Singapore Prize 2024Singapore Prize 2024
The Singapore Prize is open to Singaporeans of all ages, and includes an exciting new category for intellectually disabled artists called Art Without Limits – marking its inaugural inclusion and providing under-resourced communities an opportunity to showcase their talent. It is presented by the School of Economics (SOE) at University of Singapore and comes with a cash award of $10,000.
This year’s prize received a significant boost from independent culture space The Culture Story. Chong Huai Seng provided funding for merit awards at this year’s prize – increasing the total cash prize pool from $100,000 to $500,000.
Last year, the Singapore Prize jury consisted of notable individuals in local arts scene such as Ms Lim Jim Koon and Mr Low Eng Teong. However, this year it has been expanded to include representatives from Singapore Press Holdings Foundation and National Arts Council as part of the judging panel.
The prize was created as part of Singapore’s 50th Anniversary initiative and commemoration, the SG50 initiative, to recognize Singaporean history. For its inaugural year, Wesley Leon Aroozoo’s book ‘The Punkhawala and the Prostitute’ made the shortlist; others include Timothy P Barnard & Khir Johari’s (ed) Singapore Creatures: Humans & Other Animals in Garden City; Woon Tai Ho’s The Soul of Ink: Lim Tze Peng at 100; Lynn Wong Yuqing & Lee Kok Leong’s Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters Festival).
This year’s competition marks an expansion beyond books by including an Arts and Multimedia Category to accommodate for a wider variety of works. This initiative follows prize donor wishes that people learn about Singapore history through different mediums than just books – visual arts, performance arts, installation art or podcasts can all provide learning opportunities on our history.
After no winner emerged in the Group 1 draw held on July 17, its prize pool accumulated to a staggering sum of $10 Million for the next draw scheduled to take place at 9.30pm on July 31. Tickets can be bought from Singapore Pools outlets located in Toa Payoh Lorong 1, Lee Eng Trading Store Tampines or 7-Eleven outlets along Esplanade.
The Prize Book features stories of pre-tertiary students who have displayed tremendous care for others within their communities, like Muhammad Dinie of ITE College Central sharing about his efforts with fellow students to distribute food, groceries, and thank-you cards during the Covid-19 pandemic. This ties in with the purpose of the prize – inspiring Singaporeans with the notion that Harvard is an accessible institution and uniting them with its community through stories compiled by Harvard Club of Singapore.