How to Get a Sidney Prize
Whether you’re looking to get noticed at the next big literary festival or fund your research on ancient history, there is no shortage of sidney prize opportunities. These scholarships and fellowships come in all shapes and sizes, and it is important to understand their specific eligibility requirements before you apply. Depending on the award you are applying for, you may also be required to provide a short essay or letter of recommendation to support your application.
Founded in 1950, the Hillman Foundation honors journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service to the public interest. Its namesake, labor organizer and founder of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and Congress of Industrial Organizations, believed that a free press was essential to a just and equitable society. The foundation continues his legacy by illuminating the great issues of our time, from the search for a basis for lasting peace to the need for better housing, medical care and employment for all people, the promotion of civil liberties and democracy, and the battle against discrimination of all kinds.
Each month, the prize honors a piece of journalism that appeared in the previous month and is nominated by an individual or institution. The winner receives a $500 honorarium, a bottle of union-made wine and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel. The competition is open to all media, including the daily and periodical presses, radio and television, and the web.
In February, a team from the Greenville News won the Sidney for a deeply reported article that exposed the hidden toll of an urban renewal project on the city’s black community. The piece was the result of a collaboration with researchers at Furman University. The investigation revealed a pattern of neglect and betrayal that is common to many cities and towns across the country.
The 2023 Sydney Prize will be awarded to a physicist who has shown an enduring commitment to connecting art, media and literature to science. AIP will announce the prize recipient at its next Triennial Council Meeting, and there will be a call for nominations in the Key Reporter and on social media.
The Sidney Prize recognizes scholarship that demonstrates a commitment to humanity, including work on the relationships among human societies and their natural and social environments. The prize is named for Sir James Sidney, a prominent British explorer and diplomat who devoted much of his life to the study of the world around him. The first prize was awarded in 1987 and has since become one of the most prestigious awards for scholarship in the field of the history of religion. The citation reads: “The Sir James Sidney Prize for Religious Studies recognizes the most distinguished book in the history of religion published in North America during the preceding calendar year.” The prize is supported by the American Academy of Religion. Previously, it was funded by the John A. O’Neil Memorial Trust. The name of the trust has been changed to reflect the broadened scope of the prize.