The Liverpool City Region’s most talented and inspiring artists and creatives have been commended at this year’s Culture and Creativity Awards.

They were presented with their accolades at a spectacular ceremony held at the Cronton Playhouse in Halton on Wednesday evening, honouring work which took place across the region during 2021.

Organised by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, artists, organisations and community creatives gathered at the venue for the much-anticipated event which was hosted by entrepreneur and Radio Merseyside presenter Ngunun Adamu.

Guest presenters from across the city region including Liverpool Chef Dave Critchley from the Great British Menu joined her to announce the winners of the 15 categories chosen from more than 700 entries.

People’s Choice winners – The Reader

The People’s Choice Award which saw 2,000 votes cast from across the Liverpool City Region, was awarded to Liverpool based charity The Reader, while the Lifetime Achievement award, recognising an individual’s lifelong creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region, was given to Bea Freeman, for her work filming and capturing Liverpool communities over the decades. A posthumous accolade was also bestowed on late Liverpool activist and historian Eric Lynch.

Bea Freeman with Sir Phil Redmond

In addition to the ceremony, the event was broadcast live to allow everyone involved to join in with the celebrations. You can catch up with it here www.lcrcultureawards.online

Author and performer Ashleigh Nugent won Artist of the Year, while the Arts Organisation of the Year award went to Liverpool’s Unity Theatre.

Impact Awards were presented to Dead Pidgeon Gallery and Vitality Homes’ Damien John Kelly House (Health and Wellbeing), Metal (Environmental Sustainability), Heart of Glass (Improving Education and Learning), Pagoda Arts (Improving Community Cohesion), Dr Vicki Doyle (International Reach), Merseyside Community Training (Future World of Work) and dot-art (Sustainable Business in Arts).

Khan Odita, founder of the Mulgrave Street Action Group CIC, won the Student Inspiration Award.

Student Inspiration award winner Khan Odita.

The Impact Awards for Covid-19 Creative Response were won by Liverpool Theatre Festival creator and producer Bill Elms (Individual) and Sefton’s Human Libraries initiative (Organisation).

Louise Nulty was as chosen Borough of Culture Star of the Year for her role during Halton’s Borough of Culture year including her work organising the Halton Music Weekender.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“Culture plays such an important role in what makes our region great. From community organisations and individual artists to Hollywood stars, we have so much to be proud of. 

“A big well done to all of this year’s winners. These awards recognise the imagination, inspiration, and innovation – and the immense value that the sector has contributed to our region in the past 12 months and beyond

“The exceptional talents help to enrich all our lives and make our region one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live, work, study, visit, or do business in – and that the Liverpool City Region can rightly claim its place as the UK’s cultural capital.”

Sir Phil Redmond Chair of the Cultural Partnership said:

“Another year and another great list of finalists to illustrate how the creative sector manages to adopt in the face of adversity, such as we’ve seen over the past two years, and continues to enrich the lives of residents across the city region in so many different ways. Once again both the boundaries and range of finalists also demonstrates why the region is truly the creative centre of the universe!”

Councillor Mike Wharton, the Combined Authority’s Portfolio Holder for Culture in the Liverpool City Region and leader of Halton Council said:

“We were delighted to host the awards at the beautiful Cronton Playhouse and it was fantastic to be able to celebrate it with an in person ceremony this year following our successful Borough of Culture in 2021. There’s an amazing amount of hard work that takes place within our cultural sector across our communities and this event has played a great part in recognising their amazing contribution.”

Awards Host, BBC Radio Merseyside’s Ngunan Adamu said:

“I enjoyed every minute of the evening! Seeing just how much these awards mean to the people involved, who have worked hard to continue to create and benefit their communities during such uncertain times was just so rewarding for me, and I feel privileged to have been able to be involved in such a fantastic endeavour.”

The Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity awards 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.

The 2021 awards were delivered in partnership with Halton Borough of Culture 2021, Cronton Sixth Form College and Riverside College; and were sponsored by Davies Partnership, LuBan Bar and Restaurant, INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool, Accountable Recruitment, LCR Connect and Love Lane Brewery.

The winner of our social media competition to win Bed and Breakfast at the INNSiDE Hotel by Melia Liverpool along with Cocktails at their Gino D’Acampo 360 Sky Bar and Dinner for two with champagne at Lu Ban Liverpool was also announced at on the night.

This year’s awards covered arts and cultural events, innovation and creative activity that took place within the Liverpool City Region during the period of 13 November 2020 to 12 November 2021.

Next year’s event will be held in Knowsley – the current title holder of Borough of Culture for 2022.

Catch up on all of the winners here and check out our gallery of the night below…