The Sidney Prize is awarded monthly to an outstanding piece of journalism appearing in the previous month. Nominations are accepted for one’s own work or someone else’s, but must be published in a newspaper, magazine or online news site and have an impact that goes beyond the individual article itself.
The prize is named in honor of the late Sidney Wertimer, who was an influential figure in Hamilton College’s history. The college holds a lecture series in his name and has an endowed scholarship fund and professorship established in his memory.
Winners of the Sidney Prize receive a certificate and a check for $1500. The prize is given to the best published article that uses the methods of Consumer Culture Theory to address important issues in contemporary marketing and consumer research. The winner is chosen by an international panel of scholars. One honorable mention is also granted each year.
This award honors the memory of an alumnus who, through his or her senior thesis and general academic distinction, demonstrates outstanding scholarship of a broad and interdisciplinary nature. The Iwanter Prize is generously funded by a bequest from an alumnus of the College of Letters & Science and named in memory of Sidney E. Iwanter. It is presented at the Society’s Triennial Council Meeting.
Established in 1992 by the Board of Trustees of Phi Beta Kappa, this award recognizes national distinction by a single scholar in each of three endeavors — scholarship, undergraduate teaching and leadership in the cause of liberal arts education. The prize is supported by gifts from a number of alumni and friends and is presented at the Society’s Triennial Congress.
The 2023 Sydney Peace Prize was awarded to Iranian-born actress and human rights activist Nazanin Boniadi, for her tireless efforts to promote women’s rights in Iran. She is a great example of “turning outrage into action,” said Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney. The City of Sydney is a major supporter of the prize.