Cate Blanchett received the Praemium Imperiale for theatre and film at a ceremony in Tokyo on 28 October. Princess Hitachi presented the medal at Meiji Kinenkan. The Japan Art Association’s award recognises lifetime achievement across five artistic fields; Blanchett joined laureates including Jenny Holzer, Andy Goldsworthy, Daniel Libeskind and Herbert Blomstedt.
Actor Cate Blanchett received the Praemium Imperiale for theatre and film on 28 October at Meiji Kinenkan in Tokyo, Japan. Princess Hitachi presented her medal at the ceremony. The Japan Art Association gives the award for lifetime achievement across painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre and film. Each recipient receives a medal, a testimonial letter and 15 million yen.[1], [2]
This year’s other laureates are artist Jenny Holzer, sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, architect Daniel Libeskind and conductor Herbert Blomstedt. Committees associated with the prize’s international advisers recommend candidates, with the Japan Art Association making the final selections. The honour places practitioners from different artistic fields in the same annual programme, recognising work across their careers rather than a single production. Hillary Clinton, the prize’s US international adviser, also attended the news conference before the ceremony.[1]
At the news conference before the ceremony, Blanchett described doubt as an opening for creative questioning and exploration. Her acceptance remarks referred to painter Leonora Carrington. She also described the distance between what is spoken and what a character cannot express as a starting point for her acting.[1]
