As our world gets increasingly digitized and short-attention spans become the norm, it can be easy to overlook the value of longform journalism and thought. The Sydney Prize stands athwart that trend, yelling “STOP!” Each year it honors some of the most important examples of longform work on our current issues. From a New York Times series on Haitian debt to Rose Arce’s account of being held captive by the Taliban, from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ works to Ed Yong’s essays, this award is about more than just winning a cash prize – it is about highlighting important work that will help us make informed choices in our daily lives.
In memory of the eminent philosopher and Phi Beta Kappa member Sidney Hook, this award recognizes national distinction in scholarship, undergraduate teaching, or leadership in the cause of liberal arts education. Nominations for this award are due a year and a half before the Society’s Triennial Council Meeting and will be announced in The Key Reporter and in the General Newsletter.
The winner receives a cash prize of $1000. The competition is open to authors of a published dissertation-based article in the field of Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and related theoretical areas. The article must have been published in English during the preceding year and it should be of high quality and contribute to advancing CCT research.
This award is given to a student whose essay best exemplifies the qualities of scholarship that were central to the life of Professor Addison Brown, LL.B. (1855–1895), of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. The essay must show originality and an understanding of the fundamentals of public international law.
Named in honour of the late Sidney Iwanter, this prize offers an unrestricted $2,000 award for one graduating senior who, through a senior thesis and overall academic distinction, demonstrates outstanding humanities-based scholarship of a broadly interdisciplinary nature. The recipient of the prize will be recognized at the Society’s Triennial Council Meeting. Nominations for this award are due June 15 of each year.
The Hillman Foundation awards monthly Sidney prizes to journalists who “pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in the service of the common good.” These include Jane Mayer for her coverage of Dick Cheney; Bill Moyers and Kathleen Hughes for their Journo’s broadcasts on ‘Buying the War’; and Spike Lee and Sam Pollard for their film and Journal’s broadcast on ‘The Rust Belt Green’.
Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize
The Neilma Sidney short story prize is run by the literary magazine Overland and sponsored by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. Writers who wish to enter this prize must subscribe to Overland at the discounted rate of $12 per issue, and the first prize winner will be published in the journal. Two runners-up will be published online. Please see the entry guidelines for more details.