An Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that work to make electric car batteries cleaner and restore Andean forests are among the winners of the 2023 Singapore Prize. Britain’s Prince William, whose Royal Foundation charity launched the 10-year award program in 2020, said at a ceremony Tuesday that the solutions awarded proved “hope does remain” as the devastating effects of climate change continue to be felt globally.
The finalists were chosen from 43 entries submitted in the category, which is open to designers from around the world who embrace innovative and cutting-edge designs that tackle global challenges. They were awarded special prizes, including Best Use of Natural Light, supported by VELUX, and the Sustainability Prize, supported by Rockwool. The awards were announced during the opening ceremony of Inside, a sister event to the World Architecture Festival (WAF), which took place at Marina Bay Sands.
Liew’s story retraces important — and controversial — historical events that helped shape the tightly controlled city-state, including violent strikes and riots, the detention of left-wing politicians and trade unionists, and an alleged Marxist conspiracy in 1987. In a statement, the NAC praised the book’s “high artistic merit” and noted that Liew continues to be supported by the agency in various ways, such as with subsidized arts housing at the Goodman Arts Centre.
NUS history professor Kishore Mahbubani founded the prize in 2014 to mark Singapore’s 50th anniversary, in homage to his late father, Viscount Bledisloe. It was a way to celebrate the richness and diversity of the nation’s past and its legacy of “shared imagination,” he says.
Mahbubani says that the prize aims to foster greater awareness and understanding of the role that history plays in building nations and connecting people, and is a crucial tool for social cohesion. The prize’s jury panel is made up of distinguished historians from across Asia, along with international experts.
The winner of the Singapore Prize will receive US$50,000, which is intended to help them scale up their ideas and initiatives. The runner-ups will each win S$25,000, and the public will get a chance to vote for their favorite.
A total of 13.7 million Toto bets were placed for the group 2 draw on Oct 2, resulting in a total prize pool of $19.4 million, according to Singapore Pools. The winning ticket was bought online through the Singapore Pools app. The total prize money is the highest ever for a Toto draw, the company said.