The Sydney Prize
Sydney prize is an honor bestowed upon individuals or organizations that have made significant strides in their fields of endeavor. It can be awarded for a particular work or as a general achievement that reflects the recipient’s overall success in life. Various organizations award these prestigious prizes. Some are purely literary while others celebrate more specialized achievements like the Andrew Gemant Prize which honors those who connect art with physics or literature with science. Other awards honor writers who write for top-tier national publications, such as Hilton Als writing for The New York Times or Ed Yong writing for The Atlantic. The Hillman Foundation also hosts a monthly Neilma Sidney Prize for journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling for public interest reasons.
Some sidney prizes are awarded to students, while others recognize a single scholar of national distinction. The Sidney Hook Memorial Award is presented annually by Phi Beta Kappa in memory of the late American philosopher who sought national distinction in scholarship, undergraduate teaching and leadership in support of liberal arts education. This prize includes a stipend of $3,500 and a plaque. Ruth Edelstein Barish established the Sidney Edelstein Prize in History of Technology to honor her husband, a renowned expert on the history of dyes and dye processes and founder of a specialty chemical manufacturing firm. The award is given each spring, with nominations accepted a year and a half before SHOT’s triennial Council Meeting.
Other sidney prizes are devoted to the written word and are open to undergraduates. The Sidney Cox Prize for Undergraduate Literary Work honors the legacy of a Dartmouth professor and Phi Beta Kappa member who promoted understanding of complex topics through clear, insightful writing. It is open to all undergraduate students who write original work that meets the high standards of excellence and integrity embodied by the prize’s namesake. Its winner is selected each spring by an anonymous committee of Hanover members.
Many literary sidney prizes require submissions of specific pieces that are evaluated by a panel of experts in the field. These can include essays or books, and are usually offered by a university or independent organization. Winners are usually offered monetary prizes and often the opportunity to have their work published in journals or books. The Mikiso Hane Prize and the Sidney DeVere Brown Prize are two examples of such literary prizes.
Other non-literary sidney prizes are geared towards those who make contributions in other fields of study. These can range from those who bridge the gap between art and physics to those who connect literature and science. The Andrew Gemant Prize, for example, honors individuals who have contributed to art and physics or literary works and science. In the field of journalism, the Hillman Foundation’s Neilma Sidney prize offers winners $5,000 and publication online and in Overland magazine while runners-up receive $750. The Hillman Foundation also sponsors the Greenville Sidney Prize for Journalists, which is awarded each month to a journalist who pursues investigations that are “of the highest quality.” The Greenville News won this year’s prize for their work exposing the hidden toll of gentrification on Greenville’s Black community.