The Singapore Prize for Arts and Multimedia 2025-2027
Singaporeans in order to thrive during the next phase of development must connect with and understand its rich history. To do this, they require a strong sense of national identity which they can foster by reading up on its past through reading publications like those recognized by The Singapore Prize award.
The Prize recognizes excellence in literature across a wide spectrum of categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry and Chinese, Malay and Tamil language works. Furthermore, the Prize acknowledges outstanding education and social activism with an award for Social Impact. Each winner is celebrated annually at an event in November attended by luminaries from arts, business and society; this ceremony serves as a platform to promote their work as well as provide an opportunity for people from the general public to meet and experience these innovative solutions first hand.
This year, the programme marked its 30th anniversary with a new focus: resonance. In keeping with this theme, judges selected books which elicited strong emotional reactions among their readers and had lasting impacts.
This year, 224 works were submitted, an increase of approximately 30 per cent from 2018. Clarissa Oon of Esplanade Communications and Content, Cultural Medallion winner KTM Iqbal from Malay poetry and Dr Sa’eda Buang from Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group for Tamil poetry were among those receiving prizes.
At this year’s 2024 Singapore Prize for Arts and Multimedia Awards Ceremony, winners included writers, artists and musicians of various kinds – with several taking multiple awards. Straits Times journalist Akshita Nanda won in English fiction with Nimita’s Place while Singapore Pools senior manager Chia Joo Ming won Chinese fiction with Kian Kok, her novel about an abandoned housing estate where she once resided.
The Singapore Prize for Art and Multimedia 2025-2027 is open to any artist, author, musician who creates artistic or creative historical work delivered in English (works translated from other languages are eligible). There is no specific date limit as the aim of the Prize is to reach out to a global audience.
In 2014, The Prize was established by a private donor to aid Singapore in its quest to be a global leader in innovation, sustainability and public good. Administered by SUSS’ School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences and in collaboration with NUS Centre for Contemporary Asia. As a non-profit venture funded through grants from Ministry of Trade and Industry grants and private donations it enjoys significant support from sponsors including: