The Sydney Prize is a monthly award that honors journalism that exposes social and economic injustice. It was named after Sir Sydney Myer, an Australian businessman and philanthropist known for his support of arts in Australia. Prizes are selected by an independent panel consisting of journalists and writers and given out on every second Wednesday of every month.
This prize is open to media outlets and individuals of all kinds; submissions should represent stories published during the prior month and received publication within that month’s timeframe. Nominations must be received by midnight of each month’s last day; these may have appeared in print or online versions of newspapers, magazines or websites, television broadcasts or radio transmissions.
Submitting a story for consideration for the Sydney Prize requires no entry fee; judges determine its winner based on criteria including originality, journalistic standards, impact and public awareness raised about an issue or concern raised. Finalists are announced each second Wednesday of every month; on that same Wednesday the winning story will be published in Overland magazine as well as receiving a certificate awarding author their win!
Overland also runs several literary and cultural awards, such as the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize supported by Malcolm Robertson Foundation in memory of their late editor Neilma Sidney, which seeks outstanding short fiction of up to 3000 words themed around travel; imaginative, creative and literary interpretations are strongly encouraged! The winner will receive first prize of $5000 with their story published at Overland while two runners-up each receive $750 as runners-up prizes.
Overland offers another prize called the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Prize, awarded annually to an exceptional manuscript related to technology history. Books that win this prestigious prize before publication may carry the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Seal with pride on their covers.
Sidney Lanier Prize was established to commemorate a 19th-century Southern poet. Administered by Mercer University’s Spencer B. King Center for Southern Studies, Ron Rash of Western Carolina University will receive this prize during a ceremony this spring in Macon Georgia.