The inaugural Singapore Prize is an inaugural Asian creative writing award to recognize and reward excellence in local creative writing. Administered jointly by independent bookstore Epigram Books and business media company Business Times and sponsored by CGS International Securities, this contest also boasts an added philanthropic element; each winning work auctioned online to raise funds for The Business Times Budding Artists Fund. Lastly, this prize celebrates creativity across disciplines: winners have come from fields as diverse as photography and poetry to fashion and horticulture!
The Singapore Prize was designed to recognize and award creative works produced by Singaporeans across a variety of mediums – be they Chinese, English, Malay or Tamil. It awards two categories – books for publication by Singaporeans in books category; multimedia and arts category accepts submissions such as art installations/installation artwork/podcasts etc (excluding audiobooks/ videos ).
Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters Festival by Lynn Wong Yuqing and Lee Kok Leong won this year’s judges prize in book category; it provides “an engaging and insightful account” of this forgotten celebration. For comic or graphic novel entries, Cockman (2022) by Kenfoo took first prize; its Jury Panel described its “total lack of seriousness or compromise, as well as over-the-top audacity”.
At the 2025-2027 competition, multimedia and artistic works entered included A Land of Differences by local filmmakers Darren Lim and Ning Cai and musical performance by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. While Lim and Cai used film to demonstrate Singapore’s rich diversity, Tan’s compositions celebrated Singapore’s musical legacy.
NUS University has established a new category in order to recognize more works. The Singapore History Prize now welcomes multimedia and arts works that engage with Singapore’s rich historical legacy using innovative platforms. This initiative shows our desire to foster holistic appreciation of Singapore’s past by welcoming a variety of perspectives and media.
The inaugural ceremony of the Singapore Prize took place in September. Attended by celebrities and business leaders alike, this glittering event featured discussions among Nobel laureates regarding climate change, health and happiness, economics and digital wellbeing. Hosted by actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K. Brown (with Mbatha and Yen wearing eco-friendly attire) featuring performances by bands One Republic and Bastille respectively as well as announcement of Earthshot Week Prize recipients.