Whether you’re an aspiring writer, architect or chef, the inaugural singapore prize is open to everyone. The award honours outstanding projects that have made a significant contribution to Singapore’s economy, culture and heritage. It’s one of a number of awards and competitions that have been launched recently to help Singapore businesses grow and thrive.
The award was established in honour of the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was instrumental in developing Singapore into a global city. The prize will be presented every three years and is worth US$100,000 for each category. The winner of the main prize will also get a chance to exhibit their work at the 2023 World Architecture Festival (WAFX). Previous winners include a post-earthquake reconstruction in Indonesia, a stacked apartment building designed by OMA and Ole Scheeren in China, and a public park by local architects Budi Prajot and Tito Supriatna.
This year’s Singapore prize broadened the definition of history to allow writings on different time periods and themes relating to Singapore’s past. The shortlist includes historical tome Seven Hundred Years: A History of Singapore by NUS historians Kwa Chong Guan, Tan Tai Yong and Peter Borschberg, and a novel Sembawang by Kamaladevi Aravindan. Several of the books on the list have a personal slant, forgoing the traditional view of history as a record of big-name movers and shakers.
While it’s not as prestigious as the Nobel prize, the inaugural Singapore Prize will be awarded to a project with a social impact that demonstrates innovation and excellence. The project could be anything from a sustainable food production system to a tool for reforestation and will be judged on its innovative approach, social impact, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
During his visit to Singapore this week, Prince William will meet Earthshot winners who are working on environmental projects such as creating a waste-free world, fixing the climate and reviving oceans. He will also help switch on the HSBC Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
The winning projects will receive a grant of up to PS1 million from the foundation. The money will be used to scale up their innovations and make them commercially viable. This year, the foundation awarded grants to five categories – a total of PS1.7 million. In addition to this, the charity has committed to funding a further five projects over the next four years. This will bring the total funding to over PS5 million.