The Deming Prize is the longest-running national quality award and one of the highest awards in the world. It recognizes both individuals for their contributions to the field of quality and businesses that have successfully implemented exemplary systems that promote quality of goods and services. It was established in 1951 to honor W. Edwards Deming who contributed greatly to Japan’s proliferation of statistical quality control after World War II. His teachings helped Japan build its foundation by which the level of Japan’s product quality has been recognized as the highest in the world, was originally designed to reward Japanese companies for major advances in quality improvement. Over the years it has grown, under the guidance of the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) to where it is now also available to non-Japanese companies, albeit usually operating in Japan, and also to individuals recognized as having made major contributions to the advancement of quality. The awards ceremony is broadcast every year in Japan on national television.

Two categories of awards are made annually, the Deming Prize for Individuals and the Deming Prize, with a third, the Deming Distinguished Practice Award to be awarded for the first time in October 2024.