The Art Fund’s prestigious Museum of the Year prize moves up a gear next year, with a 40% increase in total prize money to £140,000. For the first time, each of the shortlisted museums will receive £10,000 each (the winner, to be announced in July, will bag £100,000 as usual; the Victoria & Albert Museum in London was victorious this year). But it’s not just the prize money that’s eye-catching. The judging panel includes high-profile names from the culture sector such as Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum; Munira Mirza, former deputy mayor of London for education and culture, and the artist Richard Deacon. Jo Whiley, the BBC Radio 2 DJ and presenter, is also on the panel, and will travel countrywide to find the country’s best museum. The shortlist is due to be announced in April.
