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The American-born choreographer John Neumeier, who has been the artistic director of the Hamburg Ballet since 1973, is one of the recipients of the 2015 Kyoto Prize, established in 1985 by the Inamori Foundation in Japan to honor “those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural and spiritual betterment of mankind.”

Mr. Neumeier, 73, is this year’s laureate in the arts and philosophy category. The Japanese chemist Toyoki Kunitake, 79, is the laureate for advanced technology, and the Swiss astrophysicist Michel Mayor, 73, has won the prize for basic sciences.

The winners will accept their awards, which come with a diploma, a gold medal and 50 million yen (around $400,000) at a ceremony in November in Kyoto, Japan.

The Inamori Foundation described Mr. Neumeier as leading the global dance scene today, and praised him for “raising the art to a new level.”