The Sidney Prize and Other Awards in Sydney
Every year, the Sidney Prize – named for philosopher Sidney Hook – honors some of the year’s finest magazine essays. Past recipients have included New York Times columnist David Brooks’ essay on “The Coddling of the American Mind” and Helen Andrews’ piece for First Things about her argument with an ex-partner about conservatism. 2023’s winner is Peter Hessler’s New Yorker essay about a small town druggist serving his community spiritually, medically, and financially.
Sydney hosts several prizes for writing and filmmaking in addition to the Sidney Prize, such as the Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize presented by Overland and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. This short-story prize offers its winner $5,000 plus publication online and in Overland magazine; two runners-up can expect $750 each; interested writers may submit their work by subscribing at an attractive subscriber rate rate and taking out an annual subscription for Overland magazine.
Numerous awards address both social justice and art. For instance, the Sidney Hillman Foundation awards monetary prizes to individuals who show an ongoing dedication to leftist ideas in art and public service – this prize has previously gone to artists connecting science with art or writers exploring climate change’s effect on society.
The Sydney Film Festival awards several prestigious prizes to filmmakers. These awards include the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award (worth $7000), which recognizes an emerging practitioner in short film from NSW. Khloe Kemp received this AFTRS Craft Award – given to screenwriters or producers with no more than five short films under their belt – for her film “Say.”
The Sidney Scholarship in Economics is an annual essay competition for HLS students that addresses socio-economic issues. This scholarship seeks to foster deeper thought and consideration among law students about their profession, its place within society, and the challenges it faces today. The winner of the Sydney Prize writes an essay of their choosing as part of their application for this prize. Past activities have focused on writing essays about the effects of COVID-19 on society and fiscal consolidation issues, which then were submitted for evaluation and consideration by a panel of judges. This year’s jury consisted of law and economics professors from the University of Sydney; the winner was announced in December 2021. For more information about the essay competition visit HLS website; essays should not exceed 2,500 words with submission deadline April 30; applicants must be current HLS students to qualify; blind judging applies. In addition to providing their essay submission they also must include their resume and letter of recommendation – find an application form here.