The Sydney Prize and the Sidney Edelstein Prize

The Sydney Prize honors members of the Duke community who have demonstrated generosity of character and a spirit of service that puts others before self-interest. The award is meant to honor people who, like Sydney Hollander (1881-1972), are dedicated to working for social and human justice in our local communities. This includes those who have worked in the fields of civil rights, economic development, education, and social reform. It may also include those who have contributed to promoting knowledge of Asian cultures through teaching, writing, or arranging events such as book clubs, film series, children’s story hours, museum exhibitions, public discussions, etc.

The Sydney Film Festival’s prestigious awards ceremony, presented in partnership with Event Cinemas, celebrates the best in world cinema, and this year is one of the richest ever, with a prize pool of more than $160,000. The festival’s top prize, the Sydney Prize, was awarded to a film that a jury of industry professionals described as “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous.”

In 2024, the Australian Screenwriters’ Association (ASTA) Craft Award for best screenwriter went to Chloe Kemp, writer of the internationally acclaimed drama “Say.” AFTRS Rising Talent Award was given to actress Bridget Morrison for her work in the same movie, while the Event Cinemas Rising Director Award was won by director Debbie Lee, whose debut feature film, “Wildflower,” wowed critics at Cannes this year.

SHOT’s Sidney Edelstein Prize, named in honor of the distinguished dye expert and founder of a specialty chemical company, recognizes an outstanding scholarly work in the history of technology that was published in the three years preceding the award. The prize consists of $3500 and a plaque.

This prize, endowed by contributions to honor the memory of the distinguished investigator and dedicated educator in thyroid research, recognizes outstanding academic achievement in thyroid-related investigations. The prize consists of an honorarium and an engraved plaque.

The Animal Law and Policy Program awards, annually, up to two prizes to Harvard Law students who write the best papers in any field of law that addresses a legal issue directly related to animals. Papers are eligible if they were written in conjunction with a course, seminar, clinic, or graduate degree program at the Law School, or as an independent study project under the supervision of a faculty member.

Each year the Overland Literary Prize for short fiction honors an original, unpublished piece of narrative nonfiction that exemplifies reportorial excellence, storytelling skill and a concern for social justice. The prize is open to writers worldwide, and the winning entry will receive $500, plus a subscription to Overland, including four print issues and full access to our daily online magazine. Subscribers can enter the competition for a discounted rate; you can find details on how to enter here. You can also read reviews of previous winners and purchase Sydney Taylor seals for your books on the AJL shops page.