The Singapore Prize is an biennial award in Singapore given for distinguished works of literature published in any of Singapore’s four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay or Tamil. The National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS), in coordination with National Arts Council and National Library Board support this prize; it first made its debut in 1989.

2023 will see Earthshot introduce a brand-new theme and select its winning project using an expert jury made up of academia and industry representatives. Winners and finalists will then travel to Singapore where they can explore exciting opportunities with businesses, investors and communities to accelerate their solutions and take tangible steps toward fixing our planet. Members of the public will also have an opportunity to experience local activations events themed around Earthshot solutions from this year’s cohort.

The Singapore Prize was created to create hope in our society regarding urgent global challenges. On November 6th, it will be celebrated by global leaders, businesses and investors gathering in Singapore for Earthshot Week – featuring winners and finalists engaging with partners to deliver impact at scale.

This year’s prize will be presented in a special ceremony followed by an exciting week of events and activities across Southeast Asia starting Monday 6 November. Global leaders and businesses will have ample opportunity to discuss innovative and practical climate solutions provided by Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists; members of the public may join them for local activations events as part of this weeklong celebration.

Gabriela Serrano and Rein Maychaelson of “Please Bear With Me” and “The Burning Land,” respectively, won best director at SGIFF’s Southeast Asian Film Lab. Giovanni Rustanto earned an SGIFF Fellowship with residency/script mentorship for “A Ballad of Long Hair.” Lastly, Benjamin Yap Kee Siang from “Convenience Store” took home youth critic honors.

Kishore Mahbubani of NUS History Department presided over this year’s prize panel and selected Ms Hidayah due to her extensive interviewing efforts in Kampong Glam where she grew up. According to him, Ms Hidayah enjoyed an “unfair advantage” over her competitors due to spending five years interviewing residents there; ultimately his decision was based on its contribution towards understanding Singapore history.