Nominations for the 6th annual Hearts for the Arts Awards, celebrating local authority and cultural trust arts champions and creative community projects will close on November 26th

Members of the public, arts professionals, local authorities and cultural trusts can visit the Hearts for the Arts Awards webpage to put nominations forward in three categories:

• Best Arts Champion – Councillor

• Best Arts Champion – Local Authority or Cultural Trust Worker

• Best Arts project

The awards are also open to cultural trusts working on behalf of local authorities. The National Campaign for the Arts is keen to recognise those who have used trust status to enhance arts provision and benefit local people. Therefore, the Best Arts Champion categories allow nominations for any local authority or cultural trust worker.

The shortlist will be announced Friday 14 January 2022, and the final winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day and the presentation of the awards will be in collaboration with the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Conference and will be taking place in March 2022

The winners will be chosen by a judging panel of leading arts figures alongside actor and director and NCA Trustee, Samuel West. Last year’s judges included Adrian Lester CBE, Paul Hartnoll, Mariella Frostrup, Le Gateau Chocolat, Francesca Martinez, Helen Czerski and Petra Roberts from Hackney Council, who were 2020 award winners for their Windrush Generations festival. This year’s judges will be announced in January. So keep your eyes peeled for the announcement!

Hearts for the Arts is an awards initiative which recognises and celebrates exceptional local government support for the arts.