Nuneaton’s attempt to become the nation’s inaugural Town of Culture has been unsuccessful.

The council confirmed on July 8 that 15 towns have made the shortlist for the inaugural UK Town of Culture competition, and Nuneaton was not among them.

A total of 398 towns entered the race for the title and associated funding.

Contestants were required to submit a postcard showcasing their area, and Nuneaton’s entry in the large town division, titled Greetings from Nuneaton, drew inspiration from and incorporated contributions from local residents.

Surrounding settlements including Atherstone, Hinckley, Tamworth, Henley-in-Arden, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Leamington also lodged submissions.

None of these applications proved successful.

The selected towns are:

Small towns: Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown, Strabane, and Stockton Town Centre Ward

Medium towns: Corby, Great Yarmouth, Leith, Pontypridd, and Port Talbot

Large towns: Basildon, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham

Those that made the shortlist will now receive £60,000 each to develop comprehensive proposals, which an independent panel will evaluate. One finalist will be chosen from each category, with the overall victor to be revealed in early 2025.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy offered her congratulations to the fifteen shortlisted towns and expressed her best wishes for the next stage of the contest.

She noted that the overwhelming number of applications demonstrated the pride people feel in their local areas. According to her, when launching this initiative, her goal was to highlight the remarkable contributions towns make across the United Kingdom to national life. She stated she was delighted by the response and hoped every town, whether selected or not, took pride in the effort put forward to champion their communities.