Japan Art Association Announces the 2026 Praemium Imperiale Prize Recipients
Jenny Holzer and Andy Goldsworthy are two of the five recipients of the 2026 Praemium Imperiale, the Japan Art Association’s prestigious international arts award.
Jenny Holzer, All Fall, 2012. Photo: : Joshua White/JW Pictures, courtesy Jenny Holzer member Artists Rights Society (ARS)
Jenny Holzer and Andy Goldsworthy are among the five laureates of the 2026 Praemium Imperiale, the award from the Japan Art Association.
Awarded annually since 1989, the prize was created in memory of Prince Takamatsu, member of the imperial family and fervent patron of the arts. Covering art forms ranging from painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theatre and film, the prize has become one of the world's most significant international cultural honours, with each laureate receiving ¥15 million. Previous laureates include David Hockney, Frank Gehry, Akira Kurosawa and Marina Abramović.
Awarded in the painting category, Holzer is a US-based conceptual artist exploring the use of text in public spaces. Using LED signs, projections and monumental public installations, her work brings terse, politically charged statements into viewers’ daily life that confront questions of power and violence.
English sculptor Goldsworthy is recognised for creating site-specific installations that engage with their environment. Using natural materials such as clay, stone and ice, his pieces reflect on our connection to nature and the passing of time.
They join architect Daniel Libeskind, conductor Herbert Blomstedt and actor Cate Blanchett as this year’s laureates.
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