Sydney Prizes – The University of Sydney’s annual literary prizes recognise and reward excellence in writing. Students are invited to submit work for consideration across a range of different categories, including poems, plays and essays. In order to be awarded, entries must be written in English and meet the high standards set by our judges. We encourage all undergraduates to submit their work and ask that you only apply for the prize if your piece meets our criteria.
The Sidney Prize for Undergraduate Writing recognises and rewards outstanding writing by undergraduates at the University of Sydney. The competition is open to all students and submissions are reviewed by scholars in the field. Prizes are awarded to students who demonstrate excellent writing and an ability to think critically about important questions. Prize winners are announced at the Creative Writing Awards ceremony in May.
We offer a range of writing-related prizes for both undergraduates and postgraduates. Each award has its own criteria and application process, but all require the submission of an essay or work of fiction. Applicants must identify the nature of their work and provide a statement of purpose in order to be eligible for the award.
Established in 2024 by Overland and supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, this award honours outstanding short fiction loosely themed around the notion of travel. Our judges this year, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, shortlisted eight pieces of exceptional original writing from a record 500+ entries and chose a winner and two runners-up. The winning story will be published in Overland and the winning writer receives $5,000 AUD.
The Sidney Peace Prize honours the commitment of a leading Australian to peace, justice and non-violence. It is given annually in recognition of the unifying force and potential for fundamental change that is at the heart of one of the world’s great movements for social justice.
Founded in 1950, the Hillman Prizes honor journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service of social justice. Founder Sidney Hillman, an immigrant, believed that the free press was crucial to a fair society and that the responsibility of journalism is to serve people and not profit.
Each year, the Sidney Foundation supports the publication of a book that makes an outstanding contribution to the history of Christianity and is not yet in print. The prize is named for Professor Emeritus of the History of Religions at the University of Sydney, Australia. Past winners include Dr. Emily Michelson for her book, Catholic Spectacle and Rome’s Jews: Early Modern Conversion and Resistance (Princeton University Press, 2022) and Dr. Kathryn Gin Lum for her book, Heathen: Religion in American History (Harvard University Press, 2022).
The Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award is awarded to an emerging NSW-based filmmaker working in short film with a cash prize of $7,000. The award celebrates trailblazing practitioners who show innovation, imagination and high impact. The 2024 winner was Bridget Morrison for her film, Say.