Manchester Museum in North West England has been recognised as one of Europe’s leading museums after winning the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2025.

Manchester Museum

The annual prize is one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world and Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, is the first university museum to receive it, earning recognition for the way it balances globally-significant academic research with community engagement and social responsibility.

Judges praised how Manchester Museum has ‘reimagined its mission, acknowledging and addressing its complex history by redefining the role of its collections and public programmes.’

Its approach to co-curation was cited as part of this, working with local and diasporic communities to bring new perspectives to collections and challenge traditional narratives. The South Asia Gallery, a British Museum partnership, is a key element of this, co-curated with 30 inspiring community members from across the South Asian diaspora, who were able to tell their own stories in their own words and on their own terms.

Visitors in The Vivarium at the museum

Manchester Museum was also praised for ‘thoughtful, informed, and impactful community engagement, creating a truly inclusive space where all individuals, regardless of identity or background, can see themselves reflected and represented.’

The Manchester Museum Celebrates programme of events, created in collaboration with charities, faith organisations and community activists, aims to build understanding between cultures, bringing people together to celebrate culturally-significant events.

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum is one of the UK's largest university museums. It underwent a £15 million transformation project that concluded in February 2023, making it more inclusive, imaginative and caring to the diverse communities it serves. Its collections span natural science and human cultures, while its galleries range from the UK’s first permanent gallery dedicated to the experiences and histories of South Asian diaspora communities to the live amphibians and lizards housed in the Vivarium.

Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “Museums have the power to be empathy machines, bringing generations and communities together to build understanding, while confronting the past with honesty and transparency. More than ever before, we need museums that are values-led, imaginative and confident about what they stand for."

Visitor looks in a microscope in the Dinosaur Gallery

Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field. It aims to recognise museums that promote inter-cultural dialogue and community participation, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and show creative and imaginative approaches to the production of knowledge.

Previous winners include Sámi Museum Siida in Northern Lapland, Finland; Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands; Rijksmuseum Amsterdam; The Design Museum in London, and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Manchester Museum won the main prize in the face of competition from 41 other shortlisted museums from across the continent. The award was presented during the EMYA2025 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in May at the Sybir Memorial Museum in Bialistok, Poland. 

Visitor looks in a case in the South Asian Gallery

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, added: “It’s great news that Manchester Museum has won this prestigious European prize, and it is certainly worth a visit on a trip to Manchester.

“The United Kingdom has dozens of world-class museums and we would urge people to visit at least one or two on a trip to this country.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a visit to Manchester Museum on a tailor-made tour of North West England, please do contact our friendly team today.