A solar-powered dryer, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that deter illegal fishing and restore Andean forests were among the winners of the inaugural Earthshot prize announced in Singapore on Tuesday. Britain’s Prince William, who launched the 10-year award program through his charity foundation, presented the awards and praised the solutions presented by the 15 finalists. He wore an old dark green suit and walked the “green carpet” alongside other presenters like actor Donnie Yen, actress Hannah Waddingham and South African actor Mbatha. Singer Bebe Rexha and the band One Republic were also on hand to perform.
The prize’s inaugural winners were awarded at a ceremony hosted by Singapore’s Ministry of Education and organised by the National Book Council (NBC). President Tharman Shanmugaratnam presented the prizes, while a distinguished jury panel chaired by NUS’ Kishore Mahbubani judged the submissions. The prize was founded on a generous endowment from an anonymous donor to spur interest in Singapore’s history. For the first time, the 2027 prize will introduce an Arts and Multimedia category to include works that engage deeply with Singapore’s history.
In the 2024 competition, NBC drew more than 4,000 readers to vote in a reader-choice category, roughly twice the number of voters who took part in the 2020 edition. The winner in each core juried prize category – including the reader’s choice – will receive 3,000 Singapore dollars, with 2,000 Singapore dollars going to each of the merit prizes.
NBS also announced the launch of a new scholarship programme to support academically exceptional students from low-income families studying at NBS. The new scholarship will provide a monthly grant of up to S$3,000, in addition to stipends for meals and travel, to cover living expenses for the duration of their studies.
The NBS has also set up a fund to support aspiring academics and researchers in the areas of science, technology, innovation and culture. It will provide grants to help them with their research and training costs, as well as funding to support a range of activities related to public engagement. It is the latest initiative by the NBS to boost scholarly excellence in the country and strengthen Singapore’s growing community of scientific talent.