Epic AwardsThe Epic Awards shine a spotlight on the achievements of voluntary arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland each year. The Epic Awards are an annual chance for your creative group or project to be recognised for the incredible work you've done over the past year. Applications are simple and straightforward. We'll open the call in the autumn but you can start thinking about making your case to our judging panels now! The 2017 Epic Awards winners' reception took place on 19 March 2017 at the incredible Sage Gateshead as part of BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival. See who the winners were at this year's event. For the third year running, the winners of our People's Choice Award were guests on BBC One's Breakfast show to talk about their win. Follow Voluntary Arts on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with news about next year's Epic Awards. Roscommon Solstice Choir on BBC One's Breakfast AboutWinnersBack to Home Epic Awards The Epic Awards were set up in 2010 by Voluntary Arts, an organisation that works across the UK and Republic of Ireland to promote participation in creative cultural activities. Voluntary Arts works with local creative cultural groups, voluntary sector organisations, arts councils and local and national government, to help increase opportunities for creative participation – and support those who have already discovered the benefits of taking part. The Epic Awards celebrate the achievement of voluntary arts groups across the UK and Republic of Ireland, by recognising the skill, innovation and hard work that goes into their activities. The voluntary cultural sector is huge, incorporating drama groups, choirs, knitting circles, orchestras, dance troupes, painters, photographers, community arts and much, much more. Over 60,000 voluntary arts groups operate across the UK and Republic of Ireland, and their contribution to lives in their local community cannot be underestimated. The Epic Awards are here to shine a spotlight on their work, and to inspire others to get involved. Who can enter the Epic Awards? The Epic Awards are for creative projects that involve people who participate for the love of it and on an amateur basis. You can be based anywhere in the UK or Republic of Ireland, practice any kind of art form or craft and work with any age group. Your nominated project can be long or short-term, as long as some or all of it took place in the twelve months prior to Friday 31 December 2016. Prizes England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Epic Award Winners: Framed winners' certificate £250 A tailored package of training, mentoring and promotion to help bring your group to the next level from Voluntary Arts and Epic Award Partners England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Epic Award Runners Up: Framed runners-up certificate Mentoring from Voluntary Arts and Epic Award Partners £75 Applications for Epic Awards 2017 have now closed. See this year's shortlisted entries and vote for your favourite! Get a taste of what the Epic Awards are all about in this short video: