As nominations for the Arts Professional Awards close (deadline 12pm on Monday 13 April), let’s meet our panel of seven industry experts who will be selecting the winners. All of our judges have agreed to share their time in a personal capacity.
Ruth Hogarth has been editor of Arts Professional since 2001, and is an Honorary Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London.
Sarah Gee is the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Spitalfields Music, bringing extensive experience in arts leadership, marketing and fundraising gained at organisations including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. A trained horn player, she is Honorary Secretary of the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Judith Webster is the Chief Executive of the Association of British Orchestras, a role she has held since November 2022, having previously spent ten years leading the national music education charity Music for Youth. Her earlier career included developing engagement programmes for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Sinfonietta, and designing a postgraduate Diploma in Creative Leadership for the Royal College of Music.
Zak Mensah is Co-CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust, a role he shares with Sara Wajid, having previously been Head of Transformation for Culture and Creative Industries at Bristol City Council. With a background in digital strategy and staff development, he is a widely recognised voice on organisational transformation in the cultural sector and a trustee of the Association for Cultural Enterprises.
Amy Dalton-Hardy is a freelance strategic arts consultant with two decades of sector experience, specialising in funding strategy, organisational development, and leadership. Since going fully freelance in 2020, she has raised over £4m for and with clients. She holds a CMI Level 7 in Strategic Leadership and Management, chairs Gloucester Guildhall, co-directs Propel Dance (the UK’s first and only wheelchair dance company), and sits on the WMCA Cultural Leadership Board.
Heather Clark Charrington is Director of Audiences at the Southbank Centre, where she leads the marketing, digital, design, communications, visitor experience and ticketing teams. She has over 25 years’ experience in marketing and communications across the cultural sector, with previous roles at English National Ballet, the National Theatre, the Natural History Museum and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Adam Knight is Chief Executive of Blackpool Grand Theatre, a role he has held since spring 2022, having previously been Theatre Director at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe. A trained actor, he brings wide-ranging experience across commercial and regional theatre, including roles at the Savoy Theatre in London, the Edinburgh Playhouse and the Grand Opera House in Belfast, and has previously been named London Theatre Manager of the Year.
The shortlisted entries and winners will be announced at the Business of the Arts Summit on 13 May 2026 at Conway Hall, London. Book now.