The Prince of Wales Walks the Green Carpet
The Prince of Wales walked the green carpet in Singapore on Tuesday for the third annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. He praised the winners for their efforts to tackle climate change and said that “hope does remain”. Actors Cate Blanchett, Donnie Yen and Lana Condor joined him to present the prizes to 15 finalists whose ideas ranged from solar-powered dryers to combat food waste to making electric car batteries cleaner.
Almost two decades after it was launched, the Singapore Prestige Brand Award has recognised a total of 21 local businesses in their respective categories. This year’s winners include healthcare provider StarMed Specialist Centre and co-living company Coliwoo, which won in the Promising Brands category. Construction firm Craftwork and seafood restaurant Old Town White House were also among the winners in the Heritage Brands category.
TOTO is a national lottery game run by the Singapore Pools and offers one in eleven chances of winning a prize, which is known as the Premium Prize or Jackpot Prize. The prize was originally introduced in 1969 as a means to raise funds for the construction of Singapore’s first National Stadium. The prize structure was revamped in 1981 to introduce a snowballing feature and an assured minimum amount for the Premium Prize.
In an effort to promote Singapore’s unique culture, the Arts Council of Singapore (AC) has rolled out new funding guidelines for its arts programmes, starting this year. The AC will no longer grant grants to organisations that merely serve as propaganda mouthpieces for the government, and says it will instead focus on supporting high-quality works that are ‘deeply insightful’ and inspire audiences.
The NUS History Prize, which has been running for the past two years, will be replaced by a new Singapore History Prize that will launch next year. This will be open to books that have a substantial historical impact and are published in English between June 2021 and May 2024. Submissions can be in any genre, and writings on a diverse range of time periods and themes that have a clear connection to Singapore’s history are welcome.
The prize will be awarded by a five-member jury panel comprising NUS history professor Rajesh Mahbubani, academic and historian John Miksic, art and literary figures, museum curators, and teachers and curriculum developers. The winner of the prize will be presented with a cash prize of S$30,000 and a certificate of achievement. Those who are interested in submitting works can find more information on the Singapore History Prize website. The deadline for submissions is 31 May.