America's Ivan Sutherland has won Japan's annual Kyoto Prize for his contributions to computer graphics technology and interactive interfaces that allow people to use computers without the need for complicated programming.

Sutherland, of Portland State University, was named the winner Friday, June 22, in the category of advanced technology.

Japan's Yoshinori Ohsumi, a molecular biologist at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, was awarded for his work in the basic sciences. India's Gayatri Spivak, a literary critic and professor at Columbia University, won the prize for arts and philosophy, the Associated Press reported.

The Kyoto Prize is awarded each year by the Inamori Foundation, a charitable body established by the founder of Japanese electronic component maker Kyocera Corp. It is Japan's highest private award for global achievement.