Singapore provides numerous prizes that recognize individuals and organisations for their significant contributions to Singapore, particularly through science or technology research excellence. One such prize is the President’s Science and Technology Awards, first presented in 2009 to recognize research excellence while strengthening Singapore’s community of scientists. Another prize, known as Harvard Prize Book, aims to inspire pre-tertiary students by giving them an idea of what studying at Harvard could be like and connecting them with its community.
Cockman (2022), written and illustrated by Kenfoo, won the inaugural English comic or graphic novel category award due to its “total lack of seriousness and compromise…along with over-the-top audacity and absurdity”. Judges similarly recognised this work when awarding its inaugural Readers’ Favourite accolade – four shortlisted works including Ali Bin Salim’s The Lost Princess of Malaysia; Daryl Qilin Yam’s A Song of Nightingales; Pan Zheng Lei’s Cocoon; Rama Sureesh’s rmaa cureess stood out among all others in their selection.
Yong Shu Hoong took home his third Singapore Literature Prize win with Anatomy of a Wave; Marylyn Tan became the inaugural female winner with Gaze Back – her debut collection which tackled taboo subjects ranging from menstruation and sexuality with its bold and assertive language – winning in 2018. “Gaze Back stands apart this year: its searing confidence speaks of gender and linguistic reclamation – making this collection unforgettable,” stated the judges.
Due to the exceptional submissions in the NUS Singapore History Prize category, the Jury Panel decided for the first time ever to bestow two special commendations without cash awards in response to this year’s submissions – Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters Festival by Lynn Wong Yuqing and Lee Kok Leong came in first runner up; Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore by Loh Kah Seng, Alex Tan Tiong Hee, Koh Keng We, Tan Teng Phee and Juria Toramae came in second. These special commendations join this year’s winner, Distinguished Professor John Miksic’s Singapore and the Silk Road of Sea 1300-1800 which came first prize!
Ventete Limited took home the Red Dot: Next Gen Design Award with their innovative aH-1 cycle helmet, an inflatable and micro-collapsible device allowing users to tailor protection according to individual needs. Judged most convincing among six designs shortlisted by Peter Zec himself from various industry sectors and presented on stage during a ceremony attended by prominent personalities representing different sectors and awarded by Jason Lim, one of which featured prize awards handmade for them by local artist Jason Lim crafted specially by him as part of an awards ceremony for this category. For more details visit official event website