A prize in Singapore is an award or trophy that is given to a person, group of people, or organization for achievement, particularly in an academic field or profession. Prizes can also be awarded for sporting achievements, artistic endeavors, or acts of service. These awards may take the form of medals, cups, plaques, trophies, badges or state decorations. The following list includes some of the major prizes in Singapore, along with a description of their history and significance.

The Singapore Prize is administered by the National University of Singapore (NUS). The prize, which has a value of $50,000, is given for outstanding publications in English, Mandarin or Tamil on any aspect of Singapore’s history. The prize was introduced in 2014 to celebrate SG50, as part of NUS’s Department of History’s efforts to spur interest in and understanding of Singapore’s past. It is the first book prize dedicated solely to Singapore’s history.

This year, the prize program’s theme of resonance reflects how literature can trigger emotions and memories in readers, organizers say. Five writers were shortlisted in two or more categories, including Clara Chow, who was nominated in the English fiction, English creative nonfiction and Chinese poetry categories. She is the first writer in the program’s history to be shortlisted in three categories and two languages.

The finalists were picked from the WAFX shortlist by a jury of 140 leading architects, designers, journalists and industry experts. They will present their projects live at WAF 2024 in Singapore.

While the government of Singapore has long supported high-quality art in a variety of forms, critics have accused the nation of using arts funding as a tool of control and censorship. In response, some in the arts community have called for state funding to be directed away from the government and towards supporting works that challenge the status quo.

As a result, many Singaporeans have expressed concern about the future of the prize, which is currently being funded by the Ministry of Culture and Arts.

The new prize administrator, Conservation International (CI), will leverage the organisation’s long-standing history of spotlighting and securing the benefits of nature for humanity. CI’s vast network will help connect the prize to a wide range of partners committed to scalable, innovative solutions for people and the planet.