The Singapore Prize is the biennial award given by the National Book Development Council of Singapore to authors of outstanding books published in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. The prestigious prize carries a cash purse of up to $10,000 and consists of a medallion, an award certificate and a gold medal.
The first awards were held in 1968 with Patricia Chan and Tan Thuan Heng being named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year respectively. Both were rewarded for their performance at the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP, later SEA) Games where they won a combined total of 10 gold medals in various events. A number of other athletes were also honoured with Meritorious Awards, including Cheong Wai Hing (athletics), Peck Noi Huay (table tennis), Canagasabai Kunalan (weightlifting) and K S Moorthy (judo).
Athletes who make it to the top level of their sport have to spend an enormous amount on training and nutrition over many years before they can hope to stand on the podium at an Olympic or major international competition. That’s why some countries offer their athletes a financial bonus for winning a gold medal – and Singapore is one of them. Joseph Schooling’s record-breaking victory in the 100m fly at the Rio Olympics made him the country’s first ever gold medallist and earned him $753,000 in prize money.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what athletes can get in the form of cash bonuses and other rewards from their home nation. Here’s a look at the full list of monetary rewards for medal-winning Singaporean athletes.
In 2024, Professor Gertjan Medema from the KWR Water Research Institute was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for his work in wastewater-based epidemiology. This timely breakthrough enabled the use of wastewater surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic to fight the spread of the virus.
Prince William will be in Singapore next month to host the Earthshot Prize Awards, spotlighting 15 finalists whose innovation projects are aimed at solving climate change. The annual event is part of the Royal Foundation charity that the Duke founded to encourage altruism around the world.
At a ceremony at the Mediacorp theatre hosted by Emmy award winner Hannah Waddingham and three-time Emmy winning actor Sterling K. Brown, the prize finalists were presented with their prizes by a celebrity panel of environmental and sustainability activists, and walked down the red carpet in line with the theme. Donnie Yen donned a 10-year-old dark green blazer from Alexander McQueen, and Mbatha wore a silky green dress by edgy designer Stella McCartney.
A health civil society needs people who are committed to their communities and will put the common good before their own interests at critical moments. The Harvard Prize Book acknowledges such individuals and celebrates the values of community spirit, public service and selflessness. A panel of judges selected the winning entries based on their ability to inspire and inform through storytelling. The winning entries will be published online in April 2020 and distributed worldwide.