The winners of the Museums and Heritage Awards for Excellence 2013 were announced last night at a ceremony hosted by comedian Sue Perkins.

Considered the BAFTAS of the museum world, the awards recognise the most outstanding and innovative exhibitions and developments at museums and heritage attractions across the country.

A new award was presented for the first time this year. The Guardian Culture Pros Award searched for the UK's most inspiring museum or heritage visitor attraction.

There were more than 500 nominations and the five recipients of the most nominations went through to a public vote. The final five were Amlwch Copper Bins on Anglesey, Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre, the Museum of London, Stow Maries Aerodrome in Essex and the Grant Museum of Zoology at University College London, with the Grant Museum ultimately triumphing.

Founded in 1828, the Grant Museum is one of the oldest natural history collections in the world. It contains extremely rare extinct animal specimens including dodo bones and the remains of a quagga (an extinct species of half-striped zebra).
 
The museum has been praised for its blogs and social media work, which feature work behind the scenes at the museum, an Underwhelming Fossil Fish of the Month feature and debates such as “would zoologists survive an apocalypse?”
 
“This is such a wonderful award – being named by the public as the UK’s most inspiring museum," said Jack Ashby, the museum manager.

"I really can’t think of a more delightful accolade."

Also presented for the first time this year was a Best of the Best award, which went to the Natural History Museum.

Full list of awards and winners:

Sustainability Award
Winner
Science Museum, Hemcrete Museum Store

Customer Service Award
Winner
National Trust, Ickworth Lives

Highly Commended
Hertford Museum Front of House Team
The Glasgow School of Art

Restoration or Conservation
Joint Winners
Douglas D Kent, Saffron Walden for Conservation of Pargeting
The Landmark Trust for Astley Castle

Highly Commended
London Transport Museum for Underground Pioneer

International Award
Winner
Fram Museum, Oslo, for its exhibition makeover Northern Lights Experience & Immersive Dark Walk

Innovations Award
Winner
The Gallery of Lost Art, Tate

Marketing Campaign
Winner
Kiplin Hall, Plate Appeal - It's a Piece of Cake!

Highly Commended
The Natural History Museum, Animal Inside Out

Permanent Exhibition
Winner
William Morris Gallery

Highly Commended
The Natural History Museum, Treasures
Titanic Belfast

Project on a Limited Budget
Winner
Dimbola Museum & Galleries, Mad Hatter Tearoom and Gift Shop Refurbishment

Highly Commended
Derby Museums, The What If? Machine
National Galleries of Scotland, The Nation//Live-Work
 
Educational Initiative
Joint Winners
Design Museum, Design Ventura
National Centre for Citizenship and the Law, I Pledge

Highly Commended
Royal Pavilion & Museums Brighton & Hove, World Stories: Young Voices

Temporary or Touring Exhibition
Winner
The Natural History Museum, Scott's Last Expedition

Highly Commended
Design Museum, Christian Louboutin Exhibition
Wellcome Collection, Death: A Self-Portrait

Trading and Enterprise
Winner
Titanic Belfast, The Titanic Store at Titanic Belfast

Highly Commended
Blenheim Palace, East Courtyard Visitor Centre Development
Bury Art Museum, International Touring Exhibition Model

Best of the Best
Winner
Natural History Museum
 
Culture Pros Pick
Winner
Grant Museum of Zoology, London