Among the many Singapore awards is the Singapore Literature Prize, which is awarded to recognise an outstanding published work by a Singaporean author. The award is backed by the National Arts Council and National Library Board of Singapore, and is awarded in twelve categories. It recognises works in four languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The prize offers twelve top prizes of $10,000 each for the first year.
The prize has an annual expenditure limit of $1 million, with the winner receiving the top prize of $300,000. The winner will also receive a gold medal and a certificate. The prize is open to authors in any of the four official languages of Singapore. It is administered by the Prize Secretariat, which is under the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore.
The Singapore Literature Prize recognises works in all four languages and includes twelve categories: poetry, fiction, biography, children’s literature, drama, short story, memoir, creative non-fiction, and translation. There are three separate prize schemes: the Readers’ Choice Award, which rewards readers with a S$1,000 voucher to a bookstore; the Consumer Choice Award, which offers a S$1,000 voucher to a consumer; and the Fourth Prize, which gives readers a S$1,000 voucher to a store that sells books in English and Chinese.
The prize is named after Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew, who was responsible for developing the country into a clean, green garden city. The prize promotes thought-leadership and exchange of ideas among cities. Besides the prize itself, there are also trophies, cups and state decorations.
The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize is awarded every two years to recognise a city’s achievements in tackling urban challenges. The prize was launched in 2009 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore, and is hosted by the Centre for Liveable Cities. The award is designed to encourage innovation and cost-effective solutions. It is also a great platform for promoting sharing of best practices among cities.
The Singapore Prize also features an award for students. Professor Wilfred Peh Chin Guan, Senior Consultant at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, created the award to recognize excellence among Singapore students. He is also the founder of the Loh Kean Yew Encouragement Fund. In December, the fund raised S$132,996 from 606 donors. It was used to support the first Singaporean to win a world badminton championship.
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was first established in 1992. It is awarded to authors who create literary works that engage readers. This year’s theme is resonance, and the prize focuses on the way that literature triggers feelings and memories. The prize was introduced in four languages, including English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.
There are also awards for local and foreign companies. The Enterprise 50 Awards honour companies that have demonstrated excellence in their industries, and the NORNS Awards recognise excellence in innovation around the world.
The list of Singapore awards is a dynamic one, and may never reach a standard of completeness. You can find out more about each award on its official website. There are also other prize promotions, also called contests or sweepstakes. These promotions are exempt from the country’s gambling laws.