A sidney prize is a literary award given to authors who have written an outstanding piece of work on a particular subject. Most of the prizes that are awarded each year are in the form of essays, poems and plays and can be a great way for authors to gain recognition for their work. Several of the prizes are run by organisations in Australia and the rest are sponsored by universities and private individuals. All of the prizes that are awarded require the author to submit a written work for consideration. This work can be written under a pseudonym or it can be the author’s own name.
The prize is named after former NSW Governor Sir Sydney Cox and was established to honour the excellent undergraduate writing that he exemplified in his teaching and in his book, Indirections for Those Who Want to Write. The prize is open to all undergraduate students and any type of writing may be submitted for consideration.
Winners of the prize are announced at an annual ceremony and receive a medal designed by artist Edwin Muir. They also receive a grant of up to $10,000 from Screen NSW. The Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award recognises an emerging creative working in short film with a cash prize of $7,000. This award is open to filmmakers, directors and screenwriters who have had no more than five short film credits.
Each year the Sydney City Council awards the Sidney Hollander Prize for Distinguished Contribution to the Arts. This award is given in memory of Baltimore businessman and philanthropist Sidney Hollander (1881-1972) who devoted much of his life to efforts for equal rights for African Americans. The winner receives a gold-plated bronze statuette and is presented at a special Sydney Arts event.
The Melbourne-based Sidney Myer Music Foundation has been running this competition since 1997 and it is one of the most prestigious Australian prizes for young musicians. The prize is worth a total of $100,000, which includes $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in recording equipment. The winner will be invited to perform at the Sydney Opera House on a special concert tour and also receives a lifetime subscription to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Several of the University’s literary prizes are named after well-known writers who have a close connection to Sydney and Australia. Many of these prizes have a long history and were originally established through bequests. The winners are announced at an annual ceremony and usually receive a trophy and a cheque for their winning entry.
The University of Sydney offers an array of prizes to its students that are based on submissions of written works. These are normally essays or poems but some of the prizes are also based on oral presentations. All of these prizes are offered to undergraduate and postgraduate students, including doctoral students. In some cases, students must provide evidence of hardship before being awarded a prize. Some of these prizes are offered for specific subjects, while others are available to all students.