Since it was inaugurated in 1969 with the aim of promoting Western-style music in Japan, the Suntory Music Award
(previously known as the Torii Music Award) has been presented every year to an individual or ensemble who made outstanding contributions to the development of musical culture in Japan during the previous year. Prize money: ¥7,000,000.
- Times
- Year
- Prize Winning Performances
- 1st
- 1969
- Michio KOBAYASHIpiano, cembalo, conduct
- 2nd
- 1970
- Tsuyoshi TSUTSUMIcello
- 3rd
- 1971
- Reiji MITANIopera production
- 4th
- 1972
- Takashi OGAWAlibrarian, theory and critic
- 5th
- 1973
- Organ Committee of International Christian University
- 6th
- 1974
- Kazuyoshi AKIYAMAconduct
- 7th
- 1975
- Yoshinobu KURIBAYASHItenor
Ginji YAMANEcritic
- 8th
- 1976
- Yasushi AKUTAGAWA and The New Symphony Orchestra
- 9th
- 1977
- Toshiko TSUNEMORIsoprano
- 10th
- 1978
- Teizo MATSUMURAcomposition
- 11th
- 1979
- Sumire YOSHIHARAcomposition
- 12th
- 1980
- Kappa SENOHset and costume design
<special prize> Hideo EDOchairman of the first Japan Music Competition
- 13th
- 1981
- Minao SHIBATAcomposition
- 14th
- 1982
- Yuzo TOYAMAconduct
<special prize> Kiyoshi HARAconstruction of The Symphony Hall in Osaka
- 15th
- 1983
- Keisuke SUZUKIopera production
- 16th
- 1984
- Kiyomi TOYODAsoprano
- 17th
- 1985
- Telemann Institute Japan
- 18th
- 1986
- Mitsuko UCHIDApiano
Hiroshi WAKASUGIconduct
- 19th
- 1987
- Hiroyuki IWAKIconduct
- 20th
- 1988
- Yasuko HAYASHIsoprano
- 21st
- 1989
- Masahiro ARITAflauto traverso, conduct
- 22nd
- 1990
- Toru TAKEMITSUcomposition
- 23rd
- 1991
- Tadaaki OTAKAconduct
- 24th
- 1992
- Shigeo NERIKIpiano
- 25th
- 1993
- Midori GOTOviolin
<special prize> Wolfgang Sawallischconduct
- 26th
- 1994
- Takayoshi WANAMIviolin
- 27th
- 1995
- Nobuko IMAIviola
- 28th
- 1996
- Takahiro SONODAviolin
Joji YUASAcomposition
- 29th
- 1997
- The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
- 30th
- 1998
- Hikaru HAYASHIcomposition
- 31st
- 1999
- Akira MIYOSHIcomposition
- 32nd
- 2000
- Taijiro IIMORIconduct
- 33rd
- 2001
- Toshi ICHIYANAGIcomposition
- 34th
- 2002
- Seiji OZAWAconduct
Kaori KIMURApiano
- 35th
- 2003
- Ichiro NODAIRApiano, composition
- 36th
- 2004
- Akira NISHIMURAcomposition
- 37th
- 2005
- Hidemi SUZUKIcello, conduct
- 38th
- 2006
- Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus
- 39th
- 2007
- Toshio HOSOKAWAcomposition
- 40th
- 2008
- Yumi KOYAMAmezzo soprano
- 41st
- 2009
- Kazushi ONOconduct
- 42nd
- 2010
- Yoshio WATANABEcembalo
- 43rd
- 2011
- --------------
- 44th
- 2012
- Mihoko FUJIMURAmezzo soprano
- 45th
- 2013
- Masaaki SUZUKI and Bach Collegium Japan
- 46th
- 2014
- Junichi HIROKAMI and Kyoto Symphony Orchestra
- 47th
- 2015
- Toppan Hall
- 48th
- 2016
- Yu Kosugepiano
- 49th
- 2017
- Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
- 50th
- 2018
- Ken Takasekiconduct
- 51st
- 2019
- Hisako Kawamurapiano
- 52nd
- 2020
- Masahiro Miwacomposition
- 53rd
- 2021
- Yoshimichi HamadaDirection , Recorder , Cornett
- 54th
- 2022
- Michiyoshi Inoueconduct
Special Award in memory
- June
- 1979
- Mari IWAMOTO String Quartet
- August
- 1997
- Toshiro MAYUZUMIcomposition
