Art News

2011 Praemium Imperiale international arts awards presented at a formal ceremony in Tokyo

TOKYO.- On Wednesday, October 19th, His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi, honorary patron of the Japan Art Association, presented the Praemium Imperiale art awards at a formal ceremony in Tokyo to an esteemed class of Laureates who have shown extraordinary achievement in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre/film. Academy and Tony Award-winning actress Dame Judi Dench and her four fellow Laureates were on hand to receive their specially-designed gold medals and diplomas from Prince Hitachi. Carrying prizes of 15 million yen (approximately $195,000) each, the awards recognize lifetime achievement in the arts in categories not covered by the Nobel Prizes. The co-recipients of the annual Grant for Young Artists award (presented in July) were The Royal Court Young Writers Programme and Southbank Sinfonia. Each group received 2.5 million yen (approximately $30,000) to support their goals of nur