The Singapore Prize is a biennial award given to authors for outstanding published works in Chinese, English or Malay. Founded by philanthropists, it aims to propel winners of the prize to take their innovations and ideas further and implement them at scale.
The 2022 prize received a record number of nominations, with the winner chosen by a jury of literary experts from diverse backgrounds. The shortlist for the award included 12 books in Chinese, English and Malay. It was also the first year that fiction and poetry competed for one prize in each language.
NUS History Prize winner Ms Hidayah Bintang Hidayah’s book Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Glam was lauded as both a synthesis and a primary source. She spent five years putting the book together, including two to three years interviewing residents of the historic district. She said that winning the prize was an affirmation that ordinary Singaporeans have important stories to tell. “It shows you don’t have to be a historian to write a history book, or even a story about Singapore,” she said.
In addition to the main prize, the award has a series of other categories, with winners in the following areas:
This year, the prize also recognises organisations that have made significant contributions to sustainable development and green growth. The winning organisations were commended for their innovative projects, investments in renewable energy and commitments by staff and the public.
The award was presented by renowned astronomer and science communicator, Professor Tan Khoon Ching. The prize is aimed at encouraging the next generation of leaders in Singapore and the region. It is also a tribute to Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, who was a strong advocate of the arts and education.
In the Design of the Year category, six projects were selected for their ground-breaking work across different sectors, with a focus on the following four impact areas: enabling economic transformation; raising quality of life; advancing Singapore brand, culture and community; and making a mark in the global arena.
A record number of entries were received in the Consumer Choice Award, with over 4,000 votes cast. The winning projects are:
Accion Andina, Peru: The organisation is a pioneer in the field of indigenous forest conservation in South America, with a focus on native high Andean forest ecosystems, which provide essential services to millions of people. The prize will help them scale up their operations and build partnerships in other countries in the region to further protect these forests. The winners will receive a share of GBP 1 million (SGD 1.7 million) in investment capital to accelerate their plans. They will also be invited to a week-long series of events as part of the new Earthshot Prize Week, which will bring together global leaders and businesses to explore exciting opportunities to repair our damaged planet.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.