'GQ JAPAN' June Issue (on sale May 1) features the annual 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026'! Six groups crossing boundaries with creativity, including first-time cover star Hikaru Utada
The June 2026 issue of 'GQ JAPAN' announces the winners of the 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026'. The issue features a 22-page special on the 6 winning groups, including Hikaru Utada, who makes her first cover appearance on GQ.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 01:04 (11h 32m after Collected)
『GQ JAPAN』June 2026 Issue Photographed by PICZO © 2026 Condé Nast Japan. All rights reserved.
The special feature of the June issue of 'GQ JAPAN' (published by Condé Nast Japan) on sale Friday, May 1, is the 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026', a global project that honors people who create an unseen world with new perspectives and ideas. For this 4th edition, six groups of winners were selected for their ability to easily cross the boundaries of their genres: Hikaru Utada, who continues to challenge the concept of 'free music' even a quarter of a century after her debut; YOSHIROTTEN, who expands his field of expression with graphic design as his starting point; Suzuko Yamada, who proposes spaces that stimulate the creativity of the users without being bound by rules; IM MEN, which continues to explore both functionality and design inheriting the spirit of Issey Miyake; Shu Yonezawa, who actively continues to release works through various expressions using multimedia; and Yuki Nara, who innovates tradition as a dual-wielder of architecture and ceramics.
Gracing the cover of this issue is one of the winners and making her first appearance in 'GQ JAPAN', Hikaru Utada. The photoshoot of the busy Utada, who travels back and forth between London and Tokyo, took place in Tokyo in early spring, and the interview closed in on the source of creativity of Utada, who will release her latest song 'Pappa Paradise' in May. For Utada, who debuted at age 15, 'everyday life' is something she finally obtained in the past ten years or so. Looking back on her life that changed after having a child, she revealed the source of her creation, saying, 'Every little thing in daily life has become an inspiration.' Also, Utada, who says creativity is 'problem-solving', expressed her thoughts that capture the essence of everyday improvisational problem-solving and music production as a continuous process, stating, 'From a state where something necessary is missing, how do I fill that void──I think I've always enjoyed that process of "how can I make it?".'
■ 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026' Talents crossing boundaries with creativity
The 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026' selects talents who easily cross boundaries with the power of creativity, without being bound by genre. This special feature introduces the works of the winners and delivers interviews that get to the core of their thoughts and the sources of their imagination across 22 pages.
'GQ Creativity Awards 2026' Winners (in alphabetical order)
IM MEN
Started in 2021 as a brand that captures Issey Miyake's philosophy of 'A Piece of Cloth' from the perspective of the male body. Held its first show in Paris for the 2025-26 Autumn/Winter collection. Sentaru Kawahara (center) and Hiroki Itakura (left) in charge of design and engineering, and Nobutaka Kobayashi (right) who mainly works on textile development. Until June 21, the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto is exhibiting their 26 Spring/Summer collection pieces alongside works by ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda, who was their source of inspiration.
Hikaru Utada
Born in 1983. Debuted with 'Automatic/time will tell' released in 1998. Her first album 'First Love', released just a few months later, set the Japanese album sales record. Since then, all her albums have reached No. 1 on the weekly charts. Her new 2026 song 'Pappa Paradise' has been chosen as the new ending theme song for the anime 'Chibi Maruko-chan' and the CM song for 'Ayataka'.
Yuki Nara
Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1989. Studied architecture at Tokyo University of the Arts and ceramics at Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center, graduating at the top of his class from the Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2021, established the first-class architect office 'EARTHEN'. His representative ceramic work "BoneFlower" is permanently housed in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Major architectural works include "Node Kanazawa" (2023) and "Cave" (2023).
Suzuko Yamada
Born in Tokyo in 1984. Studied landscape design in college, and after working at Sou Fujimoto Architects, majored in architecture at the Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts. Established Suzuko Yamada Architects in 2013. Recent works include the residence 'nakano' (2024) and 'Yabu Civic Exchange Plaza YB Park' (scheduled for completion in 2027).
YOSHIROTTEN
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1983. Works across fine art and commercial art, digital and material, urban culture and nature. Established the studio 'YAR' in 2015, expanding his work with domestic and international brands and in the music field. Representative solo exhibitions include 'FUTURE NATURE' (2018) and his first at a public museum, 'FUTURE NATURE II in Kagoshima' (2024). Scheduled to hold his largest-ever solo exhibition in Tokyo in autumn 2026.
