Sam Quek MBE to host Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards as public vote underway for outstanding contribution
|
The TV presenter and Olympic hockey gold medallist from Wirral will
host ceremony in June Public vote started for People's Choice Award
Six events and organisations shortlisted for their outstanding
contribution to culture and creativity 55 finalists across 17
categories from more than 500 nominations Four new categories for
2026 including Live Event of the Year and Excellence in Film and TV
Voting is underway for six...Request free trial
Voting is underway for six ‘outstanding' cultural organisations shortlisted for the coveted People's Choice title at this year's Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards. The awards will be held at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre in June where TV presenter and Olympic hockey gold medallist Sam Quek MBE will reveal the winners from 55 finalists across 17 categories. Sam, from Wirral, returns to the stage after previously presenting the Awards in St Helens in 2024. The People's Choice Award recognises outstanding contributions to culture over the last year and is decided by the public via an online poll. The nominees are:
Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said: “Every year, these awards shine a spotlight on the remarkable creativity, talent and community spirit that make our city region such an exciting place to live and work. “The People's Choice Award is especially meaningful because it gives people the opportunity to celebrate the organisations that have truly made a difference. This year's shortlist reflects the diversity, ambition and heart of our cultural sector – and I'm delighted to see such a fantastic range of nominees. I'd encourage everyone to get involved, cast their vote, and help us recognise the people and projects that continue to shape the Liverpool City Region's vibrant cultural landscape.” The LCR Culture and Creativity Awards has introduced four new categories this year including an Excellence in Film & TV award celebrating the huge growth of the industry in the City Region. Talent within the digital, gaming and creative media sectors is also recognised for the first time, while the moments that brought people together will be celebrated with a new Live Event of the Year award. Other categories honour the use of culture and creativity in areas such as innovation and community cohesion and celebrate the sector's contribution to education, health, business and the environment. Anyone can vote for the People's Choice Award, including for more than one candidate, but multiple votes for the same person or organisation cannot be sent from one email address. The vote closes on Tuesday 3 March 2026 at 5pm. The 2026 event is sponsored by The ACC Liverpool Group, The Guide Liverpool, Hope Street Hotel, Trojan Lighting Solutions and Copeland Group Services. To find out more about all the categories and to nominate, go to: www.lcrcultureawards.co.uk Notes to editors The Categories: People's Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture This award is to celebrate an outstanding contribution to culture and creativity, which has made a significant difference to the quality of life at either local, borough or City Region level. The finalists are: Alder Hey Arts for Health Alder Hey's Arts for Health programme supports over 11,000 children and young people in its care each year, through a range of creative patient led programmes. This includes: a wide ranging programme of participatory arts in the hospital, primarily at the bedside and but also in wider community; a programme of environmental arts to make the hospital more welcoming and child friendly; live performances and art events in the hospital; a staff arts wellbeing programme to support morale and burnout and a programme of research to explore the impact of creative arts on wellbeing and recovery. We partner with leading regional cultural organisations and practitioners to support newborn babies to young adults, improving the hospital experience and promoting positive wellbeing. Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Founded in 1998, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the UK's longest-running annual Arab arts and culture festival, platforming the best UK and international Arab artists. The festival creates a dynamic between traditional and contemporary Arab artforms, exploring and increasing appreciation of Arab people and their rich cultures. Every July, the festival brings a thrilling celebration of Arab culture to venues across the city with a curated programme of visual art, music, dance, film, theatre, literature and digital events. LAAF's work continues throughout the year, with a wide range of events and participatory projects. We regularly deliver arts and cultural projects within local communities, schools and colleges that stimulate curiosity and promote learning. We aim to harness that curious ability art has to allow one person, with one set of life experiences, to speak directly to the heart of another. Liverpool Sound City Since exploding on the UK festival scene in 2008, Sound City has established itself as Europe's leading independent music festival and conference, as well as being the UK's longest consecutively running new music showcase event. Uniquely placed in Liverpool, we uphold the city's global reputation as the centre of pop music. Fiercely independent with an unmistakably northern attitude, we programme the most exciting acts to encompass multiple genres and protected characteristics - if it's going to set the music world on fire, you'll find it at Sound City. Artists who made their UK festival debuts at Sound City include Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Florence and the Machine, Lizzo, Fontaines DC and Christine & the Queens. We are a champion for new talent, working towards a future where everybody benefits from the transformative power of new music. Either cramming into historic music spaces like The Jacaranda - the unique venue that gave birth to The Beatles - to unearth their new favourite band, or blowing the roof off the gloriously ornate cathedral of sound that is Grand Central Hall with our mainstage acts, our ‘Sound Citizens' join us each year so they can hold those all-important words over their mates: ‘I saw them first.' Pop Vox Choir PopVox Choir is a contemporary pop choir redefining what a modern vocal collective can be. Rooted in popular music, PopVox delivers high-energy performances featuring tight harmonies, dynamic arrangements, and a bold visual identity. The choir creates uplifting, emotionally engaging experiences that resonate with singers and audiences across the region. More than a performance group, PopVox is a platform for creativity, confidence, and community. Under strong artistic leadership, members develop their vocal skills while performing to a professional standard in an inclusive and accessible environment. PopVox released the charity single Believe (It's Christmas!), which reached number 1 on the iTunes Charts and number 5 on the Official Charts, demonstrating the choir's ability to achieve commercial success while making a meaningful social impact. PopVox Choir exemplifies how pop choirs can thrive in today's cultural landscape. Shakespeare North Playhouse Shakespeare North Playhouse brings people together through performances, activities, and conversations inspired by Shakespeare and relevant to all. It shares stories and creativity with people of all ages across Knowsley and the Liverpool City Region, offering a welcoming place to learn, take part, and connect. The Playhouse delivers a year-round programme of shows, workshops, and school and community projects working closely with families, young people, and the local community to create inclusive opportunities for everyone to get involved. Through partnerships, events, and open creative spaces, Shakespeare North Playhouse helps build confidence, skills, and pride in the area. By making culture accessible and meaningful, it plays an important role in strengthening communities, celebrating local talent, and helping the region grow socially, creatively, and economically, while welcoming new audiences and creating shared experiences that reflect the diversity of the region. The Unity Theatre Unity Theatre has always been - and will always be - about the people. This past year, the team has focused on bringing Unity back to life, and it's been incredible to see the building buzzing with creativity, connection, and community once again. Unity may be a small venue, but it has a big heart and an even bigger mission: to be a home for Collaboration, Community, and Creativity in the city. Everything it does is about giving space to bold ideas, championing underrepresented voices, and sharing high-quality creative experiences that inspire, challenge, and bring people together. In just the last year, it has supported hundreds of local artists creating new and daring work, welcomed acclaimed national touring productions, celebrated the city's vibrant festivals, expanded accessibility initiatives - including work with young people and Deaf/HoH artists - launched exciting new projects as part of the Year of Radical Re-imagining honouring Unity's radical heritage while uplifting the new voices shaping its future. The rest of this year's finalists are: Artist / Creative of the Year This award is to celebrate an individual whose work has stood out and contributed to the cultural and creative reputation of the Liverpool City Region. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding. The finalists are:
Arts Organisation of the Year This award is to celebrate an organisation whose work has stood out and contributed to the cultural and creative reputation of the Liverpool City Region. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding. The finalists are:
Business in the Arts Award This award is to celebrate businesses that make a significant contribution to economic growth within the arts, culture and creativity sector. The finalists are:
Community Cohesion Award This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on bringing communities together. The finalists are:
NEW: Creative / Media Individual of the Year This award recognises an individual working in the creative / media industries including film, television, digital, gaming, or music, who has made a significant impact over the past year. The finalists are:
NEW: Creative / Media Organisation of the Year This award celebrates a business or organisation in the creative / media industries including film, television, digital, gaming, or music, that has achieved outstanding success over the past year. The finalists are:
Creative Innovation Award This award is to celebrate game changing innovation, through the development of a new product or process in either the creative media industries – film, television, digital, gaming, music, or technology, business, healthcare or science by the application of creativity. This game changing innovation could develop and introduce new ideas and improved ways of doing things. The finalists are:
Developing Creative Skills Awards This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on developing creative, technical, transferable and life skills in preparing young people for the world of work in the arts and creative industries. The finalists are:
Environmental Award This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on the green agenda, including environmental sustainability and contribution to net zero targets. The finalists are:
NEW: Excellence in Film & TV This award celebrates excellence in the creation and development of film and television within the Liverpool City Region. The finalists are:
Health & Wellbeing Award This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has in health and wellbeing. The finalists are:
Improving Education & Learning Award This award is to celebrate the impact of culture and creativity to achieve positive outcomes in education and learning. The finalists are:
Inspirational Young Person Award This award is to celebrate the impact of a young person under the age of 25 who displays an innovative and inspiring approach to art, culture and/or creativity. The finalists are:
International Reach Award This award is to celebrate the impact culture and creativity has on strengthening international relationships. The finalists are:
NEW: Live Event of the Year This award celebrates an outstanding live event that has showcased creativity and culture within the Liverpool City Region. The finalists are:
Judges Inspiration Award - Outstanding Achievement This award is to celebrate and recognise an individual's outstanding creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region. This award will be decided by the judging panel. The winner will be someone whose body of work merits recognition for outstanding achievement and who has made a significant creative impact on their area of activity or expertise and will be announced at the ceremony. The Judging Panel The LCR Culture and Creativity Awards Judging Panel was made up of:
About the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards. Part of the Mayor Steve Rotheram's Percent for Culture initiative, these awards recognise the value and huge contribution that the cultural and creative sector bring to the Liverpool City Region, reinforcing it as one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live, work, visit, study or do business. Previous winners include the Africa Oyé Festival, Make CIC, Pagoda Arts and muralist Paul Curtis. The judging panel shortlists the finalists for each category from the nominations received. For the People's Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture, the public will vote for the winner. Nominees must live, study and/or work in the Liverpool City Region (e.g. Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) or have created work/projects that significantly benefit the residents or visitors to the Liverpool City Region and/or has positively contributed to the development of the local economy. |