The winners of the singapore prize were announced during a ceremony on Nov. 5 that was centered around sustainability and the need to find solutions for climate change. Prince William wore an old dark green suit by Alexander McQueen while the actress Mbatha donned a bright navy blue dress from the brand. They and other presenters walked what was called the “green carpet,” which aimed to highlight sustainability and eco-friendly attire. Bands One Republic and Bastille as well as singer Bebe Rexha performed. The event was co-hosted by actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K. Brown and was attended by Singapore ministers and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose government is known for its progressive environmental policies.
The prize was established to reward individuals or groups who develop innovative solutions to a specific challenge in the environment. It was modeled on President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 moonshot speech, which challenged Americans to solve problems that they were not currently able to overcome. The winner of the prize will receive a sum of money, as well as a global platform to spotlight their solution and encourage others to take action.
For its second edition, the prize had a total of 11 entries. Six of them were shortlisted, and the judges will select a winner based on the quality of their proposals. The winner will be rewarded with a cash prize of $100,000, as well as a global platform to showcase their solution and encourage others to take up the cause.
Founded by former Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani, the prize’s five-member jury panel will choose the winning work. The jury members will include Mr Mahbubani; Prof John Miksic, President of the NUS Department of History; Foo Hai Fellow in Buddhist Studies and Associate Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia of NUS; Senior Curator Dr Seng Yu Jin of National Museum of Singapore; and academics from arts and literature as well as from the civil service and history teaching and curriculum development. They are assisted by a Nominating Committee comprising scholars and experts in their respective fields, as well as representatives from the publishing industry, academia, and the civil service.
The NUS Singapore History Prize aims to stimulate engagement with Singapore’s history broadly understood, make its complexities and nuances more accessible to non-academic audiences, and generate a deeper understanding of the country’s unique history. Its 2024 shortlist includes fiction and non-fiction works, ranging from works that explore Singapore’s place in the world to those that span pre-1819.
In the poetry category, Marylyn Tan became the first woman in the prize’s 28-year history to win. Her debut collection, Gaze Back, takes on taboo subjects spanning from menstruation to sexuality in an unapologetic, feminist manner. The judges said the book was unlike any other in this year’s category, “a clarion call for gender and linguistic reclamation searing in its sassy confidence and universal appetite.”
This is the first time that the NUS Singapore History Prize has awarded two works from a single author. The judges have also named three honorable mentions.
