistees and winners. Photographs and videos supplied should be copyright free.

• Awards will be made solely at the discretion of the judges. No feedback or correspondence will be entered into about the results, and the judges’ decisions are final.

• By registering and/or entering the Museums + Heritage Awards, you are agreeing to receive information from M and H Media Ltd. Your details will never be shared with a third party and you can unsubscribe very easily anytime you like.