The Box Plymouth has been named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026.
The cultural venue, which houses a museum, art gallery and archive, was announced as the winner of the £120,000 prize at a ceremony last night at Royal Museums Greenwich’s Cutty Sark in south London.
Fans and parasols were handed out at the event to help attendees cope with the sweltering temperatures, but the heatwave did nothing to dampen the excitement in the room as the winner’s name was called out.
Taking to the stage to accept the award, The Box’s CEO Victoria Pomery paid tribute to the four other finalists: Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, and London’s V&A East Storehouse and National Gallery. Each of the shortlisted venues will receive £20,000.
“They are an incredible group of museums,” she said. “It’s been great to be part of this shortlist.”
“If you haven’t been to The Box in Plymouth, then please do come and visit,” she added. “We’ve achieved so much in a short space of time.”
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The venue, which opened in 2020 after a £48m capital investment, impressed the judging panel with its “ambitious and welcoming approach”, alongside its “impactful community work and a deep commitment to access for all”.
The museum was commended for being “rooted in Plymouth’s histories” and “amplifying the voices of communities whose histories have been forgotten”. Its partnership work with national institutions to bring world-class programming to the south-west was also recognised.
A Social and Economic Impact Report published last year for the venue’s fifth anniversary outlined its effect on local communities, including more than £100m in health and wellbeing benefits and a £244m boost to Plymouth’s economy.
Broadcaster, writer and campaigner June Sarpong, who hosted the ceremony and was one of this year’s judges, said: “What stood out so strongly with The Box was the sense of pride and connection it has created across Plymouth.
“From local groups such as the Windrush community to its partnerships with the university, it is a museum that genuinely belongs to the people it serves.”
At the ceremony, Sarpong commended this year’s finalists and the UK culture scene. “We’re often slated for our weather – which is usually the rain but today it’s the sun – but the one thing that we are celebrated for is our culture,” she said.
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“No one does it like us, and when we look at the five finalists that are shortlisted, I think they are all great examples of that.”
The minister for museums and heritage, baroness Fiona Twycross, said: “All of the finalists are outstanding examples of what museums can achieve when they are bold, innovative and deeply connected to the people they serve.
“The Box has become central to Plymouth's cultural life, inspiring the next generation by connecting with schools and communities across the region. This prize celebrates the very best of our nation's museums and I encourage everyone to visit one and experience that for themselves.”
Last night’s ceremony also saw Rhiannon Hiles, the chief executive of the 2025 Museum of the Year, Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, reflect on the impact of winning the award.
“It's been the most amazing year for the north-east, for Beamish, for our people,” she said. “Winning the prize was absolutely amazing. It really put Beamish on the map.”
Paddy Rogers, the CEO of Royal Museums Greenwich, gave a speech praising museums for helping people regain a sense of “personal narrative” that he said gets lost in modern society.
“When you look around this evening, we are looking at the wonderful business of the museum making meaning in people's lives, giving them narrative, giving them reflection, giving them the ability to find themselves,” he said. “So thank you all very much for the work that you do.”
The 2026 judging panel comprised Sarpong; Tony Butler, the executive director of Derby Museums; historian, author and broadcaster Alice Loxton; and Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, who chaired the panel.