Blue Ribbon Awards

The Blue Ribbon Awards (ブルーリボン賞, Burū Ribon Shō?) are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.

The awards were established in 1950 by The Association of Tokyo Film Journalists (東京映画記者会, Tōkyō Eiga Kishakai?) which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers. In 1961, the six major Japanese newspapers (Yomiuri Shinbun, Asahi Shinbun, Mainichi Shinbun, Sankei Shinbun, Tokyo Shinbun and Nihon Keizai Shinbun) as well as the Japanese Associated Press withdrew their support for the Blue Ribbon Awards and established the Association of Japanese Film Journalists Awards (日本映画記者会賞, Nihon Eiga Kishakai Shō?), (which were held a mere six times). In 1967, the awards were cancelled as a result of the Black Mist Scandal. In 1975, the awards were revived, and have continued until the present day. The annual award ceremony is held in a variety of places in Tokyo every February.

Although the award is not acclaimed highly on an international level, due to their long history and the rigorous screening process, the Blue Ribbon Awards have become one of the most prestigious national cinema awards in Japan. Along with the Kinema Junpo Awards (キネマ旬報賞, Kinema Junpō Shō?) and the Mainichi Film Concours (毎日映画コンクール, Mainichi Eiga Konkūru?), it is nearly as sought after as the Japan Academy Prize. Winning one of these awards is considered to be a great honour.

In addition, the winning films themselves have a tendency to receive high distinctions in other film festivals around the world. Recent acclaimed nominations include films like Nobody Knows (2004), Tasogare Seibei (2002), Spirited Away (2001), and Battle Royale (2001).