6th LCD Awards The Winners

The 18 winners, hailing from 13 different countries, ranging from local grass-roots organizations to renowned national institutions. Now in its sixth edition, the LCD Awards highlight the world’s best established and emerging cultural destinations, recognizing their exceptional contribution to cultural life.
On behalf of LCD Berlin, Florian Wupperfeld, Founder of Leading Culture Destinations, said: “Congratulations to the 18 outstanding cultural destinations that are this year’s LCD Berlin Award, winners. These awards offer an opportunity to celebrate creativity, culture, and innovation, highlighting the most notable emerging and established cultural destinations across the globe while connecting arts and tourism. LCD Berlin would also like to thank our distinguished international jury, and our collaborating partners, Avis, Berlin’s Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Korn Ferry, Lord Cultural Resources, and SUNx, as well as all of our remarkable nominees—50 cultural destinations in 28 countries—who are shaping culture worldwide.”
The LCD Award 2020 winners have been selected by a distinguished international jury comprised of Matthew Anderson, European culture editor for The New York Times; Helena Egan, tourism and place-making specialist; Dr. Martin Heller, cultural advocate and arts patron; Oliver Jahn, editor-in-chief, AD Architectural Digest; Meryanne Loum-Martin, founder of AFR?Eculture.org; Dr. Thierry Morel, director, curator-at-large and board member of the Hermitage Foundation; artist Ahmet Ogut, and Salma Tuqan, deputy director of the Delfina Foundation.
In a joint statement, the jury noted: “The 2020 LCD Berlin Awards shine a light on culture, art, and travel, showcasing unique cultural experiences around the world. From local to global perspectives, the winners of the 2020 awards offer new and exciting opportunities to explore our relationship with public spaces, tradition, and identity. Over the years, the LCD Awards have offered a unique platform for the winners to showcase their cultural assets and reach global travelers wishing to immerse themselves in arts and culture. These winning destinations and institutions showcase just how deep the symbiosis between art, culture, and travel is.”

The winners of the LCD Berlin Awards for 2020, across six different sections, are:

LEADING CULTURE DESTINATIONS OF THE YEAR
The Leading Culture Destinations of the Year awards highlight the experiential shift of cultural destinations into social hubs where visitors can explore, dine, shop, work and even sleep.
Best Exhibition: Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future – Guggenheim New York (New York, USA)
Best Architecture: The Twist gallery – Bjarke Ingels (Kistefos Museum And Sculpture Park, Norway)
The Twist gallery (Bjarke Ingels) at the Kistefos Museum and Sculpture Park in Norway has won the LCD Berlin Leading Culture Destinations of the Year award for Best Architecture. The Twist gallery at the Kistefos Museum and Sculpture Park in Norway.

Best Restaurant: AlpiNN, Lumen Museum of Mountain Photography (Kronplatz, Brunico, Italy)
AlpiNN – Food Space & Restaurant at Kronplatz, in Brunico, Italy, has won the LCD Berlin Award for Leading Culture Destinations of the Year – Best Museum Restaurant.
Best Shop: National Museum of Qatar (Doha, Qatar)
The National Museum of Qatar is the only cultural destination in the world to have won two prestigious LCD Berlin Awards for 2020: a New Culture Destinations of the Year award in the ‘Middle East and Africa’ category and a Leading Culture Destinations of the Year award for Best Museum Shop.
View of National Museum of Qatar shop

Best Digital Experience: Atelier des Lumières (Paris, France)
The Atelier des Lumières in Paris, France, has won the LCD Berlin Leading Culture Destinations of the Year award for Best Digital Experience.
NEW CULTURE DESTINATIONS OF THE YEAR
The awards for New Culture Destinations of the Year recognize the significant role of culture in changing the perception of towns and cities and influencing their future development.

Europe: Amos Rex (Helsinki, Finland)
Amos Rex has won the LCD Award for New Culture Destinations of the Year in the ‘Europe’ category.

Middle East / Africa / UAE: National Museum of Qatar (Doha, Qatar)
National Museum of Qatar.

SOFT POWER DESTINATIONS OF THE YEAR, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LORD CULTURAL RESOURCES
The Soft Power Destinations Awards recognize soft power best practices in cultural destinations. Soft Power Destinations have influence because they operate in a way that is accountable and transparent, and they seek to be excellent, relevant and sustainable in all that they do. The 2020 Awards mark the fourth Soft Power Destinations Awards, created as a collaboration between Lord Cultural Resources and Leading Culture Destinations.

Best Cultural Activation: The Heidelberg Project (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
The Heidelberg Project in Detroit, USA, has won the LCD Berlin SoftPower Destinations of the Year award for ‘Best Cultural Activation’.

Best Cultural Collaboration: SAWA – Sharjah Museums Authority, UAE / State Museums of Berlin; University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW); Goethe-Institut, Germany (UAE / Germany)
Gail Lord, President of Lord Cultural Resources, had this to say: “Thank you to the many inspiring organizations who applied to this year’s awards. The winners were selected for their particularly impressive work, but the numerous nominations we received from across the globe all demonstrate how culture is key to communities harnessing their soft power.”
Javier Jimenez, Director of Lord Cultural Resources, who presents this year’s winners at the 2020 awards, noted: “The Heidelberg Project, Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, and SAWA Museum Academy are all excellent examples of culture creating a positive impact in their communities. These destinations are not to be missed.”

AVIS TRAVELLERS’ AWARDS
The Avis Travellers’ Awards celebrate creativity, culture and innovation, as well giving well deserved recognition to those dedicated to cultural pursuits. Avis aims to help its customers unlock the latest travel hotspots, drive the world’s best road trips and discover the ultimate destinations for culture, events and adventure.

Best Emerging Culture City: Tbilisi (Georgia)
Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, has won the LCD Berlin Avis Travellers’ Award for ‘Best Emerging Culture City’.
Best Art Hotel: The Fife Arms Hotel (Braemar, Scotland, UK)
Julia Kemp, Avis Budget Group’s Director of International Sales & Partnerships, said: “Avis is delighted to support and collaborate with Leading Culture Destinations on the Avis Travellers’ Awards. The winners of Best Cultural Festival, Best Emerging Culture City and Best Art Hotel are all to be congratulated for their success in bringing local arts and culture to today’s traveler.”

CLIMATE SMART AWARD in partnership with SUNx
The Climate Smart Award, in partnership with the SunX Program, shines a light on cultural organizations that not only teach us about the past but also educate us about one of the biggest challenges in the future – climate change.

Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost (Bremerhaven, Germany)
The Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost was awarded the LCD Berlin Climate Smart Award, in partnership with the SunX.

BRIDGING BORDERS: Best Cultural Initiative, presented by visitBerlin
To celebrate the first edition of the LCD Berlin Awards, LCD Berlin has introduced a new award that honors outstanding cultural initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and create connections across physical or metaphorical borders. The winner Barenboim-Said Akademie (Berlin, Germany) was selected by public vote.