This year’s prestigious Praemium Imperiale – given by the Japan Art Association – has been awarded to Yo-Yo Ma. Few figures in classical music have such recognition – or are held in such affection – by the wider cultural world as the acclaimed cellist.

The citation drew attention not just to his classical music achievements, but his frequent and enriching collaborations with musicians from other musical genres and traditions too, not least the Silkroad Project, established by Ma in 1998 to create cross-cultural work with leading proponents of differing musical languages.  Gramophone named him our Artist of the Year back in 1997.

The annual Awards are given for several creative disciplines – that for Painting was awarded to Sebastião Salgado, for Sculpture James Turrell, and for Architecture Glenn Murcutt – with each Laureate receiving 15 million Yen (c. £100,000).  An additional 5 million Yen (c. £33,000) Grant for Young Artists is also given, which this year was awarded to The Central Institute for Restoration, founded in 1939 with the aim of conserving and restoring Italy's cultural and artistic heritage, threatened at the time by the outbreak of the Second World War, and which will fund 30 student research projects.

Founded in 1989, the Praemium Imperiale's list of previous music winners embraces some of the most significant artists of our era, including figures as diverse as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Riccardo Muti, Arvo Pärt, Mitsuko Uchida and Martha Argerich.

Lord Patten, one of the Award's International Advisers, said of the announcement: ‘Hot on the heels of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics that captured the world’s imagination, this year’s Praemium Imperiale serves as an opportune reminder of the important contribution that Japan has made in honouring achievement in the arts. As artists and cultural organisations around the world begin to recover from the devastations of the past 18 months, I hope this year’s laureates and their important contribution to civilisation will be a source of inspiration for fellow artists, governments and arts lovers.’