Awards Winners 2026
The Awards have 13 categories, including ten main categories and three financial awards/bursaries.
All of our awards recognise excellence in arts partnerships. Specifically, our awards seek nominations that highlight exceptional collaborations between a business or philanthropic partner and an arts partner (organisation, collective, or individual artist) that have taken place between January 2025 and April 2026.
This year’s winners represent a mix of new corporate entrants to arts sponsorship, as well as a strong show of continuing support from long-standing supporters of the arts in the business world.
Click into the individual categories below for the nominees!
The Major Arts Partnership Award recognises outstanding large-scale partnerships between businesses and arts organisations or artists, with a value of €25,000 or more (cash or in-kind).
Winning collaborations will demonstrate ambition, strategic alignment, and meaningful impact for both partners, showing how significant investment can enable artistic excellence and deliver shared value.
Winner 2026
- Kennedy Wilson & PhotoIreland: International Centre for the Image
Highly Commended 2026
- Diageo Ireland & The Liberties Festival
- Staycity & Throwing Shapes: Clay City
- KPMG Ireland & National Gallery of Ireland: Picasso From the Studio
The Small Arts Partnership Award recognises exceptional partnerships between businesses and arts organisations/artists where the sponsorship is less than €25k in value, cash or in-kind.
Winning collaborations will demonstrate creativity, strong alignment between partners, and meaningful impact, showing how partnerships of all scales can deliver significant artistic and business value.
Winner 2026
- basis.point & The Gate Theatre: live stream of POOR
Highly Commended 2026
- Peugeot Ireland & Irish Film Institute: The Lion Loves Cinema!
- UCC & Cork International Film Festival: 70th Cork International Film Festival
- SIGMA Benelux & Photo Museum Ireland: Sigma Talents Scholarship Programme
The Irish Times Long-Term Partnership Award recognises enduring and impactful partnerships that have been in place for three years or more and have demonstrated growth and evolution over time.
Winning collaborations will show how the partnership has deepened, expanded its reach, introduced new strands of activity, or developed innovative approaches to engagement and participation.
Winner 2026
- ESB & National Concert Hall: Quavers to Quadratics
Highly Commended 2026
- SMBC Aviation Capital & National Gallery of Ireland: Nationwide Schools Programme
- Ecclesiastical Insurance & Wexford Festival Opera: Volunteer Programme
- Dublin City Council & St Patrick's Festival
The Irish Life Creativity in the Community Award recognises partnerships that work collaboratively with community groups to address specific social issues through creative projects and programmes.
Winning initiatives will demonstrate meaningful engagement, community voice, and clear social impact, using creativity as a tool to strengthen connection, wellbeing, and local resilience. Projects should align with the social impact strategies of both partners.
Winner 2026
- Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark & AlanJames Burns: Divergently Together
Highly Commended 2026
- Iarnród Éireann & Artur Oner: Welcome to Courtney Place
- The Digital Hub & HoloGen: Roblox Rising Producers
- IPUT Real Estate Dublin & National Concert Hall: Festival of Voice
The Community Foundation Ireland Arts Philanthropy Award celebrates an individual, foundation, trust, or corporate philanthropic organisation whose generosity and leadership have made a meaningful difference to the arts in Ireland.
Nominations must demonstrate how philanthropic support provided within the eligible period has enabled artistic ambition, strengthened organisations, or delivered measurable cultural or social impact. Submissions should reference a specific project, programme, or defined suite of arts funding active during that period. Nominations may be submitted by the arts beneficiary, the philanthropic entity, or a third party with their knowledge and support.
Winner 2026
- Ecclesiastical Insurance
The ESB Creative Sustainability Award recognises creative partnerships that explore and highlight environmental and climate issues through artistic programming and sustainable practice.
Winning initiatives may raise awareness, open public dialogue, or encourage positive change around issues such as climate action, biodiversity, or the circular economy. Projects may also demonstrate leadership in environmentally responsible production and delivery.
This award honours the power of arts and culture in shaping a greener future.
Winner 2026
- Irish Architecture Foundation, 12th Field & Offaly and Meath County Councils: Bog Bothy
Highly Commended 2026
- Philip Lee & IMMA: The Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes at Earth Rising 2025
- Clarendon Properties, BAM Ireland & Jools Gilson: Mapping Climate Change
- ACT Waterford, Calmast SETU & Sean Corcoran: Crockery Mountain
The Creative Access Award recognises partnerships that remove barriers and expand access to the arts for marginalised or underrepresented groups.
