Museum of the Year: Horniman Museum and Gardens named winner

Chair of judges, Jenny Waldman, said the Horniman was "in many ways the perfect museum"

The Horniman Museum and Gardens has been named the Art Fund's Museum Of The Year.

The south-east London venue scooped the £100,000 prize during a ceremony at the Design Museum in London on Thursday.

Judges praised the Horniman, in Forest Hill, for its art, nature and myriad collections.

Jenny Waldman, chair of judges, said: "In many ways it's the perfect museum, and I would encourage everyone to go and experience all it has to offer."

The Horniman saw off competition from Derby Museums, Museum of Making, People's History Museum in Manchester, The Story Museum in Oxford and art gallery Ty Pawb in Wrexham.

Each of these finalists received a £15,000 prize in recognition of their achievements.

Judges said the Horniman's gardens are "championing the natural environment"

The director of Horniman, Nick Merriman, was presented with the cash prize by BBC Radio 6 DJ and judge Huw Stephens.

The museum said that, following a period of reflection prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate emergency and the murder of George Floyd, it "re-imagined the role [it] could play as a creative hub for their local community".

It created a micro-forest to combat local air pollution and curated the 696 festival, incorporating the black British sounds of south-east London through gigs, installations, collaborations and a summer music festival.

Last year, the prize was awarded to Firstsite in Colchester, Essex, after it transformed into a food bank and helped serve free school meals during the pandemic.