TOKYO, JAPAN.- The names of the 5 new Praemium Imperiale Laureates have been announced: Kusama Yayoi, painting; Christian Boltanski, sculpture; Frei Otto, architecture; Steve Rich, music; and Maya Plisetskaya , theatre/film. The Praemium Imperiale is awarded by the Japan Art Association, and is the world's largest and most prestigious arts prize. Now in its 18th year, the Praemium Imperiale has grown to become a powerful voice for the importance of the arts in today’s world. It gives international recognition to the arts, much in the same way as the Nobel Prizes do in the Sciences. The Praemium Imperiale is awarded in the five disciplines of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music and Theatre/Film. Artists are recognized for their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community. The five laureates each receive an honorarium of 15 million yen(c. $131,000), and a diploma and medal presented to them by Prince Hitachi, the Japanese Emperor’s younger brother, and honorary patron of the Japan Art Association, in an awards ceremony in Tokyo.

The awards ceremony will take place in Tokyo on October 18th. Last year, the awards went to Robert Ryman(painting), Issey Miyake(sculpture), Yoshio Taniguchi(architecture), Martha Argerich(music) and Merce Cunningham(theatre/film). Laureates awarded previously include Bridget Riley, Rem Koolhaas, Anselm Kiefer, Akira Kurosawa, Robert Rauschenberg, Claudio Abbado, Sigmar Polke, Norman Foster, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Jean-Luc Godard.

International Advisors to the Japan Art Association chair nomination committees and propose candidates for the annual awards. Japan Art Association selection committees make final selections. International Advisors include several prominent statesmen and business leaders: Raymond Barre, Lamberto Dini, William H. Luers, Yasuhiro Nakasone, and Richard von Weizsäcker. Honorary Advisors are Jacques Chirac, David Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, Jr., and Helmut Schmidt.