The Sidney Prize is an acclaimed award that was established to acknowledge those working hard toward realizing their dreams. Along with financial assistance and prestige, winners of this coveted award also use it as a tool to promote science. There are various kinds of Sidney prizes; they all serve the same goal – inspiring and encouraging people to do their best work.
The Neilma Sidney Prize, administered jointly by Overland magazine and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, provides one winner with a $5,0000 prize money and publication both online and in print formats. Two runners-up each will be given $750 prizes. This year’s judges are looking for stories with travel themes but that go beyond simply describing a place or landscape – they want stories that move the story along further.
Established by Professor and Mrs Keith Campbell as part of their gift to the University, this prize seeks to promote metaphysics and epistemology at Sydney. Each year on recommendation by the School of Philosophy, it is given out annually for an outstanding essay submitted in this field by postgraduate students.
As our world becomes ever shorter, the Sydney Prize stands in opposition to technology, declaring: STOP! It honors long-form journalism and thought pieces such as those by The New York Times in regards to Haitian debt, Rose Arce’s series about being held captive by Taliban as well as Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ed Yong.
Every month, the Hillman Foundation selects one submission that showcases how investigative reporting and deep storytelling can advance humanity. Dubbed after Sidney Hillman – founder of Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and early precursor of Workers United SEIU – this prize recognizes journalists committed to social justice.
Every year, the Sydney Peace Prize is awarded to an individual or organisation who has demonstrated commitment to peace with justice and respect for diversity. This year’s award went to three of the founders of Black Lives Matter – Patrise Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi of Black Lives Matter. Their efforts following George Zimmerman’s acquittal for Trayvon Martin’s murder won them this recognition. Prize recipients will be presented with a $2000 cash award and plaque. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding efforts toward peace with justice and diversity inclusion while simultaneously advocating nonviolence and human dignity as prerequisites to eligibility. Nominees must have resided in NSW or Australia for at least one of the last four years and submit a letter of recommendation as part of their application for consideration in this competition, which opens January 2021 and closes on Monday 2 October 2022. Winners will spend one day in the Herald newsroom before winning both a $1000 Herald digital subscription and Dymocks Books vouchers as prizes.