The team at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton has been shortlisted for a Museums + Heritage Award following a year of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of her birth.
These global awards celebrate the best in the world of museums, galleries and cultural heritage visitor attractions. Jane Austen’s House was shortlisted in the Team of the Year category, with the winner to be revealed at the Hilton Park Lane in London on May 13.
This nomination recognises the work of the 19 staff at Jane Austen’s House during 2025, the 250th anniversary of Jane’s birth.
Last year the team held five festivals themed around Jane’s novels, installed new exhibitions, welcomed hundreds of press visits from across the globe, launched a podcast that was consistently in the top one per cent of podcasts globally in 2025, published a book, and ensured visitors to the house had an engaging and inspiring visit.
In 2025 Jane Austen’s House welcomed more than 56,000 visitors from across the globe, and thousands more virtually through its online events programme, making it the museum’s busiest year on record.
Jane Austen’s House director Lizzie Dunford said: “The year 2025 was an extraordinary year for Jane Austen’s House, as the world came to celebrate her birth at the very place in which her novels were written.
“But none of this would have been possible without the vision, dedication and skill of the small team that work together to make this independent museum such an inspirational and thriving place.
“As director, I am beyond proud of all that we achieved, and the experiences we were able to create for our visitors.”
This year’s Museums + Heritage Awards shortlist, which includes entrants from all over the UK as well as museums and cultural organisations in ten other countries ranging from Malta to Australia, has been chosen by an independent panel of nine judges who are all well-known in the museums world.
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