The winners of Britain’s Earthshot Prize, which was created three years ago by Prince William to encourage green innovators to find solutions to climate change, have been named at a ceremony in Singapore. The five finalists—which include a maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and non-profits that work to make electric car batteries cleaner, restore Andean forests and deter illegal fishing—were each awarded 1 million pounds. “The light of hope is burning bright in our Earthshot finalists,” the prince said at the event.

The NUS Singapore History Prize, which was established in 2014, recognises published works of non-fiction that explore the history of the island nation. It aims to spur interest in Singapore’s past and make its complexities and nuances more accessible to non-academic readers. It is open to authors of publications written in any of Singapore’s official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.

This year’s shortlist comprises an eclectic mix of books ranging from an examination of the life of iconic Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to histories of Malaysian migrants in Singapore. Two works, a re-examination of the Qixi Festival and Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore, explored important events in the country’s history from new perspectives.

A retired Singapore diplomat, Kishore Mahbubani, who chaired the prize’s five-member jury panel and set up the award in 2014, described at a media conference the 21st century as that of the Great Asian Renaissance. “In the future, it will be a time when Asia takes its place as one of the world’s most important regions,” he said.

In a move to boost the profile of the prize and help the public choose their favourite, this year the jury also selected six honourable mentions to receive a cash award of S$10,000 each. These were:

Other honourable mentions included a book that tells the story of the iconic Singapore bridge, an exploration of the country’s food culture and a memoir by a former prime minister. The winning works will be announced on Oct 24.

For more information on the prizes, and to vote for your favourite, visit here.