Singapore Prize Winners Announced
Whether it is for a book that delves into the complexities of Singapore’s history or one that is written in an accessible and entertaining manner, a wide array of titles have been crowned the winners in the latest round of the Singapore Prize. The award is a biennial literary prize that recognises outstanding published works by Singapore writers in the four official languages of Singapore, which include Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
A total of 12 top prizes were awarded at the event, which was held at the Theatre at Mediacorp Campus in Singapore. Among them, the winner of the Best Young Writer category went to the debut author of the short story collection “Singapore Dreaming”, which centres around the lives and experiences of several Singaporean youths in the post-independence period. The prize is a joint initiative by the National Arts Council and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth.
The prestigious prize, first awarded in 2009, is the highest honour conferred on researchers in Singapore for their contributions to society. The winners of the Prize will receive a cash award, an exclusive opportunity to host a public lecture on their research and development work at the National University of Singapore, as well as access to specialised laboratory facilities and technical support from the National Science and Technology Centre.
This year’s finalists for the Vogue Singapore x BMW Innovation Prize 2023 came from all over Asia. After an intense two-day bootcamp, ten businesses made the cut and were placed in an intensive four-week mentorship programme with industry experts such as couture designer Sohee Park, vice president of global partnerships at Farfetch Alexis Bonhomme and BMW’s research engineer Dr Stella Clarke. The winner, which will be unveiled at the virtual awards ceremony next month, will win a US$15,000 cash prize and extensive media coverage across Vogue’s various platforms, as well as feedback from the jury, which is comprised of senior executives from Vogue and luxury brand Farfetch.
In line with the theme of sustainability, the awards were presented at a glitzy ceremony attended by Prince William. He coordinated with the ceremony’s host Hannah Waddingham, who wore a dark green velour suit, by sporting a matching dickie bow. Other attendees included actors Donnie Yen and Mbatha Motsepe, who both wore sustainable gowns from British label Stella McCartney.
The NUS Singapore History Prize was founded in 2014 to promote engagement with Singapore’s history and to encourage a wider understanding of the nation’s place in the world. The prize was mooted by Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the NUS Asia Research Institute and senior advisor to the NUS Office of the Vice Chancellor (University & Global Relations). In an interview with CNBC, Mahbubani said there could be plans to expand the scope of the prize in future, allowing works that focus on history beyond the traditional textbooks. He cited movies such as the award-winning Twelve Years a Slave as an example. For more information, visit NUS’ website.