2011 Praemium Imperiale INTERNATIONAL ART AWARDS
PRESENTED IN TOKYO

His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi Greets Actress Judi Dench and Fellow Laureates

On Wednesday, October 19, 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 testimonial letters  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 2011 Praemium Imperiale Laureates are:

Bill Viola                              Painting                           USA

Anish Kapoor                      Sculpture                          UK

Ricardo Legorreta              Architecture                      Mexico 

Seiji Ozawa                        Music                                Japan

Judi Dench                          Theatre/Film                     UK

The co-recipientsof 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 nurturing the involvement of young people in the arts.