Meet the winners of the Leading Culture Destinations Awards

The winners of the Leading Culture Destinations Awards, “The Oscars for Museums,” were announced tonight at the brand new Trafalgar St. James hotel, with London’s Design Museum achieving top prize of The Leading Culture Destination 2017 overall winner.

The Leading Culture Destinations Award winners were chosen by a jury of nine established cultural gurus from around the world.

The judges review everything from audacious programming and management structures, to cross-sector collaborations and Michelin-starred restaurants, late night openings and music performances, with an overarching focus on a visionary approach to these cultural initiatives.

The Leading Culture Destination of the Year Award winners:
• Exhibition of the Year: Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at Hirshhorn Museum (Washington DC, USA)
• Museum Architecture of the Year: Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology (Lisbon, Portugal)
• Museum Shop of the Year: Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, USA)
• Restaurant of the Year: Fotografiska (Stockholm, Sweden)
• Digital Museum Experience of the Year: British Museum (London, UK)
Best New Museum of the Year Award winners: (opened in the last 15 months):
• Europe: Design Museum (London, UK)
• North America: Tippet Rise Art Center (Fishtail, USA)
• Latin America: Casa Wabi (Puerto Escondido, Mexico)
• Middle East / UAE / Africa: Etihad Museum (Dubai, UAE)
• Asia / Pacific: MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
The Traveller’s Award winners, presented by Avis:
• Emerging Cultural City of the Year: Athens, Greece
• Art Hotel of the Year: The Walled Off Hotel (Bethlehem)
Soft Power Destination of the Year Award winners, presented by Valletta 2018:
• Best Soft Power Cultural Activation Award: Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Art Less: The Davis without Immigrants (Wellesley, USA)
• Best Soft Power Cultural Organisation Award: Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada)
• Best Soft Power Cultural District Award: Watts Tower Arts Center (Los Angeles, USA)
Climate Smart Award, in partnership with SUNx:
• Climate Control at Manchester Museum (Manchester, UK)
Best Museum Late Night Experience, in partnership with Sipsmith:
• Rubin Museum of Art (New York, USA)
The Leading Culture Destination 2017 overall winner:
• Design Museum (London, UK)