IMMA Wins 2025 Art Museum Award
From IMMA.
30 September 2025.
A Landmark European Recognition for Cultural Innovation and Social Engagement
The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) is delighted to announce it has won the 2025 Art Museum Award, presented by the European Museum Academy (EMA). This prestigious honour recognises IMMA as one of Europe’s leading cultural institutions, celebrated for its pioneering, inclusive, and socially engaged approach to contemporary museology. The award was presented to IMMA’s Director, Annie Fletcher, at a ceremony in Budapest on Saturday 27 September 2025, where cultural leaders from across Europe gathered to celebrate excellence in museum practice.
The EMA Art Museum Award which is supported by the A.G. Leventis Foundation, highlights institutions that use art in innovative and creative ways to address pressing social issues. It champions museums as “social arenas”, spaces for civic dialogue, inclusion, and community building. The Award recognises museums that explore themes such as participation, inclusion, accessibility, gender equality, migration, racial justice, decolonisation, sustainability, climate change, and public health.
IMMA was selected from a highly competitive shortlist of outstanding institutions, including the Centre Pompidou-Metz (France), Reykjavik Art Museum (Iceland), Lithuanian National Museum of Art (Lithuania), Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro (Montenegro), State Ethnographic Museum (Poland), Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art (Serbia), and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (United Kingdom).
The jury of the 2025 EMA Art Museum Award praised IMMA’s innovative programming and highly inclusive engagement strategy: When outlining their reason for choosing IMMA, the judges said:
“The Museum shows outstanding commitment to exploring tough contemporary issues such as decolonization, racism, war and conflict, without compromising a dedication to artistic integrity and quality. Irish artists play a key role, but IMMA skilfully weaves together the local and the international in its approach. The Museum systematically experiments with engagement across the whole audience spectrum, with noteworthy innovation on diversity and inclusion. Community engagement, accessibility and local citizenship are at the core of its mission. IMMA is a case of best practice for all European art museums, leading by example.”
Annie Fletcher, Director, IMMA, said:
“We are honoured to receive this recognition. It reflects the dedication of our team, artists, communities and partners. IMMA is committed to being a space where art inspires change, and this award strengthens our resolve to lead with imagination and care.”
Key areas of recognition included:
· Innovation & Creativity: IMMA’s digital initiatives, including Living Canvas at IMMA, and its pioneering Art & Ageing programme redefine audience engagement.
· Social Responsibility: Programmes such as EARTH RISING festival and the Matheson Creativity Hub address sustainability, inclusion, and wellbeing.
· Public Discourse & Participation: IMMA serves as a vibrant platform for dialogue, reflection, and transformation on contemporary issues.
· Strategic Leadership: Under Annie Fletcher’s visionary direction, IMMA has become a model of museological excellence embedded in socio-political relevance.
This award marks a significant moment of pride for Ireland’s cultural sector, affirming IMMA’s role as a trailblazer in European museum practice. It opens new opportunities for international collaboration, visibility, and cultural diplomacy.