Awards and winners In 1973 National Heritage introduced the first annual awards for museums and galleries based in the UK. The top prize of £2000 and the trophy,Moon Head, by Henry Moore was awarded to a museum that the judges considered, within the limits of its budget, to have shown most enterprise in making general improvements both within the museum and in amenities for visitors. Sir Hugh Casson, President of the Royal Academy, was chairman of the judges for many years. The scheme ran for nearly three decades, and was succeeded in 2003 by the Gulbenkian Museum Prize, now sponsored by the Art Fund, and is the largest arts award in the UK. The Museum of the Year Award undoubtedly helped stimulate the dramatic improvements that took place in museum and gallery presentation in the last quarter of the 20th century. It also inspired the launching of many new museums and galleries; in 2017 English Heritage calculated that heritage tourism generated £16.4 billion in spending by domestic and international visitors. National Heritage Museum of the Year (1973-2000) Gulbenkian Prize (2003-2007) Art Fund Museum of the Year 1973 1988 (2013-2018) Abbott Hall Museum of Lakeland Life and National Museum of Photography, Film Industry, Kendal and Television, Bradford - now the National 2003 2013 Science and Media Museum National Centre for Citizenship, Galleries William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, 1974 of Justice, Nottingham London The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu 1989 2014 National Portrait Gallery at Bodelwyddan 2004 Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield 1975 Castle The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Edinburgh Singleton 2015 1990 Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Imperial War Museum, London and 2005 1976 Museum of Science & Industry, Big Pit National Coal Museum, The Gladstone Pottery Museum, 2016 Manchester Blaenavon, Torfaen Stoke-0n-Trent Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1991 2006 1977 2017 The National Railway Museum, York SS Great Britain, Bristol The Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Telford The Hepworth Wakefield 2007 1992 2018 1978 Manx National Museum Pallant House Gallery, Chichester Erddig Hall, Wrexham and The Museum Tate, St Ives, Cornwall of London 1993 Jersey Museum and Art Gallery, Jersey 1979 Art Fund Prize (2008-2012) Maritime Museum Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery 2008 The Lightbox, Woking 1980 1994 Natural History Museum, London The Tower Museum, Derry 2009 Wedgwood Museum, Stoke-on-Trent 1981 1995 The Hunday Farm Museum, Stocksfield 2010 Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton le Hole Ulster Museum, Belfast 1982 The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, 1996 2011 Stoke-on-Trent Buckinghamshire County Museum, A History of the World in 100 Objects, Aylesbury and National Trust exhibition at British Museum, London 1983 Uppark, Near Petersfield The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum 2012 1997 Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter 1984 Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury Quarry Bank Mill, Styal 1998 1985 House of Manannan: Manx National The Burrell Collection, Glasgow Heritage, and Jersey Maritime Museum 1986 1999 Beamish, The North of England Open Air The River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on- Photos: Top to bottom: National Motor Museum, Museum Thames Beaulieu; Beamish - The Living Museum of the Photos: Top to bottom: Daffodil printed cotton North, County Durham; Great Laxey Wheel, Manx designed by John Henry Dearle (1860 - 1932) 1987 2000 Heritage Museum; The River and Rowing Museum, c.1891, William Morris & Co; The Hepworth Manchester Museum The British Museum, London Henley-on-Thames. Above: Wedgwood Museum, Stoke-on-Trent Wakefield.

Images courtesy: National Motor Museum, Beaulieu; Beamish, The Living Museum of the North; 123RF/Jan Treger ; The River and Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames; © Wedgwood Museum/ WWRD; © William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest; The Hepworth, Wakefield © Iwan Baan