Jenny Holzer and Andy Goldsworthy win art world’s ‘Nobel Prizes’

The Japan Art Association named US conceptual artist Jenny Holzer the 2026 Praemium Imperiale laureate for painting and British land artist Andy Goldsworthy the laureate for sculpture, with each receiving ¥15 million (around £70,000). Often called the “Nobel Prizes of the Arts,” the awards are made annually under the honorary patronage of Prince Hitachi and recognize achievements across five categories: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre/film. Other 2026 recipients include actor Cate Blanchett, conductor Herbert Blomstedt, and architect Daniel Libeskind. The article highlights Holzer’s text-based works such as Truisms (1978–87) and her Redaction Paintings (2005–present), and Goldsworthy’s nature-based projects including Rowan leaves laid around hole, October 25, 1987 (1987) and Spire (2008) in San Francisco’s Presidio.

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