The Sydney Prize and Other Awards That Recognise Excellence in Journalism
The sidney prize is a monthly award given to an outstanding piece of journalism. Submissions are accepted for articles that appeared online on the previous month, and can be nominated by anyone. The winner receives a $500 honoraria and is published in Overland magazine, while the two runners-up are also published. The prize is hosted by Overland and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to lose focus quickly. The Sydney Prize is a reminder that longform writing and thought pieces still remain worthwhile. It is especially important in the current political climate, where it seems like the left and right are growing further apart. The Sydney Prize seeks to promote journalism that challenges the status quo and exposes injustices.
For example, in 2023, the Sydney Prize awarded Iranian-American actress and human rights activist Nazanin Boniadi for her work on women’s issues in Iran. This is the first time the prize has been awarded to a woman. The prize was formally presented at a ceremony in Sydney Town Hall. The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, praised her for “turning outrage into action.”
Another type of sidney prize is the George Barrett Award for Public Interest Law, which was founded in 2024 to honour George Barrett and his legacy. The prize is awarded to a legal practitioner who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing social justice and addressing the legacies of colonialism. The prize comes with a cash prize of $1,000 and is administered by the Project on Private Law at Harvard Law School.
Other sidney prizes are awarded for academic research and scholarship. For instance, the Edelstein Prize for the History of Technology is granted annually to the author of an outstanding scholarly book in the field of the history of technology. The book must have been published in the three years preceding the year of the award. It is funded by Ruth Edelstein Barish in memory of her husband, Sidney Edelstein.
In addition, there are a number of awards that are based on the arts. For example, the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award is a prize that recognises a trailblazing NSW-based creative working in short film. The winning film creators receive a $7,000 cash prize from Event Cinemas.
The Sydney Peace Prize is Australia’s international prize that celebrates global voices which promote peace with justice, human rights and non-violence. It has been awarded for over two decades with the support of the City of Sydney. Past winners have included Julian Burnside, Noam Chomsky and Mary Robinson. You can make a donation to the Sydney Peace Foundation to help Laureates continue their vital work for a fairer, more just world. The City of Sydney is proud to partner with the Sydney Peace Foundation for this annual prize. To commemorate the 2024 Sydney Taylor Prize, we have produced gold and silver seals that can be affixed to copies of the winning books. You can also purchase a Sydney Taylor prize poster featuring the winning books and their covers.