The finalists in the 2025 Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards are revealed today – with some of the sector’s biggest names shortlisted.
An independent judging panel whittled down more than 600 nominations to a shortlist of 54 finalists across 15 categories, that celebrate the individuals and organisations helping drive the city region’s thriving cultural and creative sector.
Finalists from Sefton include Stand Up For Southport Founder Andrew Brown, in the Business in the Arts Award category; and Karen Yates – Salt and Tar in the People’s Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture.
Categories range from Inspirational Young Person to Outstanding Achievement and recognise the sector’s contribution to education, health, business, innovation, community cohesion and the environment.
The winners will be revealed at a glittering ceremony hosted by BBC Radio Merseyside’s Billy Hui BEM DL in March at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion, Wirral, this year’s Borough of Culture.
Now in their sixth year and made possible through the Mayor’s ongoing commitment into cultural activities across the Liverpool City Region, the annual awards are returning to the Wirral, which hosted the first ceremony in 2019.
Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade said:
“The standard of entries this year was staggering, in fact our nominees raise the bar every year with projects that have a massive impact on our communities so it’s no mean feat for the judges to decide the finalists in this prestigious event.
“Our cultural economy is a key part of the Liverpool City Region’s offer and support for this area is crucial, not only right now, but as part of shaping the next generation of talent to take it forward in the future.”
Awards host Billy Hui is a musician and presenter who has been involved in radio for more than 30 years, he is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside and Founder and Musical Director of the multi-award winning SingMe Merseyside Choir.
He said:
“I’m honoured to be part of the Culture and Creativity Awards this year. Culture and the arts make up a big part of my life. The industry has taken me all over the world and I’m delighted to be supporting our own home-grown Liverpool City Region talent at this year’s event.
“I’m looking forward to celebrating with all the finalists who have done a fantastic job to make it this far. Congratulations to you all.”
The 11-strong judging panel included CultureDeck Channel Manager Ayo Omojuwa, Hartree Centre Director Kate Royse, and Victoria Merriman, from Arts Council England.
But one accolade won’t be 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 in the New Year and the finalists are:
- DaDa – Disability and Deaf Arts.
- Karen Yates – Salt and Tar
- Shakespeare North Playhouse
- The Bluecoat
- The Flower Streets Mural Project
- Writing on the Wall
Ayo Omojuwa, Channel Manager of CultureDeck, which is a collaborative media platform for emerging artists and creative talent in the city region, was on the judging panel. She said:
“It was such a difficult process when you have the vast amount of talent that exists in the city region. It’s also not just about art and performance, but technology and innovation and how they are used creatively so it was no easy task choosing the finalists!
“I am very much looking forward to seeing the People’s Choice vote open in the New Year as I feel it’s really important to have the public involved in who they feel is their culture champion this year.”
The 2025 event is sponsored by Liverpool One, The ACC Liverpool Group, The Guide, The University of Liverpool.
For more details visit 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. Voting will open in January.
The Finalists:
- DaDa – Disability and Deaf Arts.
- Karen Yates – Salt and Tar
- Shakespeare North Playhouse
- The Bluecoat
- The Flower Streets Mural Project
- Writing on the Wall
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.
The Finalists:
- Adam Thompson
- Anoosh AriaMehr
- John McHugh
- Tess Gilmartin
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.
The Finalists:
- Convenience Gallery CIC
- Liverpool Sound City
- Make CIC
- Open Eye Gallery
Borough of Culture ‘Star of the Year’
This award is to celebrate a shining star from the Liverpool City Region’s 2024 Borough of Culture, Wirral.
The Finalists:
- Andrew Shaw and Ryan Gauge – Convenience Gallery CIC
- Beci Hughes
- Kemal Houghton
- New Brighton Arts Festival
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:
- Andrew Brown, Stand Up For Southport
- Focal Studios
- One Fell Swoop
Community Cohesion Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on bringing communities together.
The Finalists:
- At the Library
- Cafe Laziz
- The Flower Streets Mural Project
- Tiber Young Producers Project – ‘The Threads that Bind Us’
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:
- The Builder Book Planet Pack Project
- Future Yard CIC
- Green Bibliofest – Kirsten Hume
- Open Eye Gallery
Health & Wellbeing Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has in health and wellbeing.
The Finalists:
- Alder Hey – Arts for Health Programme
- Heart of Glass – The Suicide Chronicles
- Liverpool Philharmonic Music and Health Programme
- Ascent Autism Specialist College
- Wellbeing Enterprises CIC: We Connect Social Prescribing
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:
- Enterprise Education in Secondary Schools programme (Richard Leighton)
- Green Bibliofest – Kirsten Hume
- Liverpool Sound City
- Strawberry Field
- The Builder Book Planet Pack Project
Innovation Award
This award is to celebrate game changing innovation, through the development of a new product or process in technology, business, healthcare, science and/or manufacturing.
The Finalists:
- Butters Innovation Limited
- Merseyside Expanding Horizons
- Wellbeing Enterprises CIC: Complete Care Community Project
Innovator of the Year Award
This award is to celebrate an individual, organisation or partnership whose application of creativity has been game changing, demonstrating innovation in the fields of technology, business, healthcare, science and/or manufacturing in order to develop and introduce new ideas and improved ways of doing things.
The Finalists:
- Carl Grainger
- Denise Jones
- Omar Khaled
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:
- Jake Glennon
- Khalil Aydemir
International Reach Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on strengthening international relationships.
The Finalists:
- DaDa – Disability and Deaf Arts.
- Francisco Carrasco, Luma Creations
- Liverpool Sound City
- The Anfield Wrap
Preparing for Work Award
This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on developing technical, transferable and life skills in preparing young people for the world of work.
The Finalists:
- AJP Ltd, SpringPod & The University of Liverpool
- Ascent Autism Specialist College
- Care Leavers into Careers (CLIC)
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:
- Ayo Omojuwa – Social Media Strategist and Channel Manager, Culture Deck
- 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
- Helen Cross – Digital & Creative Sector Lead, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA)
- Howard Lewis – General Manager, Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village
- Irene Afful – Founder & Director, Ametrine Coaching & Consultancy; Non-Executive Director, The Walton Centre NHS Trust
- Joanne Burrell – Senior Manager Regeneration: Projects and Engagement, Wirral Borough Council
- Kate Royse – Director, Hartree Centre
- Maleka Egeonu-Roby – Contracts and Performance Manager, Race Equality Hub, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA).
- Sarah Vasey – Arts Development Manager, Culture Liverpool
- Victoria Merriman – Relationship Manager, Arts Council England
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.
Previous winners include Future Yard CIC, community organisation Granby Street Market, muralist Paul Curtis, and the Africa Oyé Festival.
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 will then be 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.
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