The Sydney Prize honours leading global voices that promote peace, human rights and non-violence. The Prize is sponsored by the City of Sydney to highlight the importance of peaceful and compassionate communication in a world that is becoming increasingly divided. Past laureates include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson and Joseph Stiglitz. This year the prize is being awarded to Nazanin Boniadi for her commitment to women’s rights in Iran.
The Hillman Foundation, named after a labor organizer who helped establish the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and its precursor, the Workers United SEIU, bestows these awards annually. They are aimed at long-form journalism and think pieces on topics that affect human life, with recent selections including Hilton Als’ piece on online sexism and Ed Yong’s on student hypersensitivity, which prevents them from adapting well in real-life situations.
Each year, Phi Beta Kappa honours a scholar who has achieved national distinction in scholarship, undergraduate teaching and leadership in the cause of liberal arts education. The award is given at the Society’s Triennial Council Meeting and honors a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Society over a significant period of time. The citation includes a cash prize.
Various other prizes are also available to young writers in Australia. The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, sponsored by Overland magazine and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, offers a first place prize of $5,000 and two runners-up receive $750 each. The winner will have their story published in Overland’s autumn 2024 edition and online.
Another prize is the Sir Sidney Hook Memorial Scholarship, which offers a prize of $1,000 to an undergraduate student enrolled in a program that carries the name of Professor Hook, a distinguished Phi Beta Kappa member who served as Dean of Dartmouth College. The award is given on the basis of academic merit. The winner will be selected by the Phi Beta Kappa Board of Scholars.
Those who are interested in winning the sidney prize can find out more about it on its official website. In order to apply for the prize, an individual must complete an application form that includes a personal essay, a resume and a letter of recommendation. The applicant must also submit a photocopy of his or her driver’s license. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2024. Applicants will be notified of their status by May 20, 2024.