Examples of Sidney Prizes
The Sidney Prize is an award that recognises a person or organisation for their positive contributions to humanity. These contributions may range from educating the public on the importance of science or sparking interest in science fields such as biology or medicine to creating new technologies that benefit mankind.
In addition to the Sydney Prize, there are many other awards that recognise people for their contribution to humanity. These include business awards and scientific honors. These awards may be given by various organizations and can also come in the form of scholarships or prizes.
A notable example of a Sydney prize is the Neilma Sydney Short Story Prize which is hosted by Overland magazine and the Sidney Prize Foundation. This prize is open to writers from around the world and rewards their work with cash and a chance to have their story published. This year, the winner of this prize was Yeena Kirkbright for her story ‘Camperdown Grief Junk’ which was featured in the 2022 issue of Overland magazine.
This prize was named after the renowned Australian theatre director and arts patron Sidney Myer. The judging committee of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award considers past achievement, as well as how much potential there is for an individual or group to continue making their mark on Australia’s society through the performing arts into the future.
Another great example of a Sydney prize is the Sidney Hook Memorial Award which is given to a scholar who has national distinction in scholarship, undergraduate teaching and leadership in the cause of liberal arts education. The prize is a special recognition from Phi Beta Kappa and is presented at the Society’s Triennial Council Meeting. This year, the winner of this prize is Stephan Miescher for his book A Dam for Africa: Akosombo Stories from Ghana (Indiana University Press, 2022).
One final notable example of a Sydney Prize is the Sidney E. Mead Prize which is awarded to an advanced graduate student or recent PhD for the best unpublished article stemming from dissertation research on the history of Christianity. The prize is awarded by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press. This year, the prize was awarded to Sophia Jactel for her paper ‘Domesticity and Diversions: Josef Israels’ The Smoker as a Symbol of Peasant Culture in Nineteenth-Century Holland’.
Finally, the Sydney Peace Prize was recently awarded to Nazanin Boniadi who is helping to turn outrage into action for human rights in Iran. The prize will be formally presented to her later this year at a ceremony in Sydney. The Sydney Prize is awarded annually by the Sydney Peace Foundation to a person or organization that promotes peace with justice and human rights. This prize includes a monetary gift as well as a trip to attend the award ceremony in Sydney. The foundation hopes that by awarding this prize, the winners will use the money to further their cause.