For the first time, the Singapore Prize will be awarded in partnership with Conservation International (CI). The award, funded by Prince William’s charity, The Earthshot Initiative, will bring together the winners from each of the five categories to collaborate and accelerate their innovative solutions for a thriving planet. The week-long event, which begins on 6 November in Singapore, will see the winners connect with CI’s network of partners committed to delivering scalable, impactful environmental solutions.
The prize will also feature a summit on combating the illegal trade in wildlife products, estimated to be worth $20 billion annually. It will be held in conjunction with the United for Wildlife global summit and will feature representatives from law enforcement agencies, conservation groups and corporations. The summit is part of the upcoming United for Wildlife Asia Pacific Leadership Forum, hosted by CI and supported by a consortium of major corporations.
Singapore’s top brands will be displaying their products and services to Thai buyers at the prestigious HOFS Awards 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand from 30 September to 2 October. The HOFS Awards showcases the best of Singapore in food, travel, tech, beauty and wellness industries to create a vibrant regional business marketplace.
Founded in 2002, the HOFS Awards has become a highly respected platform for Asian businesses to connect and grow their brand globally. It is the leading award scheme in the region to celebrate and reward outstanding achievement, exceptional service and distinguished leadership amongst organisations of all sizes.
In the music category, violinists Dmytro Udovychenko, Anna Agafia Egholm and Angela Sin Ying Chan received a total of USD $110,000 in prizes including concert engagements. This year’s competition was held at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and judged by an esteemed panel comprising Qian Zhou (Chair), Martin Beaver, Martin T:son Engstroem, Lee Kyung Sun and Mihaela Martin.
Khir Johari’s gastronomic history tome, which took 14 years to complete and weighs 3.2kg, won the Singapore Literature Prize for English non-fiction, marking his fourth consecutive win since the award was launched in 2021. The Singapore Book Council introduced a new category this year for English comic or graphic novels, with the prize going to Kenfoo’s self-published Cockman (2022), in which a chicken from another dimension is stranded on earth and finds itself in human form.
The Harvard Prize Book (Singapore) was launched by the Harvard Club of Singapore in 2023 to recognise individuals who demonstrate great care for their fellow citizens. ITE student Muhammad Dinie, for example, led a team that walked around his Ang Mo Kio estate to give out packed meals, groceries and thank-you cards to Town Council cleaners during the pandemic. The winner will be selected by a committee of judges that includes Harvard alumni and senior Singaporean leaders. The finalists will be announced on 30 September, and the winner will receive a cash prize of USD$10,000, a Harvard Prize Book and a trophy. They will be invited to speak at the HOFS Awards ceremony in 2024.