Hearts for the Arts Awards

Hearts for the Arts recognises and celebrates exceptional local government support for the arts.

Some local authorities and cultural trusts really understand the importance of the arts to the wellbeing of local communities and the value that cultural investment brings.

Hearts for the Arts says thank you to the councils, councillors and council officers supporting the arts and recognises these unsung heroes.

FAQs

About Hearts for the Arts

Hearts for the Arts began in October 2016. It is now in its seventh year.

Hearts for the Arts is an initiative created and delivered by Campaign for the Arts. The 2022 Hearts For The Arts Awards was delivered in partnership with Community Leisure UK, CreativeLives, the Local Government Association, Thrive, UK Theatre and Wales Council for Voluntary Action.

The costs associated with the awards are covered by the Campaign for the Arts, which is a registered charity funded by donations from the public. Support-in-kind is provided by our partner organisations.

There are three award categories:

  1. Best Arts Champion – Councillor
  2. Best Arts Champion – Local Authority or Cultural Trust Worker
  3. Best Arts Project

The awards cover projects and creative services and councillors, officers, and workers throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The dates for the 2023 awards will be announced here soon.

Nominations

Leadership is critically important to keep the arts at the heart of communities. This award is for those who advocate for, support and engage with the arts in their role as an elected Councillor.

An individual whose work influences and encourages arts activities within their council area. The work you are nominating them for must have been undertaken as a direct part of their employment with a county, district, borough, city council or cultural trust (including cultural trustsdelivering on behalf of their local authority). The individual must have worked for the county, district, borough, city council or cultural trust within the last 12 months.

A Mayor is eligible for nomination in the Best Local Authority Arts Champion – Councillor category.

This award is for Local Authority and Cultural Trust workers who work passionately and tirelessly on arts projects and programmes in their communities during this time. This category is not limited to those working in arts and heritage departments; for example they could work in planning or social care.

An individual whose work influences and encourages arts activities within their council area. The work you are nominating them for must have been undertaken as a direct part of their employment with a county, district, borough, city council or cultural trust (including cultural trusts delivering on behalf of their local authority). The individual must have worked for the county, district, borough, city council or cultural trust within the last 12 months.

An initiative, project or creative service that has been delivered by a county, district, borough, city council or cultural trust. The initiative or project must have taken place between 21st November 2020 and 20thNovember 2021.

This category recognises the projects and creative services that have been delivered against- all-oddsthis year and that have created connection at a time when we have all been forced to be disconnected. We welcome a wide range of nominations from creative activity that has brought communities together, to civic uses of local cultural buildings and arts organisations.

Anyone can make a nomination.

For example, you could be a member of the public who has seen or been part of a great local authority project; an employee of a local authority running an initiative; or a colleague of someone you think deserves an award.

Nominations for the 2023 awards will open soon. Please join the campaign to receive more information.

There is no limit to the number of nominations you can make. Please make sure you submit a separate nomination form for each one.

Judging the awards

Trustees from Campaign for the Arts and members of our partner organisations will create a shortlist of nominees from all the nominations that we receive. Our panel of judges will then consider the merits of each shortlisted nominee and will score each entry based upon the criteria set out in the nomination form, determining the winner for each category.

The judges for our 2023 awards will be announced soon.

The winners

The 2022 awards were presented by Samuel West, actor and Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts, in collaboration with the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Conference. Winners were invited to attend the conference, which is the largest annual gathering of councillors and officers involved with culture, tourism and sport.

You can read all about last year’s winners here.

Further support / contact information

You can really help us by getting the message about the awards out there. We want lots of nominations from all UK nations, and following the shortlist and winners’ announcements, we want to make a big song and dance about the fantastic work they do. Make sure you follow us on social media and use the hashtag #HeartsForTheArts to share their good news.

You can also support the awards and the campaigning work of Campaign for the Arts by joining us, making a donation or getting in touch with us on hello@campaignforthearts.org if you want to help in any other way.

If you have any questions or need further information about the Hearts for the Arts awards, please email hello@campaignforthearts.org.

For further information about the work of the Campaign for the Arts, please email hello@campaignforthearts.org.

We use the hashtag #HeartsfortheArts. You can follow us on:

Join us here for occasional updates on the Hearts for the Arts Awards and Campaign for the Arts.