The Neilma Sidney Prize
The Trustees of the Sidney Myer Fund believe that achievement in the performing arts should not only be recognised but also rewarded. Since 1984, the Awards have awarded over $5.3 million directly to those working in the performing arts.
The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is an annual award for outstanding original short fiction, themed around the notion of ‘travel’. The judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, have chosen a shortlist of eight entries from a pool of over 500 submissions. Each of the shortlisted writers will receive a $200 cash prize. In addition, each winner will be offered a one-year subscription to Overland and will have their piece published in the next issue.
Nominations for the Prize are made in writing to the Editor by the closing date of the month. They should include the name of the author, title and publication details. Nominees can be anyone, not just members of the Australian public. Nominations are based on the merits of the work as judged by the panel, which takes into account originality, literary quality and the ability to captivate the reader. The judges may not have read the nominated material, but they will take into consideration how it was conceived and written and the degree to which the work has contributed to the debate about Australian society, culture or history.
This prize was donated by the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) in honour of Dr Ian Black, a distinguished Australian economist and academic who contributed to education in Australia and internationally. It is awarded to a student who has shown exceptional leadership in the Faculty of Science, either through their participation in School, Faculty or University committees and/or community outreach activities.
Applicants must be a current research higher degree by research (PhD) student at the University of Sydney and be supervised by a Charles Perkins Centre member. They must be able to demonstrate that the proposed project will address a health-related problem and benefit society, and have made progress towards this in the previous year. The prize is valued at $500.
The judges will consider the research project for its quality, significance and impact. They will also take into account the potential to contribute to the development of new medical technologies, and their application to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The judges will decide the winner and runner-up on the basis of their overall evaluation of the project.
The 2024 prize has been awarded to Phillipe Sands KC, for his professional career which exemplifies the spirit of George Barrett. He has championed the cause of people with little money and power to secure their civil and human rights, address the legacies of colonialism and protect our global environment. He has done this through the pursuit of justice and a commitment to public service. He will be honoured at the 2024 Sidney Hillman Awards in Sydney.