In an age when short-form journalism and thought pieces dominate the news cycle, the Sydney Prize stands as an antidote: longform essays that combine narrative drive with societal impact. It celebrates magazine writing at its finest and honors writers who make us proud to be journalists. The winners exemplify what makes a good magazine essay, and they inspire readers to seek out more such work.
The Sidney Hillman Foundation established this award in 1950 to honor journalists whose reporting and storytelling pursue social justice and the common good. The Sidney Hillman Prize is awarded monthly for outstanding journalism appearing in national magazines that demonstrates reporting excellence, storytelling skill, and social justice impact. The Sidney Hillman Foundation also awards the Canadian Hillman Prize, which is open to Canadian writers and journalists who pursue social justice stories in traditional media and online.
Previously known as the Dexter Prize, the Edelstein Prize was established in 1968 through the generosity of Ruth Edelstein Barish and her family in memory of Sidney Edelstein, a noted expert on the history of dyes, founder of a successful specialty chemical manufacturing firm, and 1988 recipient of SHOT’s Leonardo da Vinci Award. The prize annually recognizes an outstanding scholarly book in the history of technology published during the prior calendar year. The winner receives $3500 and a plaque.
Each semester, the Herald invites students to enter an essay contest that is judged by its current Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence. Students in each of the Herald’s age categories respond to a prompt asking, “What makes you optimistic about Sydney or NSW?” Runner-ups in each category receive $1000 (courtesy of Dymocks Books and Tutoring) and a digital Herald subscription; the first place winner in each of the two age categories receives $750 and a chance to pitch four additional pieces for publication.
In addition to the Sydney Prize, the Herald offers a variety of other writing competitions each year. One is the annual essay competition, which is judged by the Herald’s Editorial Board and focuses on the question, “What do you hope to see in Sydney’s future?”
Another is the Neilma Sidney short story prize. This award, supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, seeks excellent short fiction themed loosely around the notion of ‘travel’. It is open to writers nationally and internationally at all stages of their careers. The winning story and two runner-up stories will each be published at Overland, coinciding with its print edition.
The prestigious Andrew Gemant Prize is given annually by the American Institute of Physics to an individual who has contributed significantly to the cultural, artistic, or humanistic dimension of physics. The 2019 prize has been awarded to physicist and author Sidney Perkowitz for his enduring commitment to connecting art, the media, and literature to science. This prize is named after the late MIT professor and AIP member. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Andrew Gemant Prize and a strong advocate for its mission of promoting the communication of science to the general public.