The Sidney Prize

A sidney prize is a literary award given to an author or journalist for outstanding work. Prizes may be awarded monthly, or for a period of time, such as a year. Many prizes are established by universities, and are often based on bequests. Most require an application and a submission of written work, including essays, poems, or plays. The submissions are usually submitted under a pseudonym. Occasionally, prizes are awarded to people who have already won other awards for their work, such as a Nobel Prize.

The Sydney Prize is a monthly prize for journalism that exposes social and economic injustices. The winner receives a US$10,000 honorarium and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel. The prize is funded by the philanthropy of Sir William and Lady Sidney, and is administered by the Center for Global Media Studies at the University of Sydney. Nominations are due by the end of each month, and the prize is announced on the second Wednesday of the following month.

The first Sidney prize was awarded in 1946 to the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, a predecessor of Unite Here and Workers United. It was given for writing that illuminated the great issues of the day, including the search for a basis for lasting peace and the fight for housing, medical care, employment security, civil liberties, and democracy. The foundation has continued to offer this prize, now called the Hillman Prize, and has added categories for photojournalism and opinions and analysis. The foundation is led by left-leaning labor union leader and former president emeritus of Workers United Bruce Raynor.

This year’s Sidney prize was won by an essay in the New York Times that criticized student hypersensitivity to microaggressions, which can lead to depression and a lack of preparation for the real world. The essay, by Helen Andrews, described how she was subjected to a shaming online tirade after she took part in a panel discussion about conservatism. The piece was a contender for the Pulitzer Prize and the Sidney prize, which is given by New York Times columnist David Brooks.

The Sidney Cox Memorial Prize is a writing prize offered annually for undergraduate students. It is named in memory of the distinguished Sidney Cox, a member of the department from 1961 to 1985. Originally trained in literature, he made his mark in the field of art history by editing two benchmark publications: Art in Society and The Nature of Art.

The 2024 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize was won by Annie Zhang for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’. Zhang is a writer and editor living on unceded Wangal land, who has previously been published in Overland. She will receive $5000 and the story will be published in Overland, with two runners-up receiving $750 each. The winning entry was chosen by a judging panel that included Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh. The finalists were selected from a shortlist of eight.