The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2012 will be announced next week in a special ceremony during the European Museum Forum Assembly taking place from 16-19 May in Penafiel in Portugal. For the 35th time the EMF is recognizing one of the many new or redeveloped museums in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. This year, the award will go to the museum that shows outstanding professional excellence and, which above all, demonstrates that it understands and fulfills the needs of its audiences.

EMYA 2012 ceremony press release

The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne, Germany, was awarded the 2012 Council of Europe Museum Prize at a Ceremony held in Strasbourg on 25 April 2012.

European Museum Forum opens call for Applications for the 2013 European Museum of the Year Award and the Council of Europe Museum Prize.

The EMYA 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 EMYA Judging Panel is looking for enterprise and innovation that enhances the public quality of the museum. The judges seek to identify new developments which are likely to have a significant influence in the national and international museum field.

EMYA 2013 Call for application.doc

EMYA 2013 Application Form.doc

The EMYA 2013 Application Form should be submitted no later than
31 May 2012.

New appointments were made at a European Museum Forum Board of Trustees meeting held in Liverpool, UK, on 7 March 2012.

Goranka Horjan, Director of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje in Croatia, was appointed the new Chair of the EMF. Ms Horjan will take over this role from Mikhail Gnedovsky (Russia) who remains an EMF Trustee.

European Museum Forum Annual Assembly and European Museum of the Year Award 2012 Ceremony is going to be organised in
Municipal Museum of Penafiel, Portugal.

16-19 May 2012

Closing date for registration is
11 May 2012

An “Early Bird” discount is available until 31 March 2012

Register now at www.emya2012.com

For any queries about registration please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Letter of invitation (pdf, 1Mb)

The Council of Europe Museum Prize 2012 goes to the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum – Kulturen der Welt Cultures of the World) in Cologne, Germany

credit: German Emigration Center / Jan Meier

The European Museum Forum has awarded the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium, with the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2011.

18-21 May 2011

Bremerhaven, Germany

German Emigration Center

Programme (pdf)

Photos