The Singapore Prize and NUS Singapore History Prize

The Singapore prize is a biennial award that recognises outstanding published works by writers from the city-state in the four official languages of Singapore. The winners get a cash prize and are honoured at an awards ceremony. They are chosen by a panel of judges. The Singapore prize was first awarded in 1969.

It is named after Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed the small colony into a distinctive, clean and green garden city within a few decades. The Prize aims to honour cities that have demonstrated foresight and good governance in tackling urban challenges to deliver sustainable, vibrant and liveable communities for their citizens, in tandem with rapid economic growth.

The prize is funded by the government and supported by philanthropic organisation Temasek Trust, investment company Temasek, decarbonisation investment platform GenZero and non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International. It aims to inspire and empower young people to take action in climate change, the most urgent issue facing our planet. The Prize will reward innovative ideas and solutions, and provide the winners with the resources to scale their solutions. The winner will also receive a grant of up to $500,000 and access to mentors, potential funders, coaching sessions and dialogues with policymakers.

This year’s prize was announced at a ceremony in November. The prize is being hailed as a major milestone for the country’s sustainability efforts, and is being praised by experts from around the world. The prize’s judges said they were impressed with the innovative projects that had been submitted by candidates from over 40 countries and territories. They were particularly enthused by the work of teams that had tackled the most urgent issues and made significant progress toward achieving their goals.

Winners will be able to enjoy a range of benefits that include a cash prize and a trophy. They will also be able to use the logo of their winning entry for promotional purposes. In addition, they will be able to gain recognition in the field of sustainability and be able to attract other investors to their project.

The 2024 NUS Singapore History Prize will be awarded to a publication that makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Singapore’s history. The winning book can be on any topic and span any period of Singapore’s history, but must incorporate a substantial aspect of the island’s heritage into its narrative. The judges of the prize are Prof Mahbubani, Prof John Miksic and Prof Tan Tai Yong from NUS’ Department of History.

The winners will be celebrated at a gala dinner in November. The organisers have confirmed that celebrities will walk the green carpet at the event. It will be held in conjunction with a week of activities during Earthshot 2023, with the aim of bringing global leaders, businesses and investors to Singapore to explore opportunities with the winners and finalists.