The first Singapore prize has been awarded for a book about the nation’s history. Its winner, Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800, by archaeologist John Miksic, received S$50,000 in cash. The prize was mooted in 2014 by a Straits Times column by NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahbubani, who said that nations are held together by a shared imagination, and this can be best understood through the study of their history.
The winners of this year’s Singapore prize were announced at a ceremony in the city-state on Tuesday night. Britain’s Prince William and celebrities including Cate Blanchett, Donnie Yen, Lana Condor and Nomzano Mbatha walked a “green carpet” to present the award.
William, who is the chairman of Earthshot, an initiative he founded to protect and restore our planet, told attendees that the five winners showed that hope does remain despite the impact of climate change. He praised their innovation and commitment to solving the world’s environmental problems.
Winners from around the world were recognized in categories such as green energy, water management, waste reduction and air quality. A panel of 140 leading architects, designers, journalists and industry experts selected the winners. The winners are now eligible to enter the WAF and Inside judging panels, which will choose an overall winner to be announced at the WAF 2024 Gala Dinner on November 5.
This year’s prize ceremony was held in partnership with HOFS Asia, a regional business conference that brings together key players from across the hospitality, food and lifestyle industries in Thailand. The event featured a series of talks by influential individuals from the region who have raised the standards among niche sectors in their respective fields, as well as a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of entering the global marketplace.
The HOFS Awards 2023 also included the inaugural Singapore-Thailand Design and Innovation Contest, where leading hoteliers and tourism professionals from the two countries competed for the best hotel design in a range of categories, including architecture, interior design, branding and guest experience. The jury of this contest consisted of prominent local and international industry leaders, such as entrepreneur and former hotelier Michael Sorkin, architect and interior designer David Tsai and entrepreneur and co-founder of LINE Hotel, Simone Kwek.
In addition to the finalists from Singapore, 10 other projects were shortlisted from a pool of over 150 submissions by leading architectural and design firms from around the world. The other shortlisted projects include the igloo, an urban farming greenhouse, and the aerator, which turns wastewater into drinking water. These winning projects will be exhibited at the next edition of the HOFS Expo in 2024. The exhibition will take place in Bangkok from November 12 to 14.