The finalists in the 2026 Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards are revealed today – including in FOUR exciting new categories.
Local finalists include Southport artist Emmeline Porter, known as ‘Emmy Oranges’, who is shortlisted for Artist / Creative of the Year – while the new Salt & Tar events Space in Bootle is shortlisted for Live Event Of The Year.
Among four new categories, the new Excellence in Film & TV award celebrates the huge growth of the industry, with hundreds of productions choosing to film in the City Region and homegrown talent being honoured across the world with BAFTAs, Emmys and Golden Globes.
The awards also recognise the talents within the digital, gaming and creative media sectors for the first time and the unforgettable moments that brought people together will be celebrated with another new award – Live Event of the Year.
Other categories praise the use of culture and creativity in areas such as innovation and community cohesion celebrating the sector’s contribution to education, health, business and the environment.
Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said:
“The Liverpool City Region is at the forefront of culture. We are an area brimming with creativity and these awards give us a chance to celebrate our own artists, innovators, community activists and businesses who are all using culture and creativity to make a difference within their own communities.
“From local grassroots projects to large scale events, it’s been an incredibly exciting year for culture in the Liverpool City Region, and competition has been tough. All our finalists are extremely successful to get this far, and I wish them the best of luck.”
An independent judging panel considered more than 500 nominations, creating a shortlist of 55 finalists across 17 categories that celebrate the individuals and organisations helping drive the city region’s thriving cultural and creative sector.
A number of new judges joined the selection process this year including Jay Hynd, Founder and Managing Director of The Guide Liverpool, TV producer Jernice Easthope and BBC presenter Ngunan Adamu who hosted the awards in 2022.
They joined veteran adjudicators Kate Royse, Director of the Hartree Centre, and Dr Emma Roberts, Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Reader in History of Art and Design at Liverpool John Moores University.
One accolade that isn’t decided by the judging panel is the People’s Choice Award for Outstanding Contribution to Culture, which is voted for by the public from six finalists. Online voting for this category will open next month and the finalists are:
- PopVox Choir
- Shakespeare North Playhouse
- The Unity Theatre
- Alder Hey’s Arts for Health
- Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
- Liverpool Sound City
Making her judging debut at this year’s awards, broadcaster Ngunan Adamu said:
“Judging such a high standard of entries was far more challenging than I expected, in the best possible way. I honestly thought I’d seen it all, but these awards are just scratching the surface of the talent and innovation in our creative sector.
I was genuinely inspired by the creativity, passion and real-world impact of these projects. The culture of the Liverpool City Region is truly special, and it was a real privilege to be part of the judging panel.”
In another first, the glittering awards ceremony will be held at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool in June – a fitting stage for a night of celebration, inspiration, and creative brilliance.
The 2026 event is sponsored by The ACC Liverpool Group, The Guide Liverpool, Hope Street Hotel, Trojan Lighting Solutions and Copeland Group Services.
To find out more about all the categories, go to: www.lcrcultureawards.co.uk
The Categories:
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.
The finalists are:
- PopVox Choir
- Shakespeare North Playhouse
- The Unity Theatre
- Alder Hey’s Arts for Health
- Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
- Liverpool Sound City
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 Liverpool City Region. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.
The finalists are:
- Abdullrhman Hassona
- Emmeline Porter
- Emma Case
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 Liverpool City Region. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.
The finalists are:
- Liverpool Philharmonic
- The Black-E
- The Unusual Art Sourcing Company
- DaDa – Disability and Deaf Arts
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.
The finalists are:
- Future Yard CIC
- The Black-E
- Hazlehurst Studios CIC
Community Cohesion Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on bringing communities together.
The finalists are:
- A Place for Us Theatre CIC
- Cafe Laziz
- Open Eye Gallery
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.
The finalists are:
- Amber Akaunu
- Claire Savage-Hocking
- Rheana Forrester
- Sean `ichbingen` Dagnall
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.
The finalists are:
- Studio/Lab at FACT
- ArtsGroupie CIC
- Liverpool Sound City
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.
The finalists are:
- Liam Marshall
- Matthew Lock ADHD Charity
- Robyn Roberts – SafeByChoice Ltd
- The GoodShip* AI Activator
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.
The finalists are:
- Conquer Life CIC
- Action! | Liverpool Film Office
- Creative Youth Development Team (Wirral) Peer Mentor Project
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.
The finalists are:
- Andrew Salim
- Carolanne Morrison – Princes Park Community Garden
- Cool Youth Group – Wirral
NEW: Excellence in Film & TV
This award celebrates excellence in the creation and development of film and television within the Liverpool City Region.
The finalists are:
- Screenlife Liverpool
- Unforgivable
- Lee Sandales
- Liverpool City Region Production Fund | Liverpool Film Office
Health & Wellbeing Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has in health and wellbeing.
The finalists are:
- Heart of Glass and Knowsley Council
- Dancing Queens, The Black Women’s Health Forum
- The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC
Improving Education & Learning Award
This award is to celebrate the impact of culture and creativity to achieve positive outcomes in education and learning.
The finalists are:
- Ariel Trust
- Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum
- Children’s University
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.
The finalists are:
- Carrick Moran
- Megan Plowman
- Trinity Brierley
International Reach Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on strengthening international relationships.
The finalists are:
- Liverpool Biennial
- Liverpool Philharmonic
- Liverpool Sound City
NEW: Live Event of the Year
This award celebrates an outstanding live event that has showcased creativity and culture within the Liverpool City Region.
The finalists are:
- Salt and Tar
- `A Celebration of Zoe’s Place` at M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
- Liverpool Sound City
Judges Inspiration Award – Outstanding Achievement
This award is to celebrate and recognise an individual’s outstanding creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region. This award will be decided by the judging panel.
The winner will be someone whose body of work merits recognition for outstanding achievement and who has made a significant creative impact on their area of activity or expertise and will be announced at the ceremony.
The Judging Panel
The LCR Culture and Creativity Awards Judging Panel was made up of:
- Chris Brown – Place, Tourism and Change Maker
- Dr Emma Roberts – Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Reader in History of Art and Design, Liverpool John Moores University
- Enda Carey – Sector Skills Champion, Studio School Liverpool
- Helen Cross – Digital & Creative Sector Lead, Liverpool City Region
- Jane Beardsworth – Senior Manager North, Arts Council England
- Kate Royse – Director, Hartree Centre
- Maleka Egeonu-Roby – Contracts and Performance Manager, Race Equality Hub
- Ngunan Adamu – Broadcaster, Presenter and Producer
- Rachel McLean – Director of the LJMU School of Art & Creative Industries and Chair of LCR Creative Industries Cluster Board
- Rob March – Founder of GigMate, and Investment & Internationalisation Officer – Digital and Creative LCRCA
- Sarah Vasey – Arts Development Manager. Culture Liverpool
- Jernice Easthope – TV Producer and Director 0483 Limited
- Jay Hynd – Founder and Managing Director of The Guide Liverpool.
About the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards.
Part of the Mayor Steve Rotheram’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.
Previous winners include the Africa Oyé Festival, Make CIC, Pagoda Arts and muralist Paul Curtis.
The judging panel shortlists the finalists for each category from the nominations received. For the People’s Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture, the public will vote for the 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.
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