Singapore Prize 2014 Winners Announced
The singapore prize is a biennial award presented to writers, filmmakers and photographers who produce works that demonstrate a commitment to Singapore’s heritage and history. The prize was established in 2014 as part of the SG50 celebrations. It is supported by philanthropic organisation Temasek Trust, investment company Temasek Holdings, decarbonisation investment platform GenZero and non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International. Winners will receive a cash prize of S$50,000 and access to a Southeast Asian film lab as well as a mentorship programme.
This year, a total of five projects received awards. They include Gabriela Serrano’s documentary Please Bear With Me, which won best feature; the films Every Mall Burns the Same by Rein Maychaelson and Into the Deep by Gladys Ng, which both won special mentions. Lastly, the book The Singapore Story: A New History by John N Miksic was awarded the first Singapore History Prize. The book, published by NUS Press in partnership with the National Museum of Singapore, is an account of the Republic’s development and its significance to the world.
A panel of judges, consisting of historians and academics who are familiar with Singapore’s rich history and culture, shortlisted the works. The winners were announced on 11 January. Besides the book, Miksic also plans to work with NUS Press on a website dedicated to Singapore’s ancient artefacts. Other shortlisted books included Nature’s Colony: Empire, Nation and Environment in the Singapore Botanic Gardens by Timothy P Barnard, and Squatters into Citizens: The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and Modern Singapore by Claire Chiang.
The award was founded to promote Singapore’s cultural diversity and its role in the global community. In addition to the cash prizes, the winners and finalists will also be given opportunities to meet with leading businesses, investors, and policymakers. They will be able to tap into a network of talent and expertise in Southeast Asia, enabling them to make lasting positive change for generations to come.
Aside from the cash rewards, the winners will also get a chance to participate in an Earthshot Week. This series of events will bring together investors, communities and innovators to tackle the challenges of climate change in their own way. The event will be held in Singapore from 18 to 23 September.
The winners and finalists of the 2018 prize will be honoured at an awards ceremony in October, where they will have the opportunity to connect with key players in the region’s climate change community. In the past, the prize has awarded projects such as a business from Oman that aims to eliminate carbon dioxide by turning it into rock and a Kenyan company that crafts reliable stoves for communities living on wood waste. The winners will also be able to use the prize money to fund future projects. The prize is funded by a combination of philanthropic, investment and corporate support from companies including Temasek Holdings, Standard Chartered Bank and the Guggenheim Foundation. It will also be supported by the Earthshot Alliance, which is made up of a consortium of companies from around the globe.