Shu Yonezawa
Born in Tokyo in 1999. Characters in digital animation
The special feature of the June issue of 'GQ JAPAN' (published by Condé Nast Japan) on sale Friday, May 1, is the 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026', a global project that honors people who create an unseen world with new perspectives and ideas. For this 4th edition, six groups of winners were selected for their ability to easily cross the boundaries of their genres: Hikaru Utada, who continues to challenge the concept of 'free music' even a quarter of a century after her debut; YOSHIROTTEN, who expands his field of expression with graphic design as his starting point; Suzuko Yamada, who proposes spaces that stimulate the creativity of the users without being bound by rules; IM MEN, which continues to explore both functionality and design inheriting the spirit of Issey Miyake; Shu Yonezawa, who actively continues to release works through various expressions using multimedia; and Yuki Nara, who innovates tradition as a dual-wielder of architecture and ceramics.
Gracing the cover of this issue is one of the winners and making her first appearance in 'GQ JAPAN', Hikaru Utada. The photoshoot of the busy Utada, who travels back and forth between London and Tokyo, took place in Tokyo in early spring, and the interview closed in on the source of creativity of Utada, who will release her latest song 'Pappa Paradise' in May. For Utada, who debuted at age 15, 'everyday life' is something she finally obtained in the past ten years or so. Looking back on her life that changed after having a child, she revealed the source of her creation, saying, 'Every little thing in daily life has become an inspiration.' Also, Utada, who says creativity is 'problem-solving', expressed her thoughts that capture the essence of everyday improvisational problem-solving and music production as a continuous process, stating, 'From a state where something necessary is missing, how do I fill that void──I think I've always enjoyed that process of "how can I make it?".'
■ 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026' Talents crossing boundaries with creativity
The 'GQ Creativity Awards 2026' selects talents who easily cross boundaries with the power of creativity, without being bound by genre. This special feature introduces the works of the winners and delivers interviews that get to the core of their thoughts and the sources of their imagination across 22 pages.
'GQ Creativity Awards 2026' Winners (in alphabetical order)
IM MEN
Started in 2021 as a brand that captures Issey Miyake's philosophy of 'A Piece of Cloth' from the perspective of the male body. Held its first show in Paris for the 2025-26 Autumn/Winter collection. Sentaru Kawahara (center) and Hiroki Itakura (left) in charge of design and engineering, and Nobutaka Kobayashi (right) who mainly works on textile development. Until June 21, the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto is exhibiting their 26 Spring/Summer collection pieces alongside works by ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda, who was their source of inspiration.
Hikaru Utada
Born in 1983. Debuted with 'Automatic/time will tell' released in 1998. Her first album 'First Love', released just a few months later, set the Japanese album sales record. Since then, all her albums have reached No. 1 on the weekly charts. Her new 2026 song 'Pappa Paradise' has been chosen as the new ending theme song for the anime 'Chibi Maruko-chan' and the CM song for 'Ayataka'.
Yuki Nara
Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1989. Studied architecture at Tokyo University of the Arts and ceramics at Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center, graduating at the top of his class from the Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2021, established the first-class architect office 'EARTHEN'. His representative ceramic work "BoneFlower" is permanently housed in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Major architectural works include "Node Kanazawa" (2023) and "Cave" (2023).
Suzuko Yamada
Born in Tokyo in 1984. Studied landscape design in college, and after working at Sou Fujimoto Architects, majored in architecture at the Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts. Established Suzuko Yamada Architects in 2013. Recent works include the residence 'nakano' (2024) and 'Yabu Civic Exchange Plaza YB Park' (scheduled for completion in 2027).
YOSHIROTTEN
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1983. Works across fine art and commercial art, digital and material, urban culture and nature. Established the studio 'YAR' in 2015, expanding his work with domestic and international brands and in the music field. Representative solo exhibitions include 'FUTURE NATURE' (2018) and his first at a public museum, 'FUTURE NATURE II in Kagoshima' (2024). Scheduled to hold his largest-ever solo exhibition in Tokyo in autumn 2026.
Shu Yonezawa
Born in Tokyo in 1999. Characters in digital animation