A Singapore prize is given in recognition of outstanding achievement. Some are monetary; others honour an individual’s contribution to the arts, sport or public service. The prize is usually presented by the government of Singapore or a private organisation. The award is often accompanied by a ceremony where the winner receives a trophy and a citation.
The winner of the inaugural Singapore Prize – the country’s first book prize dedicated solely to Singapore history – is historian Prof John Miksic for his work on archaeology and artefacts from the region. The National University of Singapore’s Department of History administers the prize, which received 43 submissions. It is one of a series of SG50 programmes commemorating Singapore’s 50th anniversary.
It’s been quite a ride for the world’s top Dota 2 player Daryl Pei Xiang Koh, also known by his gaming ID iceiceice. The Singaporean, 29, won more than 1.8 million U.S. dollars at this year’s Dota 2 eSports Championships, held in February 2024 in Singapore. It was his fifth win at the event, and he set a new record for winning the most prize money in a single tournament.
Dota 2 is a multiplayer video game developed by Valve and distributed on Steam, a digital distribution platform. It is one of the most popular games in the world, with a global audience of more than 100 million people. It is the highest-grossing PC game in Europe and North America, and the second-highest in Asia.
In the past, Singapore’s winners of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Brand of the Year award have included a high-end hotel and a supermarket chain. But this year’s winners – a suicide-prevention agency and a homegrown interior design company – are the first not to be multinationals or multibillionaires. It’s a good sign that local companies are starting to value branding, said executive editor Han Yong May of Lianhe Zaobao.
But despite these milestones, not everyone is impressed by the winner’s accomplishments. Rice Media correspondent Michael Barr wrote that while the victory is impressive, it was not “a triumph for the human spirit” in the face of adversity. It is important to remember that success is about more than a good education, a great job and a large bank balance.
British Prince William will travel to Singapore this week for the third annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony, hosted by his Royal Foundation charity. The heir to the British throne, who launched the prize in 2020, will spotlight the finalists and their innovations at events including a visit to Changi Airport’s 40-meter high Rain Vortex, which is lit green for his arrival. He will also host a summit with the finalists, including an organization that uses drones to deter illegal fishing. The other finalists are an Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that restore Andean forests and bolster enforcement to deter illegal fishing. The event is being broadcast live on the BBC.