Sydney Prize is an award that has been created to recognize those who are making a difference in the world. The awards serve to honor these individuals while inspiring others to join in their efforts. The winners tend to receive substantial amounts of money that they can put towards their projects or use as a means to promote themselves. Those who are interested in applying for a Sydney Prize should review any applicable rules before making their submission.
The Hillman Foundation’s Sidney Prize honors journalists who use investigative reporting and deep storytelling to tackle injustice issues. Previous winners have included Rose Arce, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Ed Yong. This year, the winner was Nazanin Boniadi, an activist who is fighting for women’s rights in Iran. “Nazanin has shown how the power of an individual’s voice can turn outrage into action,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore of Sydney, Australia.
This annual award, named for a Dartmouth professor who inspired students both inside and outside the classroom, recognizes student performance across scholarship, undergraduate teaching, and leadership for liberal education. It is presented to the winning student at Phi Beta Kappa’s national conference.
The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards were established in 1984 to honour the memory of philanthropist and businessman Sir Sidney Myer. There are a number of awards that can be won, including the Individual Award ($60,000), Group Award ($90,000), Facilitator’s Prize ($25,000) and the Ensemble Award (Sydney City Council).
There is also the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, which was launched in 2022 by Overland magazine. This competition is open to writers who are able to create compelling stories that are loosely themed around travel. In addition to a cash prize, the winner will be published online and in Overland. The judges, who include Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, reviewed over 500 entries for this year’s competition.
Another prize is the Andrew Gemant Memorial Prize, which is awarded to physicists who connect culture, art and humanities with their work. The 2023 recipient is Sidney Perkowitz, an author who has made a major contribution to connecting physics with the arts.
The National Association of Scholars’ Sidney Prize, named for an American philosopher in whose name the association holds its national conference, honors outstanding scholarship that advances humanity’s understanding of itself. In addition to recognizing the value of research, the prize also promotes the importance of academic freedom and integrity. Applicants must answer a series of questions in order to be considered for the prize. These include if their entry is written in the voice of someone who is vulnerable or marginalized and whether they are themselves part of that community or experience. They must also explain the value of their work and how they have contributed to society. This will help the judges make a decision. The winner is announced each fall at the national conference. The winners have the opportunity to speak on their work and encourage others to pursue the same career path.