The Singapore Prize is an award which celebrates innovation and outstanding contributions to urban communities. It is a biennial award which recognises key organisations and leaders in cities. This year, the winners were selected by a panel of eight judges including representatives from the sporting, business and media sectors.
There are 12 categories that the prize is awarded in: sports, literary, creative nonfiction, music, visual art, photography, design, film and television, community involvement, arts and media. It is open to works written in any of the four official languages of Singapore. In the first year, 12 top prizes of $10,000 each were given to winners.
The Singapore Prize was first introduced in 1967 by the Singapore Olympic and Sports Council (SNOC). As a new country, newly independent Singapore wanted to encourage higher standards of sport achievement and was also interested in improving the quality of living for the population. Othman Wok, the then Minister for Social Affairs, had a vision to reward athletes for their achievements.
To encourage this, the SNOC devised an incentive scheme in which medal-winning athletes were awarded cash rewards. These were disbursed under the Major Games Award Programme, a system that provides cash payouts to medal-winning athletes at both the Commonwealth Games and SEA Games. Cash awards ranged from S$3,500 to S$860,000 in total, with 68 athletes receiving up to S$860,000 in rewards.
As well as awarding prizes, the SNOC also devised a disciplinary committee for athletes who are involved in a positive performance but who may have violated the SNOC’s rules. Joseph Schooling, who won two golds at the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, was initially slated to be scrutinised by this committee. However, it was later determined that Schooling had been in a short-term leave due to full-time National Service. Despite this, the SNOC declined to comment on the money he might receive.
Another award that was introduced was the Sportswoman of the Year. Five disabled athletes were nominated for the award in 1990. Several sports were also nominated, including weightlifting, fencing, table tennis, athletics and swimming. Several winners were recognised in the category, including Tan Thuan Heng, who won four gold medals in record times at the SEA Games.
In addition to awards, the Singapore Prize has a cash prize of $300,000. This award is jointly organized by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore and the Centre for Liveable Cities. Moreover, the prize is given to the person who has made the most significant contribution to the development of Singapore. Moreover, the prize winner will also receive a certificate and a gold medallion.
During the past two years, the prizes have been won by various groups. For example, the Fission Group, a sponsor of the event, donated S$1,250 to the winning athlete. Also, the Yong Pung How School of Law, an institute of Singapore Management University, offered the Yong Pung How School of law Prize.
A panel of judges was also constituted to choose the winner of the Articulation Prize for Singapore. This award will be a platform for young people to share their views and opinions.