Manchester Culture Awards 2023: All the winners as city’s arts sector is celebrated at heart-warming ceremony

The region’s arts community was out in force for the sixth annual Manchester Culture Awards on Monday, celebrating the best cultural achievements, events, groups and leaders this city has to offer. 

Hosted by BBC North West’s Anabel Tiffin, with help of some up-and-coming community leaders, the glamorous awards ceremony took place in Manchester’s newest arts venue, Aviva Studios, and was attended by around 450 guests and nominees. Among those nominees were some of the city’s flagship cultural institutions, like the Halle orchestra and Manchester Museum, as well as the community grassroots projects. 

Prizes were handed out in a range of categories, such as best event, best exhibition and best performance, as well as individual prizes, such as young creative of the year. 

There were also special recognition prizes for long-serving leaders in Manchester’s cultural sector, including John Summer OBE, who served as the chief executive of the Halle orchestra for the 20 years, and his colleague Sir Mark Elder, who is retiring at the end of the year from his position as musical director of the orchestra.

One of the loudest rounds of applause of the evening went to another special recognition winner, SuAndi, who spoke passionately and sincerely about her pioneering work in the promotion of black arts and artists. The OBE winner humorously dedicated her award to every “other bugger’s efforts” and all the people who work within the sector behind the scenes and often without recognition. 

Other notable winners include the celebrated cellist Abel Seleacoe, who went home with the prize for independent creative of the year, and Manchester Museum’s South Asia Gallery, which won exhibition of the year.  

Nominations for the prize are made by members of the public and the finalists and winners are decided by a group of judges, including previous winners and leading figures in the Manchester arts scene. 

This year has been a trailblazing year for Manchester’s arts community, with the opening of the state-of-the-art venue Aviva Studios, the new home of Manchester International Festival, the long-awaited reopening of Manchester Museum and the city’s successful bid to host the world’s largest music conference WOMEX 2024 – all of which were recognised at the event. 

Manchester Culture Awards 2023 - full list of winners

• Best Business Partnership: The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting

• Best Event: Black Gold Arts x Whitworth Takeover

• Best Exhibition: South Asia Gallery, Manchester Museum

• Best Performance: Grandad Anansi, Z-arts

• Independent Creative of the Year: Abel Selaocoe

• Promotion of Culture and Education: Pushing Boundaries, Community Arts North West and Curious Minds

• Promotion of Environmental Sustainability: The History of Climate Change, Manchester Histories Festival 2022  

• Promotion of Equality and Social Justice: Stanley Grove Primary Academy

• Promotion of Health and Wellbeing: Joint winners: Create+, Lime Arts and String of Hearts

• Promotion of Talent and Leadership: Factory Sounds, Factory International

• Made in Manchester: Cold Chips and Pick N Mix by Sonia Jalay, Royal Exchange Theatre

• Young Creative of the Year: Sally Hirst

• The Manchester People's Culture Award: Qaisra Shahraz MBE