SINGAPORE — This year, The Singapore Prize has introduced an additional award category – President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Award 2023 – which recognizes individuals whose philanthropic activities have made significant impacts in society. These changes go into effect this month.
This award recognizes individuals and organisations that have “broken through barriers to make an everlasting impact”, as stated by the Ministry of Home Affairs. A panel of judges will select a winner of this prestigious accolade who will receive both a cash prize of S$10,000 as well as the Presidential Medal of Merit.
Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) for the first time has included both emerging authors and veteran writers in its English-language shortlist. Novelist Myle Yan Tay is included with Catskull (2023), while Cultural Medallion recipient Suchen Christine Lim earned Dearest Intimate (2022). Furthermore, Singapore Book Council nominated two Mandarin writers: Ning Xi with Magic Babe Ning 2019 and Chui Seng Wah who received a Special Mention award due to writing his family history book which earned a Special Mention award during competition.
NUS historian Kamaladevi Aravindan’s novel Sembawang (2020; available here) has made the shortlist of this year’s National University of Singapore History Prize. Aravindan states that her novel explores what historical events mean to average people, moving away from traditional views of history as being simply about big-wig figures who shape history’s trajectory.
The prize, similar to President John F Kennedy’s Moonshot initiative in the US, will travel this week to Singapore for its third annual awards ceremony and awards banquet. Prince Willem-Alexander will meet locals as he visits notable landmarks like Istana palace. Furthermore, a summit featuring prize finalists will highlight their innovative strategies against climate change.
The prize will honour organizations at the forefront of research and innovation as well as those whose efforts have had “significant social or economic benefit”, with awards presented by an expert panel comprised of representatives from government agencies as well as private sectors – in line with Singapore’s mission to become an international hub for technology and science.