LCR Culture and Creativity Award winners to be revealed online

The Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards are set to be announced in an online ceremony tonight.

The awards have been organised to celebrate and recognise the outstanding role that culture and creativity contributes to the region.

They were created as part of the Metro Mayor’s Percent for Culture initiative to recognise the value and power for change that the arts, cultural and creative sector can bring in reinforcing the city region as one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live, work, study, visit or do business.

Despite the challenges of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, more than 700 nominations were received for the 2020 awards with the winners being revealed at a virtual awards event hosted by actress Eithne Browne.

A judging panel led by Phil Redmond and Maggie O’Carroll, chairs of the Cultural Partnership, whittled down the 700 nominations to 45 finalists in 14 categories including Artist of the Year, Arts Organisation of the Year and Borough of Culture Star of the Year.

Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards 2020. Top: Liverpool Theatre Festival. Photo by David Munn

Meanwhile there are six finalists for the People’s Choice Award for Outstanding Contribution to Culture which was voted on by the public.

They are: BlackFest, Gaynor La Rocca – artistic director of Prescot-based Imaginarium Theatre, Milap, The Atkinson in Southport, Bill Elms and the Liverpool Theatre Festival, and Writing on the Wall.

Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram says: “Our City Region’s amazing creative talent is in our DNA, so it’s right that it’s being recognised with this really strong and diverse list of finalists from a high number of nominations. Congratulations to all the finalists.

“2020 has been incredibly tough year for the Culture and the creative arts and while we’ve been able to support some sectors, they need more support to sustain them to be a key part of the economic recovery. The quality of the field this year has been really high, and I wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

The awards ceremony is tonight from 7pm. To watch it book a place online HERE