The first Singapore Prize winners were announced tonight (August 25) at a ceremony at Victoria Theatre in Singapore. The biennial prize awards 12 winners in four categories—Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil—in the field of literature.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges consisting of Qian Zhou, chairwoman of this year’s jury, Martin Beaver, Martin T:son Engstroem, Mihaela Martin, Joel Smirnoff and Angela Sin Ying Chan. Each winner received USD $110,000 in prize money and multiple concert engagements.
Athletes train long and hard to make it to the podium at major competitions such as the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. But despite the enormous financial commitment they have to make, only a small percentage will win medals and claim the top prize money of over USD $500,000. To support our athletes in their journey towards medal-winning glory, the Singapore Olympic Council devised an incentive scheme called the Major Games Award Programme that rewards medal-winning competitors.
Since its launch in 2010, the World Architecture Festival (WAF) has recognised many buildings that are both innovative and inspiring. In addition to recognising the most outstanding architectural projects in different countries, WAF also honours the designers behind them, and awards a special prize for the best building of the year. The latest project to receive the prize is Kampung Admiralty, a public space designed by Singapore-based firm OMA and German architect Ole Scheeren.
Winning the World Architecture Festival 2023 prize will not only help a building firm to attract more clients, but also open up new markets. For Brandon Ng, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ampd Energy, winning the prize helped his business gain a foothold in the US and Europe. The Hong Kong-based company’s Enertainer battery storage solution helps reduce costs, carbon emissions and noise pollution in construction sites. It has already been used in about 130 projects worldwide, including over 30 construction sites in Singapore.
The National University of Singapore History Prize is a biennial book prize that recognises works of literary merit on Singapore’s history. It is supported by an endowment gift from a private donor and administered by the Department of History, NUS. The Prize is awarded by a five-member Prize Panel, with the closing nomination date for a particular three year cycle announced at least a year in advance.
The NUS History Prize is a great opportunity for authors to share their work with the wider public. To be eligible, candidates must submit their works in the languages of their choice and their native country and the work must have been published during the previous three years. A panel of judges will then select the winning entry, with shortlisted works being publicly announced and featured on the program website. The NUS History Prize is free of charge for all Singapore residents.