Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt will be honored with this year's Praemium Imperiale. This was announced on Tuesday in Berlin by Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, representative of the Japan Art Association. The award is considered the world's most important art prize and is presented in the categories of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theater/film.

Herbert Blomstedt

The 99-year-old Blomstedt is revered for the depth and balance of his interpretations, the statement read. "Even in his tenth decade, he conducts internationally leading orchestras with undiminished energy, vitality, and insight into the works. His concerts testify to the rare ability to illuminate familiar scores with new freshness and wisdom.".

Other recipients of the 2026 Praemium Imperiale are Australian-American actress Cate Blanchett, American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer, British artist Andy Goldsworthy, and American architect Daniel Libeskind. The awards are each worth 15 million yen (approximately 80,500 euros). They will be presented by the Japanese Imperial Household in Tokyo in October.

This year's award winners are internationally present and influential in performance, exhibition, and reception, as well as in Germany and Berlin. "Artistic freedom is increasingly threatened by state interference, censorship regulations, and societal polarization. Yet, the freedom of culture is the foundation of a democratic society," said Lehmann. "The selected artists show us how cultures, in and despite their differences, can support peaceful cooperation and broaden horizons of thought—a process of self-affirmation and self-examination as an offering to the world."

The "Grant For Young Artists" award, worth five million yen (around 27,000 euros), goes to La Source Garouste. The French initiative supports socially disadvantaged children through opportunities for art and creativity, it was stated.

The Praemium Imperiale, established in 1988, has been awarded to 185 artists from more than 35 nations since 1989.

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