The Singapore prize aims to identify and recognise individuals who push the boundaries of research and innovation. Carefully selected by a committee that spans the government, industry, academia and public research institutes, the prize celebrates the work of those who have pushed the limits of knowledge and discovery.
The Prize is open to all Singaporeans, permanent residents, and citizens of countries other than Singapore. The winners and their work will receive a monetary award of up to S$50,000. The winners will also be offered a mentorship and an opportunity to engage with other research leaders and scientists. The winner of the award will be announced at a gala dinner at the end of the year.
Khir Johari’s richly illustrated Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels Through The Archipelago won this year’s triennial Singapore History Prize. The book beat five other shortlisted books, including an encyclopaedia and a history textbook. It is the fifth time the award has been won by a work of non-fiction, making it one of the most prestigious titles for a book in Singapore.
The 2024 edition of the prize added three new categories for best English debut, best English graphic novel and best English translation. The inaugural English comic or graphic novel category was won by Kenfoo’s self-published Cockman (2022), which the judges praised for its “total lack of seriousness and compromise and over-the-top audacity”. It won in the fiction category, alongside Sheng Keyi’s Northern Girls and You Jin’s In Time Out of Place.
The prize was mooted by Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow at the NUS Asia Research Institute, in 2014 in support of SG50. He was the first chairman of the jury, which will select the winner in Oct. The prize’s aim is to build a rich repository of ideas, solutions and inspiring stories that Singapore can learn from and aspire towards. It is not about recognising perfect cities, but enabling the prize to reflect and celebrate our diverse, multilingual and nuanced digital landscape.
The Singapore Prize was founded by Monique Heng and the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) School of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is endorsed by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and funded through donations from companies and individuals. It is the first of its kind in Asia and will be an annual award, with a cash prize of up to $500,000, that identifies and celebrates individuals who have pushed the limits of knowledge and discoveries. It will also recognise teams of researchers and individuals who have transformed the lives of ordinary people by advancing the frontiers of science and technology. The prize will be awarded at a Gala Dinner in November.
