The Prince of Wales Visits Singapore to Unveil the Earthshot Prize and Other Awards
Besides the national honours like the President’s Medal, there are several other awards that recognise individuals and organisations for their contributions to Singapore. These include the prestigious Singapura Prize, the Singapore Literature Prize, Enterprise 50 and the NORNS Awards.
The heir to the British throne visited Singapore this week to unveil the Earthshot Prize, which is aimed at promoting innovative solutions to combat global warming and mitigate its impact on the environment. He was welcomed at Changi Airport by a 40-meter high Rain Vortex, which was lit up green to mark his arrival. He was also shown a tree planted in his honour in the indoor garden at the foot of the waterfall.
William, who is visiting on his own this time around, also attended the inaugural awards ceremony in Asia, which was held at the Singapore Expo. He was joined by five category winners, whose projects range from creating tyres that reduce tyre pollution to turning food waste into biofuel for electric cars. The prince hailed the finalists for proving that “hope does remain” despite the challenges faced by humankind.
Celebrities including Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, actors Donnie Yen and Lana Condor and Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin were among those who walked the green carpet at the awards ceremony. William, who is the chairman of the organising committee for the event, said he was “thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate the work of these extraordinary entrepreneurs”.
The award was established in 1995 and is presented to local companies that have made outstanding contributions to Singapore’s economy, locally and internationally. The winner receives a trophy and a cash award. The trophy consists of a silver-gilt artifice depicting the State Arms with a stylised “S” superimposed upon crossed swords. A crest of Tembusu leaves completes the design.
This year, a new translation category was introduced, to honour authors who have translated works by Singaporean writers into other languages. The winner will be given a trophy and a cash prize of S$15,000, and will be invited to present at an industry gathering to share their journey in writing. The shortlist includes two NUS Press titles – John N Miksic’s Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, published by NUS Press with the National Museum of Singapore, and Timothy P Barnard’s Squatters into Citizens: The 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire and the Making of Modern Singapore.
The prestigious Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) recognises and celebrates the finest in contemporary Singaporean literature. It is open to all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, excluding those who have won the award previously. In addition, there is also the Ang Moh Kuang Literary Award, which aims to encourage writers of all genres and backgrounds. The winners of the SLP are chosen by a panel of judges, which includes former judges of the Singapore Book Awards. This is Publishing Perspectives’ 131st report on awards-related news since our 2022 operations began on January 3. More news from the world of publishing is here.