Cate Blanchett and Daniel Libeskind amongst those named Praemium Imperiale laureates

Actress Cate Blanchett, conductor Herbert Blomstedt, sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, artist Jenny Holzer and architect Daniel Libeskind have been named laureates in The Praemium Imperiale 2026 – the global arts prize honouring exceptional achievements in painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre/film. The annual awards are presented by the Japan Art Association under the honorary patronage of His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi, younger brother to the Emperor Emeritus of Japan.

Each year, the laureates are selected from a list submitted by six International Advisors to the Japan Art Association, which includes the UK’s Lord Patten, with candidates deemed to have made a major international impact in their field. Each laureate receives an honorarium of 15 million Yen (around £70,000), and there is also a Grant for Young Artists, which this year went to La Source Garouste, an organisation empowering disadvantaged children and driving social change through the power of art, which was awarded 5 million Yen (around £23,000).

Thespian and producer Blanchett, who is currently starring in Benedict Andrews’ new play Electra/Persona at London’s the National Theatre, is a colossal talent: she is the winner of two Academy Awards, four BAFTAs, four Golden Globes and three SAG Awards, with defining roles in the films Elizabeth (1998), The Aviator (2004), I’m Not There (2007), Blue Jasmine (2013), Carol (2015) and Tár (2022).

English sculptor Goldsworthy creates ephemeral works directly in the landscape using materials such as ice, leaves, blown sand and stones. He views his process as a partnership with the environment, and is currently completing Hanging Stones in North Yorkshire, a project described by the artist as "the most important work of my life," which takes the form of a six-mile walking route between ten formerly derelict houses that have been rebuilt as artworks. Together they form a single work.

American conceptual artist Holzer is renowned for pioneering the use of language and public spaces as her primary canvas, turning sharp aphorisms and political critiques into accessible visual art. Her forthcoming exhibition J’ai vu, conceived for and with the Musée d’Orsay Paris, opens on 20th October.

At the ripe age of 99, Blomstedt is one of the foremost conductors of our time. Born in Springfield Massachusetts to Swedish parents, Blomstedt grew up in Sweden and Finland and received his musical training in Stockholm, Uppsala, New York, Basel and Tanglewood, working with influential musicians such as Igor Markevitch, Jean Morel, Leonard Bernstein and Paul Sacher.

Polish-American starchitect Libeskind needs little introduction. His dramatic buildings transform complex historical trauma and human emotion into powerful physical spaces – his work receiving global acclaim for the design of the Jewish Museum Berlin in 2001. Studio Libeskind relocated its headquarters to New York City when Libeskind was appointed the master planner for the World Trade Center redevelopment. The firm’s portfolio includes museums, concert halls, convention centres, university buildings, hotels, retail complexes and residential towers. Currently, Libeskind’s Albert Einstein Discovery Center project is underway in Ulm, Germany – the birthplace of Einstein. The landmark that will communicate Einstein’s scientific achievements and his spirit of pacifism.

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