The 24th Praemium Imperiale Awards have been presented in Tokyo to outstanding internationally renowned artists, recognising a lifetime achievement in the Arts. The global arts prize is awarded annually by the Japan Arts Association.

On Tuesday, October 23rd, HIH Prince Hitachi, honorary patron of the Japan Art Association, presented the Praemium Imperiale Awards at a formal ceremony in Tokyo to this year’s Laureates; internationally renowned artists who have shown extraordinary achievements in the fields of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, and Theater/Film. All Laureates received specially-designed gold medals and testimonial letters. With an honorarium of 15 million yen per category (c $190,000), the awards recognize a lifetime achievement in the Arts, in categories not covered by the Nobel Prizes.

The 2012 Praemium Imperiale Laureates are:

Cai Guo-Qiang      (China)              Painting
Cecco Bonanotte  (Italy)                Sculpture
Henning Larsen    (Denmark)         Architecture
Philip Glass           (USA)                Music
Yoko Morishita      (Japan)            Theatre/Film

The Praemium Imperiale is a global arts prize awarded annually by the Japan Art Association. Since its inauguration in 1989, it has become a mark of the arts. Six nomination committees, each chaired by an International Advisor, propose candidates in five fields: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music and Theatre/Film.

Image: Cai Guo-Qiang | Footprints of History: Fireworks Project for the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games | Photo: Hiro Ihara | Courtesy: Cai Studio