<p>In 2010, the Praemium Imperiale was awarded to Toyo Ito.</p>

The Japanese Art Association announced that this year's recipient of the Praemium Imperiale award for architecture is Toyo Ito. This annually awarded honor is considered one of the highest in the field of art. Alongside Toyo Ito, the medal was awarded to Sophia Loren for theater/film, Enrico Castellani for painting, Rebecca Horn for sculpture, and Maurizio Pollini for music.
The international jury included, among others, Lamberto Dini (Italy), Francois Pinault (France), Christopher Patten (England), and Yasuhiro Nakasone (Japan), but the final decision rested with the Japanese Art Association.
The jury justified this year's selection with the following statements: “Ito, who has practiced architecture for decades, consistently brings projects with a sense of sophisticated elegance, a deep commitment to the relationship between architecture, nature, and the environment. We are honored to celebrate this remarkable group of this year's Praemium Imperiale laureates. This prestigious award celebrates their uniqueness and lifelong contributions to art in their international journey towards communication, enlightenment, and enjoyment.”

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