Japan Art Association Postpones 32nd Praemium Imperiale Awards Until 2021

Due to concerns and uncertainties caused by the global Coronavirus pandemic, the Japan Art Association has made the difficult decision to postpone the 32nd Praemium Imperiale annual Awards Announcement of new laureates for an entire year until September 2021.

The Awards Ceremony will take place October 2021 in Tokyo in the presence of His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi, honorary patron of the Japan Art Association. This is the first time a postponement has occurred in the history of these awards. Each year, the Japan Art Association recognizes artists from around the world for the outstanding international impact they had on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community and in contributing to the peace and prosperity of mankind.

The Japan Art Association said: "The arts are critical, especially in times of uncertainty, for healing and uniting all people, transcending national boundaries, race, religion, gender and language. We look forward to the 2021 Praemium Imperiale events when we can reunite to celebrate the central role of the arts in bringing light to our shared humanity and deeper meaning to our lives."

The Praemium Imperiale is the world's most prestigious international art prize in the fields of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, and Theatre/Film. It has become a powerful voice for the importance of culture in today's world. The roster of laureates includes 160 artists, including Cindy Sherman, Shirin Neshat, David Hockney, Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Martin Scorsese, Akira Kurosawa, Philip Glass, Gidon Kremer, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mitsuko Uchida, and Judi Dench.

The 2019 Praemium Imperiale Laureates were Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Architecture (U.S.A.); William Kentridge, Painting (South Africa); Mona Hatoum, Sculpture (U.K.); Anne-Sophie Mutter, Music (Germany); and Bando Tamasaburo, Theatre/Film (Japan). A complete list of winners can be found here.

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