European Museum of the Year Award

The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) is presented each year by the European Museum Forum (EMF) under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The EMYA is considered the most important annual award in the European museum sector.

History
The EMYA was founded in 1977 by British journalist Kenneth Hudson, British academic Richard Hoggart, and John Letts, under the auspices of the Council of Europe. It is considered to be the most important award in its sector, being described by the Network of European Museums (NEMO) as "the longest-running and most prestigious museum awards in Europe".

The Fonds de dotation de l’ICOM of the International Council of Museums supports the European Museum of the Year Award.

Categories
Since 1977, the EMF has presented two main awards:
 * European Museum of the Year
 * Council of Europe Museum Prize

Three additional prizes were subsequently added to the EMF awards:
 * In 2010, the Kenneth Hudson Award for daring achievement.
 * In 2011, the Silletto Prize for community/cultural engagement.
 * In 2019, the Portimão Museum Prize for the most welcoming museum.
 * In 2020, the Meyvaert Museum Prize for Sustainability for "exceptional commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability".

Criteria
The EMF state that the European Museum of the Year is based on: "This award goes to a museum which contributes most directly to attracting audiences and satisfying its visitors with unique atmosphere, imaginative interpretation and presentation, a creative approach to education and social responsibility." The EMF state that the Council of Europe Museum Prize is based on: "This prestigious prize is awarded on the recommendations of the EMYA Judging Panel, by the Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Council of Europe to a museum which puts particular emphasis on a clearly understandable presentation of a European perspective and of the interplay between local and European identities, working with themes of European relevance and adhering to key values and priorities of democracy, human rights, tolerance and intercultural dialogue, of bridging cultures and overcoming social and political borders."

Judging
Museums in 47 European countries, all members of the Council of Europe, can take part in the competition if they are newly opened or have undergone modernization or expansion in the past three years.

European Museum of the Year winners (1977–)
The following are the winners of the main European Museum of the Year award:

Council of Europe Museum Prize winners (1977–)
The following are the winners of the Council of Europe Museum Prize award:

Kenneth Hudson Award winners (2010–)
The following are the winners of the Kenneth Hudson Award:

Silletto Prize winners (2011–)
The following are the winners of the Silletto Prize:

Portimão Museum Prize winners (2019–)
The following are the winners of the Portimão Museum Prize:

Meyvaert Museum Prize for Sustainability winners (2020–)
The following are the winners of the Meyvaert Museum Prize for Sustainability: