Alistair Hardaker
The ‘Best Collection and Collecting Project’ will be judged by a panel including two first-time judges.
A new award has been announced for the Museums + Heritage Awards 2027 to champion work with collections.
A total of 18 awards will open for entry next month, newly organised and renamed into three distinct categories. Among them, an entirely new ‘Best Collections and Collecting Project’ award, part of the Professional Practice and Enterprise category. The newly announced award is presented in partnership with Collections Trust.
The M+H Awards have also introduced one global Digital Experience award, replacing the separate UK and international digital categories in previous years.
Entries for the 2027 awards will be judged by a panel which includes new additions Arike Oke and John Orna-Ornstein.
Oke leads the screen heritage and education missions of the British Film Institute, and the BFI National Archive as executive director of knowledge, learning and collections.
Orna-Ornstein is director of access and conservation and part of the executive team at the National Trust and a vice chair of the International National Trusts Organisation.
M+H Awards 2027 categories
Exhibition Awards
- UK Exhibition of the Year
- UK Exhibition of the Year – Temporary or Touring
- International Exhibition of the Year
People, Audiences and Communities
- Outstanding Volunteer Contribution
- Outstanding Achievement in Visitor Accessibility
- Outstanding Contribution to the Museums and Heritage Sector
- Museums + Heritage Team of the Year
- Best Visitor Experience
- Best Learning Programme
- Best Community Engagement Programme
Professional Practice and Enterprise
- Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability
- Best Digital Experience – Global
- Best Retail or Trading Initiative
- Marketing + Communications Campaign of the Year
- Partnership of the Year
- Best Collections and Collecting Project
- Best Restoration or Conservation Project
- Museums + Heritage Business of the Year
The M+H Awards, Sponsored by Altair Media, will be open for submissions from Monday 2 November 2026 until Friday 29 January 2027, with an early-bird rate available throughout November 2026.
Full category criteria, eligibility and entry information is available via the M+H Awards website.
