Turner Contemporary Highly Commended at 2026 Museums + Heritage Awards

Turner Contemporary is proud to announce that its learning programme, An Apple a Day, has been named Highly Commended in the Learning Programme of the Year category at the 2026 Museums + Heritage Awards. 

The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 13 May 2026 at the London Hilton on Park Lane and celebrated excellence across the global museums, galleries, and heritage sector. 

Recognised as one of the sector’s leading awards, the Museums + Heritage Awards honour organisations delivering outstanding innovation, engagement, and impact. This year’s awards highlighted the importance of community, inclusion, and creativity across cultural organisations in the UK and internationally. 

An Apple a Day was developed to support Anya Gallaccio’s exhibition preserve, creating meaningful opportunities for schools, families, young people, and communities to connect with the themes, ideas, and sensory experience of the exhibition through creative learning activity. 

The programme was recognised for its impactful and imaginative approach to learning and engagement, reflecting Turner Contemporary’s ongoing commitment to making art accessible, inspiring curiosity, and creating deeper connections between exhibitions and audiences. 

The Learning Programme of the Year category was won by London Museum for the Young Londoners' Archive Schools Programme. 

Toby Parkin, Head of Learning & Participation said:  'We are delighted that An Apple a Day has been recognised by the Museums + Heritage Awards. Developed alongside Anya Gallaccio’s exhibition preserve, the programme created opportunities for people of all ages to engage creatively with the exhibition’s themes through shared experiences, conversation, and learning. This commendation is a testament to the creativity and dedication of our teams and partners, and to the communities who continue to shape this work with us.'

Anna Preedy, Director of the Museums + Heritage Awards, commented: 'Museums and cultural organisations increasingly act as welcoming spaces at the heart of their locality, and it has been inspiring to see how many projects have been developed in genuine collaboration with those communities.'

This year marked the 24th annual Museums + Heritage Awards, with winners and highly commended organisations selected by an independent panel of judges from across the museum and heritage sector. 

The full list of winners and highly commended organisations can be viewed via Museums + Heritage Awards 2026 Winners.