Last night the 34th annual Business to Arts Awards took place at the National Concert Hall. More than 500 leaders from Ireland’s business and cultural sectors came together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of partnerships between businesses and arts organisations. The winning partnerships reflect the scale and ambition of creative collaboration across Ireland, with several distinguished by their long-term vision and enduring cultural impact. In the first of a three-part series, we examine the partnerships investing in significant cultural infrastructure, commissioning and championing artists, and strengthening the long-term resilience of Ireland’s cultural sector.
This year’s winners demonstrate that significant investment in the arts extends far beyond sponsorship. It creates permanent cultural infrastructure, enables ambitious artistic commissions, sustains creative practice and strengthens the long-term resilience of Ireland’s cultural sector.
Notably, the CBRE major arts partnership award was presented to Kennedy Wilson and Photo Ireland for establishing the International Centre for the Image at Coopers Cross in Dublin. Opened in July 2025, the centre brings Photo Ireland’s research, production, exhibition and archive activities together under one roof. The centre creates new opportunities for artists while strengthening public engagement with photography and lens-based practice. Located within Kennedy Wilson’s Coopers Cross development, it reflects a long-term commitment to embedding culture within a large new city quarter.
The Jim McNaughton/TileStyle perpetual award for best commissioning practice was awarded to Irish Life and artist James Earley for Life In Threes. Created as part of the redevelopment of Irish Life’s Dublin headquarters, the permanent artwork spans a 170sq m wall and surrounding lightwells within the building’s central atrium, transforming the space through colour, light and sculptural form.
The commission was developed through a limited-call process managed and facilitated by Business to Arts. Five shortlisted artists submitted paid proposals, which were assessed by a multidisciplinary panel through an independently facilitated selection process. The Irish Life Art Committee remained closely engaged throughout, including through studio visits with the artist during production. The approach created a collaborative commissioning process that supported the development of the work while allowing James Earley to retain the integrity of his artistic vision.
The Community Foundation Ireland arts philanthropy award recognised insurance agency Ecclesiastical Ireland for embedding philanthropy within its business model. As part of Benefact Group, profits generated by the business contribute directly to charitable giving, creating a distinctive model in which commercial success supports long-term investment in communities, heritage and culture.
Since 2020 more than €10 million has been distributed across Ireland through initiatives including Benefact Trust grants, Movement for Good awards and heritage funding. Together, they illustrate how philanthropy can extend beyond individual sponsorships to create lasting value for cultural organisations and the communities they serve.
For 37 years Ipsos B&A and Graphic Studio Dublin have commissioned an annual limited-edition fine art print, a partnership recognised through this year’s judges’ special recognition award. Artists are selected collaboratively and work alongside Graphic Studio Dublin’s master printers, with fair remuneration and creative freedom central to the commissioning process. The result is one of Ireland’s most significant corporate print collections, sustained through a long-term commitment to contemporary printmaking, specialist craft and artistic collaboration.
Across these four award recipients, investment takes many forms: the creation of new cultural infrastructure, the commissioning of permanent artwork, sustained support for artists through a long-running corporate collection and a philanthropic model that places charitable giving at the heart of commercial success. Collectively, these partnerships demonstrate that investment in the arts is measured not only by financial commitment but by the lasting opportunities it creates. From enabling artistic ambition and strengthening cultural organisations to preserving heritage and expanding public access to the arts, each partnership is making a meaningful contribution to Ireland’s cultural future.
For more than three decades, the Business to Arts Awards have recognised the partnerships shaping Ireland’s cultural landscape. This year’s recipients illustrate what sustained investment can achieve when it is matched by artistic ambition, careful planning and long-term commitment, creating a legacy for artists, audiences, organisations and communities.
In the next article in this series, we explore how this year’s winners are breaking down barriers to participation, ensuring that more people can experience, engage with and benefit from the arts.
To learn more about developing a creative partnership or becoming a member of Business to Arts, visit businesstoarts.ie