European Museum Academy Announces Six Finalists of the Art Museum Award
The Jury has announced the shortlist for the Art Museum Award 2026.
This year’s competition for the European Museum Academy’s Art Museum Award was of an incredibly high standard. For an award which places the social role of art museums at its centre, and seeks especially innovative practices and new ideas, the nine-person jury, comprising museum professionals from across Europe, faced a difficult choice in identifying only six of the exceptional candidates as finalists.
The finalists for the Art Museum Award 2026 are:
(in alphabetical order)
- EMST – National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens, Greece
- FENIX Museum of Migration, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Hastings Contemporary, UK
- Museum Gugging, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- National Gallery of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Samuel Gallacher, Chair of the Art Museum Award Jury, said:
“As a jury, each year we look for art museums that do not just impress us superficially but demonstrate authentic and sustained engagement with their audiences. The power of art to profoundly change lives, and to help tangibly improve society, has been well demonstrated on many occasions in this competition by museums across Europe.
Regardless of whether their collections comprise Old Masters, Modernists or young emerging artists, curatorial practice across all six of our finalist museums demonstrates excellence and relevance in engaging with the issues facing society today, which we are proud to recognise and champion through the Art Museum Award.”
AMA is incredibly grateful to the A. G. Leventis Foundation for their vital financial support.
All six finalists will present at the European Museum Academy Awards, hosted by the MARQ Archaeological Museum of the Province of Alicante from 24 to 26 September in Alicante, Spain. Click here to register and check out the programme.
The winner of the Art Museum Award 2026 will be announced at the Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony on 26th September 2026.
Read more by clicking the document link below!