The winner of the singapore prize will receive a sum of money and the chance to make a difference in the community through his or her project. The prize was established in 2014 and is backed by the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). It honours the late Dr Alan HJ Chan, an entrepreneur who donated S$25 million to SUSS in his will to help educate people about the “Spirit of Singapore”.
Celebrities joined Britain’s Prince William on Tuesday night as they walked the “green carpet” for the third Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Singapore. The glitzy event, which also featured a concert by the bands One Republic and Bastille, was held at state-owned Media Corp theater. William, who chairs the award-giving body, wore a 10-year-old dark green suit, while actors Donnie Yen and Nomzamo Mbatha donned pre-loved outfits and ensembles made from sustainable materials. Other presenters included two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, who is an Earthshot prize council member, and Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin.
A solar-powered dryer, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that work to make electric car batteries cleaner, restore Andean forests and deter illegal fishing received prizes at the event. The solutions finalists presented, which were selected from more than 150 nominations, offered hope that humanity can reverse the course of climate change, said the award-giving body.
Among the winners was an Indian maker of solar-powered dryers that reduce energy consumption and save money for households, which won the Solar Impulse 2024 prize. The company was founded by a group of women who wanted to create a business that would reduce pollution from clothes washers. It has sold more than 50,000 units so far.
Other winners included a Dutch microbiologist whose research in wastewater-based epidemiology revolutionised the way COVID-19 outbreaks were detected. His work showed that the method can be used to spot outbreaks before they are reported in a given area. This year’s Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize was awarded to Professor Gertjan Medema for his pioneering work.
The award was based on a shortlist of 49 titles that was announced in July. The books were nominated in 12 categories, including literary work and education titles. The category that drew the most attention, however, was the Singapore Literature Prize, which honors works in English, Malay and Tamil.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in August at the Victoria Theatre. The top three in each category will be crowned at the end of this year, with a cash prize and other honors up for grabs. Besides the main prizes, a number of subsidiary awards were also given out. The prestigious Book of the Year title will be chosen from the subsidiary award winners. The competition was organised by the Singapore Book Publishers Association. To be eligible, books must be published in the four official languages of Singapore and must be legally deposited with the National Library Board. They must also be available for sale locally and overseas.