Winning initiatives will demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusion, representation, and equitable participation, whether through targeted programming, outreach, or practical supports that enable more people to engage fully in the arts.
Winner 2026
- Specsavers Limerick & University Concert Hall: Panto for All
Highly Commended 2026
- basis.point & The Gate Theatre: Live Stream of POOR
- Clancourt & The Ark: Ark Access
- Ecclesiastical Insurance, Katharine Howard Foundation & Music Network: Lullaby Residency
This award is presented annually to a business or organisation that has demonstrated excellence in commissioning an artist in any artform.
Winning entries will evidence a transparent and well-managed commissioning process, clear communication, fair and appropriate remuneration, and meaningful engagement with the artist throughout. Successful collaborations will show genuine partnership from concept to completion, with a strong commitment to artistic integrity and the creation of a high-quality and engaging work.
Created in honour of Jim McNaughton, a tireless champion of the arts, the perpetual award is crafted by sculptor Jason Ellis.
Winner 2026
- Irish Life & James Earley: Life In Threes
Highly Commended 2026
- Sample-Studios, Fleetwood Paints & Cork Opera House: Illuminating the Archives
- Ipsos B&A & Graphic Studio Dublin: Ipsos B&A Art Collection
The Creativity in the Workplace Award celebrates partnerships that engage employees in the arts and embed creativity within company culture.
Winning initiatives may include artist residencies, commissions, workshops, performances, creative engagement programmes, or structured in-kind and pro bono collaborations involving staff. Successful entries will demonstrate how collaboration with the arts has strengthened employee engagement, fostered connection, and contributed to a more creative and inclusive organisational culture.
Winner 2026
- Connected Hubs & Contemporary Irish Art Society: Art in the Hubs
Highly Commended 2026
- Fitzgerald Power & The Walls Project: Signs of Power
- CJK & Five Lamps Arts Festival: Christmas Song Contest
Selected at the discretion of the judging panel from submissions across the main award categories, this award cannot be applied for directly.
It recognises a partnership, organisation, or initiative whose work in the year under review merits special distinction. The award may honour exceptional collaboration, innovation, leadership, or impact that has made a significant contribution to arts and business engagement.
Winner 2026
- Ipsos B&A & Graphic Studio Dublin: Ipsos B&A Art Collection
Now in its 18th year, our longest-running bursary awards €10,000 to an emerging artist in any artform seeking to expand and develop their practice, whether through a specific project or broader professional development. The bursary supports artistic ambition, experimentation, and growth at a pivotal stage in an artist’s career.
In 2026, it was awarded to actor and theatre-maker Aoibheann McCaul. Aoibheann will use the bursary to develop a one-woman theatre piece exploring infertility, IVF and miscarriage in contemporary Ireland. The funding will support script development, rehearsal and collaboration with an experienced creative team as the work is developed into a full-length production.
Recent winners have included actress and writer Manar Mervat Al Shouha, Lauren Larkin, actor and writer Thommas Kane Byrne, Afghani photographer Barialai Khoshhal, flautist Miriam Kaczor, artist Catherine Creaney, actor and playwright Aisling O’Mara, and more.
This bursary recognises artists whose work delivers on the promise of technology and human ingenuity. The €10,000 award supports artists who are exploring digital tools, platforms, or processes to expand creative practice and engage audiences in new ways.
The 2026 winners were artistic duo Peter Power and Leon Butler. They will use the bursary to develop a new hybrid live and digital performance exploring grief, memory and digital afterlives. Combining performance with immersive technology and interactive digital experiences, the project will examine how technology shapes remembrance and human connection.
Previous winners include Amanda Ralph, 1iing Heaney, AlanJames Burns and Nadia J. Armstrong.
This €5,000 cash prize recognises an arts organisation whose project distinguishes itself through artistic quality, ambition, and impact.
Chosen from entries across the main award categories, the award highlights outstanding work and provides additional support to further its development. This Award cannot be applied for directly.
This year it was awarded to Music Network for delivering programmes bringing migrant and local families together through music, creativity and cultural exchange in Clare and Kildare. Weekly workshops explored lullabies in English, Irish and 16 additional languages, helping to strengthen confidence, wellbeing and community connection.
Previous winners in recent years include Fishamble, The New Play Company, Sing Ireland, axis Ballymun, Dublin Dance Festival and That’s Life for Bounce Club Night, and Waterford Walls.
