<span>Praemium Imperiale 2025 was awarded to Eduardo Souto de Moura</span>

This year's recipient of the Praemium Imperiale award is the Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. The award has been presented under the honorary patronage of His Imperial Highness Prince Hitachi (younger brother of the emeritus Japanese Emperor Akihito) by the Japan Art Association since 1988 in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theater/film. This year's other laureates include Scottish painter Peter Doig, Hungarian-British pianist András Schiff, Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and Serbian conceptual artist Marina Abramović, who will present her work at the Vienna Albertina this autumn. Each of the five winners, in addition to the award, will also receive a financial prize of 15 million yen (approximately 2.15 million crowns).
Seventy-two-year-old architect Souto de Moura received the award for his lifetime achievement, which “is known for its conviction that ‘there is no universal architecture; everything arises from its place,’ and consistently creates works that resonate with their time and context. He carefully selects materials with respect to local traditions and culture. He believes that the most urgent need of architecture is to address current problems and emphasizes the importance of ecological and cultural awareness. Moura's work stands out for its sculptural form, bold use of color, and unique combination of different materials.”
Souto de Moura, who established his studio forty-five years ago in Porto, has long collaborated with fellow Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, who received the prestigious Japanese award in 1998. In the past, the Praemium Imperiale has been awarded to figures such as Shigeru Ban, Glenn Murcutt, Kazuyo Sejima, and Ryue Nishizawa, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Rafael Moneo, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, and Dominique Perrault. The award will be presented on October 22, 2025, in the assembly hall of Meiji Kinenkan in Tokyo, and Moura's commemorative lecture will take place the following day.

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