The Singapore Prize is an award given out by the Singapore government. It recognizes those who have made significant contributions across multiple fields, awarding winners with substantial cash prizes that they can use towards furthering their studies or careers. Furthermore, winners get their work displayed at a special exhibition at National Museum of Singapore.
John Miksic of Archaeology at Cornell has won the inaugural NUS Singapore History Prize with his book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800. Miksic’s research highlights literary references and archaeological finds such as glass shards and bronze bowls that point towards Temasek predating Sir Stamford Raffles founding of Singapore as a city-state in 1819.
Miksic noted that this prize demonstrates how anyone, without being professional historians, can produce work which enriches our understanding of Singaporean history. Ms Hidayah spent five years researching her book Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Gelam by interviewing those living nearby and conducting fieldwork. As its oldest winner thus far in this program’s history.
Muhammad Dinie from ITE College Central won this prize for leading an initiative to recognize Town Council cleaners during the Covid-19 pandemic, by giving food, groceries and thank-you cards in their Ang Mo Kio estate. This prize aims to inspire pre-tertiary students with an idea that Harvard University is an accessible institution and connect them with its community in Singapore.
Dmytro Udovychenko won the 2022 Singapore International Violin Competition by beating out Anna Agafia Egholm and Angela Sin Ying Chan as finalists, at an event hosted at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music attended by many notable attendees such as Cate Blanchett (Oscar winner) and Donnie Yen (actor). Additionally, Prince William’s Earthshot charity promoted sustainable solutions to climate change during this competition.
NUS professor Clara Chow has received three Singapore Literature Prize awards: English fiction, creative nonfiction and Chinese poetry categories. As such, she becomes the first writer in its history to be shortlisted in three different categories in two languages simultaneously. At an awards ceremony featuring the 40-meter Rain Vortex waterfall, which is the world’s largest indoor waterfall. The winner was honored with both a trophy and cash prize of S$20,000; runners-up each took home S$10k prizes. A jury composed of literary critics and editors, academicians and researchers, members of the public as well as sponsors from Changi Foundation selected and announced winners at an awards ceremony held as part of Singapore 50 celebrations in 2014. Kishore Mahbubani announced them officially. This award first emerged as part of Singapore 50 celebrations.