Plymouth City Council has won national recognition for the success of its award-winning museum, The Box.

The local authority was presented with the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026 award yesterday, with the team being given a £120,000 prize to help expand access to the venue.

In a statement today, the council confirmed that the title is granted in recognition of ‘ambition, innovation and meaningful community impact’, with the winning museum or gallery being renowned for ‘transforming the way people experience culture’.

The Box has had over 1.3 million visits since its opening in 2020, as well as providing more than £100m in health and wellbeing benefits in its first five years.

According to the council, the venue is home to over two million artworks, objects, specimens, and archives from Plymouth’s collections.

The range of works ‘not only narrate the city’s past but also highlight a range of overlooked voices and histories’, the local authority has said.

As part of the judge’s commendations, three artist-let projects launched in 2025 were celebrated for their role in enhancing the gallery’s engagement with the community, as well as their success in having ‘reframed its historic collections to challenge traditional museum narratives’.

Cllr Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Culture at Plymouth City Council, added: ‘We are incredibly proud that The Box has been recognised as Art Fund Museum of the Year. This award is a testament to the vision, creativity and dedication of everyone involved – from the exceptional team and volunteers to our partners and communities. 

‘The Box has become a place where Plymouth’s stories are celebrated, where people come together, and where culture belongs to everyone. This achievement shines a national spotlight on our city and everything it has to offer.’