A NEW cultural awards ceremony for York has been announced.

York Culture Awards, which is sponsored by city health firm Benenden, will celebrate excellence in the arts and cultural sector and reward outstanding innovation, creativity and quality.

The ceremony will take place in December 2016, with an official launch and category announcement scheduled for January.

Make It York chairman Jane Lady Gibson and managing director Steve Brown, will be joined at the launch by guest speakers York St John University professor Chris Bailey and BBC Radio York managing editor Simon Pattern.

Lady Gibson said: "York has a wealth of culture; we have award-winning museums, brilliant theatres, international music festivals and outstanding media arts organisations.

"We believe talent across our cultural sector should be recognised and by launching these awards, our aim is to raise the profile of the breadth and quality of work going on here."

Lawrence Christensen, Group Marketing Director at Benenden, said: “Benenden has been based in York for just over a quarter of a century, so we know just how vital the cultural sector is to the local economy we are a part of.

"Our city’s culture plays an important part in bringing together communities, which is an ethos we have much in common with."

The Awards will be judged by an independent panel including, Professor Chris Bailey, York St John University, Dr Fiona Thompson, York St John University, Gill Greaves, Relationship Manager, Museums Yorkshire at Arts Council England, Colin Jackson, Owner, Creative Learning Partnerships, Alan Millard, Chief Operating Officer, Hiscox, Judith Buchanan, Professor of Film and Literature, University of York and Charles Hutchinson, Arts Editor, The Press.

Details on how to enter the York Culture Awards will be announced in the New Year.