The Carol Fisher Sorgenfrei Prize for Japanese Theatre is designed to promote and encourage the study of Japanese theatre and performance given to an early career scholar for an outstanding article, chapter, or essay on Japanese theatre or performance published in English during the previous calendrical year in a journal, online journal, or book. The winning essay will be an original contribution to the field, exhibit excellence in the analysis of Japanese theatre, and demonstrate the author’s potential as a scholar of Japanese theatre.

Prize was awarded for the article "Memory of Nanjing: Kamome Machine's Experiments in Sharing Thoughts" published in Etudes, Dec. 2023. The Prize Committee found the essay significant contribution to theatre scholarship and appreciated the methodology of including the artist's voice.