Two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett accepted the Praemium Imperiale, one of the world’s most prominent arts honors, at a formal ceremony held in Tokyo on Wednesday. The award, presented by the Japan Art Association, recognizes lifetime achievement across five artistic disciplines: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theater/film. Previous recipients in the theater and film category include acclaimed directors such as Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and Martin Scorsese, as well as performers Judi Dench and Catherine Deneuve.
At a news conference preceding the presentation, Blanchett discussed her artistic philosophy, emphasizing the value of doubt and uncertainty in creative work. She stated that questioning and exploration are fundamental to her process, and that doubt allows for meaningful conversation and change. The actress described acting as work that can transcend literal communication, finding power in what remains unspoken between words. She noted that the gap between what characters say and what they struggle to express forms the basis of her creative investigation.
Blanchett received her medal from Princess Hitachi at the Meiji Kinenkan venue in Tokyo’s Moto-Akasaka district, along with an honorarium of 15 million yen and a testimonial letter. This year’s additional recipients included American artist Jenny Holzer, British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, American architect Daniel Libeskind, and Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who serves as the prize’s U.S. international adviser, attended the press conference and highlighted the growing significance of supporting the arts amid societal challenges and technological transformation.
Blanchett’s schedule in Japan includes participation in the Tokyo International Film Festival, which continues through November 4. She is scheduled to appear at festival events featuring displaced filmmakers whose work she supports through an initiative she co-founded, as well as a discussion with directors regarding their film Alpha Gang, in which she stars.
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