37th Praemium Imperiale Goes to Five Laureates, Including Blanchett and Holzer; Award Ceremony on October 28

On September 8, 2026, the Japan Art Association announced, simultaneously in six cities including Tokyo and Paris, the five laureates of the 37th Praemium Imperiale, which honors artists from around the world. The laureates are Jenny Holzer (United States) for Painting, Andy Goldsworthy (United Kingdom) for Sculpture, Daniel Libeskind (United States) for Architecture, Herbert Blomstedt (Sweden) for Music and Cate Blanchett (Australia) for Theatre/Film. The award ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 28, at the Meiji Kinenkan in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo.

The laureates in five fields

The key points of the citations given by the association and the main achievements introduced on the official website are as follows.

• Painting: Jenny Holzer (born 1950). She was cited as a conceptual artist who has made social truths visible through language-based installations. Since her “Truisms,” posted anonymously on the streets of New York in the late 1970s, she has presented words on electronic signs and in projections onto buildings. She won the Golden Lion at the 1990 Venice Biennale.

• Sculpture: Andy Goldsworthy (born 1956). He was cited as an environmental artist who uses natural materials such as stones and branches and continues to question the relationship between humans and nature. Based in Scotland, he creates everything from ephemeral works using leaves, snow and water to large-scale works on the theme of walls.

• Architecture: Daniel Libeskind (born 1946). He began working internationally after the design competition for the Jewish Museum Berlin, and in 2003 he was selected as master planner for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site in New York.

• Music: Herbert Blomstedt (born 1927). He has served as chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden and music director of the San Francisco Symphony, among other posts.

• Theatre/Film: Cate Blanchett (born 1969). She has won two Academy Awards and served as co-artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company from 2008 to 2012.

The Grant for Young Artists goes to La Source Garouste

The recipient of the 29th Grant for Young Artists, announced at the same time, is La Source Garouste of France, an arts education organization based in Paris and other parts of France that fosters children’s creativity and social participation through art. The grant of 5 million yen was presented at the announcement press conference held in Paris on September 8. The program was established in 1997 to nurture young people who will lead the next generation.

The award ceremony and related events

At the ceremony, each laureate receives a commemorative medal, a testimonial and prize money of 15 million yen. Blomstedt, the Music laureate, will miss the joint press conference the day before and the ceremony for health reasons. At his request, Stefan Forsberg, president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, will travel to Japan to accept the award on his behalf.

On Thursday, October 29, Libeskind will give a commemorative architecture lecture in Akasaka, Tokyo. Attendance is by invitation, allocated by lottery, and applications have closed.

What is the Praemium Imperiale?

The Praemium Imperiale was established in 1988 by the Japan Art Association to commemorate its centennial. Carrying on the wishes of its late honorary patron, Prince Takamatsu, to contribute to the promotion of culture and the arts worldwide, it is awarded every year in five fields: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music and Theatre/Film. Laureates are decided by the association’s board of directors from candidates chosen by a Japanese selection committee based on recommendations from international advisers. Also in September, Ryoji Ikeda received the 9th Nam June Paik Art Center Prize from the Nam June Paik Art Center in South Korea. Major awards in art and design are introduced in our [2026] roundup of major awards in art, design and spatial production. Among honors in Japan, the 2026 Order of Culture recipients and Persons of Cultural Merit were announced on October 23, with architect Toyo Ito among those receiving the Order of Culture (article on the Order of Culture and Persons of Cultural Merit).

Overview

Name: The 37th Praemium Imperiale
Announced: September 8, 2026
Award ceremony: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Meiji Kinenkan (Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo)
Laureates: Painting: Jenny Holzer / Sculpture: Andy Goldsworthy / Architecture: Daniel Libeskind / Music: Herbert Blomstedt / Theatre/Film: Cate Blanchett
29th Grant for Young Artists: La Source Garouste (France)
Prize money: 15 million yen for each field (presented with a commemorative medal and a testimonial); 5 million yen for the Grant for Young Artists
Organizer: Japan Art Association
Official website: https://www.praemiumimperiale.org/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: the Meiji Kinenkan, venue of the award ceremony, December 2017 (photo: Edomura no Tokuzo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on a press release from the Japan Art Association (September 8, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team