Committed to sustainability, democracy and human rights Supporting innovation and excellence in European museums


The Awards

The two main awards, the EMYA and the Council of Europe Museum Prize, have been awarded continuously since 1977. The EMYA award scheme responds to long term societal changes as well as current urgent social issues, and reflects the challenges, obligations and opportunities which museums face in the 21st century.

An average of around 45 museums apply each year, from across the 46 CoE member countries, with winners distributed across museums of all types, scales, disciplines and locations.

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The Winners

Museum candidates are either new museums, first opened to the public within the past three years, or established museums that have renewed their organization and completed a substantial programme of modernization and extension of their buildings and galleries.

Over the years the EMYA scheme has developed into a series of different awards, each with their own specific profile. Discover them all.

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Kenneth Hudson

About us

The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) was founded in 1977 under the auspices of the Council of Europe, with the aim of recognising excellence in the European museum scene. EMYA was founded in 1977 on the principles of supporting, encouraging, awarding and showcasing excellence and innovation in the museum field, particularly in the areas conceptualised by Kenneth Hudson as ‘public quality’.

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Hosting EMYA

Every year, the EMYA Annual Conference & Awards Ceremony brings together members of the European museum community, including former candidates, EMF trustees and judges, partners, and friends, in addition to the EMYA candidates.

If you are interested in hosting EMYA, here is what you need to know.

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Manchester Museum - The European Museum of the Year 2025

"Incredibly humbled and absolutely over the moon to have won this year's European Museum of the Year Award. It fills us with hope when we look at the work being done by museums across Europe to build community and address the biggest challenges our society faces.

This one is for every single one of you who make Manchester Museum what it is - from our wonderful visitors, incredible communities and passionate partners to our amazing staff and volunteers. YOU deserve this!"

Manchester Museum

Our stories

Euskararen Etxea - The Council of Europe Museum Prize Winner 2025

"Linguistic diversity is one of the main characteristics of both Basque and European societies. All the languages in the world are equally valid and equally beautiful, without distinction.

We want to thank the Committee for Culture (CoE) and the EMF for acknowledging our message of hope for the future of our language and for giving us the opportunity to reach out to more people and to go further afield.

This award truly means a strong boost for Euskararen Etxea."

Euskararen Etxea

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Nini Sanadiradze - Kenneth Hudson Award for Institutional Courage and Professional Integrity 2025

"This recognition belongs not only to me, but to all museum professionals who refuse to compromise their values, and to the international museum community whose solidarity was felt during moments of deepest challenge.

I accept this recognition not only as a celebration, but as a commitment — a responsibility to carry this legacy forward with integrity, and to continue defending the idea that cultural institutions must stand firmly on the side of truth, human rights, and democracy — even when the echo is silence."

Nini Sanadiradze

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Istanbul Modern - The Portimão Museum Prize for Welcoming, Inclusion, and Belonging 2025

"This prize follows the Special Commendation we received in 2009 and marks a meaningful acknowledgment of our long-standing commitment and continuous progress. It encourages us to keep expanding our efforts, deepening our connections with the community, empowering individuals, and fostering dialogue through art.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our visitors, artists, members, and supporters for contributing to the museum’s mission to be an inclusive, accessible, and inspiring institution of arts and culture for everyone."

Istanbul Modern

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Our stories

Maria Callas Museum, Special Commendation, EMYA2025

"We are truly proud and honoured to have received this recognition!

It belongs to everyone who has worked and continues to work tirelessly for the museum. Their passion, dedication, and effort are what make this place special.

Kudos as well to all museums that, despite the challenges, continue to strive, succeed, and keep their stories relevant and alive! Thank you!"

Maria Callas Museum Team

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Arnhem Museum, Special Commendation, EMYA2025

"We are incredibly honoured to receive this Special Commendation. The fact that our museum, rooted in Arnhem and connected to the world, has been granted such a distinction means a great deal to us. Especially in light of the achievements of the other nominated museums and the Manchester Museum, this year’s EMYA winner.

We feel encouraged in our belief that a museum should be more than just a building housing art: it should be a place where different perspectives meet, and where there is space for reflection, connection, and change. Receiving this recognition affirms to us that we, as a museum, are on the right path."

Saskia Bak, Director, Arnhem Museum

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Our stories

Friedrich von Bose, EMYA Judge, Germany

To be a judge involves the great opportunity and privilege to get to know many colleagues from a broad range of museums across Europe.

It means learning about the outstanding work they do, how they interpret their museums’ role in society and what strategies they employ to be meaningful places for their respective communities.

M. Cristina Vannini, National Correspondent, Italy

I have been part of the big EMF/EMYA family since 2004, having held most of the roles, with a deeper understanding of the meaning of this organisation than I had at the beginning of my involvement.

The vision of EMF has changed over all these years, shaping upon the ideas of different Presidents and Boards, but the stated mission of founder Kenneth Hudson is still here to remind us of the central significance of public quality and innovation in the museum field.

Hans Looijen, EMF Trustee, France

The way we navigate through life, pose questions, and deal with challenges—whether they concern our contested identities, diversity, human rights, sustainability, emancipation, or democracy—are all values that collide and find expression in museums, as entities and mediums that have evolved to serve as much more than just sources of inspiration and keepers of our memory.