The Singapore Prize is a biennial award given to the best published works in each of the four official languages of the country: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. It is presented by the National Book Development Council of Singapore. This year’s ceremony is a special one as it marks the 50th anniversary of the prize’s existence.
This year, the prize was awarded to two books: The Food of the Singapore Malays, by acclaimed food historian Khir Johari, and the 2021 NUS History Prize winner Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Gelam, by Hidayah Amin. The latter is described in the citation as “a synthesis of history and also a primary source, thanks to Ms Hidayah’s personal input.”
Both the local and international winners were celebrated at an event held on 28th February. The finalists were split into six groups and given 10 minute presentations, followed by a Q&A session. At the end of the session, the judges were asked to give their recommendations for the final winning team. The judging panel included Akiko Naka, CEO of Wantedly; Ryota Kanai, CEO of Alaya; and Michael Lee, Managing Director of the Global Investor Group at DBS Bank.
The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, which was attended by more than 800 people. Each of the 16 finalists received a trophy, and the winning team was given a prize worth up to S$100,000.
This is the second year that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has supported the SEA Prize. The SEA Prize is an annual award for students who perform well in the subject of Maritime Studies or Marine Engineering at the Secondary level and who meet certain criteria. The MPA is pleased to support the SEA Prize this year, in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Maritime Foundation, to honour those who excel in the field of maritime science and technology.
During the awards ceremony, the winners of the SEA Prize were also presented with the Catalyst Award, an investment to scale their work and bring it to market. The Catalyst Award is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
The Earthshot Prize, an initiative founded by Prince William in 2020 to protect and restore our planet, will be travelling to Singapore in November for its third annual awards ceremony. The prizes are worth over $200,000 in total, and are aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs to come up with innovative solutions to our biggest environmental challenges.
The competition has received submissions from over 300 companies, and the finalists were selected through a rigorous selection process. The semi-final sessions were conducted over a week, with the participating startups divided into six groups and giving 10-minute presentations and attending Q&A sessions. Each of the six finalists was then awarded a cash prize of up to S$50,000 and a mentoring opportunity with an industry expert. The winner of the grand prize is expected to be announced at the award ceremony on 7 November.