Fourteen previous winners of Museum of the Year (previously the Art Fund Prize and Gulbenkin Prize) have been National Lottery-funded. They include the Scottish National Gallery which won in 2004, the British Museum in 2011 and last year’s winner, the V&A Museum. 

This year’s winner of the £100,000 prize will be announced at a ceremony at the V&A on 5 July.  You can follow events as they unfold via #museumoftheyear. Find out more about Museum of the Year 2017.

Small museum, big impact 

However what we are particularly proud of is the smaller, local museums that have taken the top prize, having been transformed into world-class collections thanks to National Lottery players. In 2014, the William Morris Gallery secured the award following a major restoration project, as did Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, in 2007

It’s fantastic to see that National Lottery funding still continues to have an impact on smaller, lesser-known museums. This year’s surprise entry is the Lapworth Museum of Geology in Birmingham, which is going up against the likes of the Tate Modern and National Centre for Horse Racing.

2017 National Lottery-funded finalists

The Lapworth Museum of Geology, Birmingham

The Lapworth reopened in June 2016 following a £2.7million redevelopment and expansion that has allowed it to better show off its collection of more than 250,000 specimens.

National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art, Newmarket  

Opened by the Queen in November, the museum undertook major redevelopment funded by the National Lottery. The project also opened up a working stable yard and paddock to engage with wider audiences through the work of the Retraining of Racehorses Trust.

Sir John Soane’s Museum, London

The museum has completed a £7m restoration, funded in part by the National Lottery, intended to open up 'lost' areas and return the building to its original condition. It also created 33% more space and put 10% more objects on display.

Hepworth Wakefield

The gallery celebrated its fifth birthday last year and saw a 21% rise in visitors. It launched a major new award for British sculpture and staged exhibitions by Martin Parr, Stanley Spencer and Anthea Hamilton.