Sidney Prizes are given out annually or occasionally as rewards for academic excellence across different areas, usually taking the form of cash and sometimes also including plaques and certificates. Most university prizes aim to recognize academic achievements within specific units or programs of study; some require application while others are automatically given out based on midyear or final year academic results.

Many of the university’s awards relate to literature or the arts. These can range from essays, poems and plays written or created for them; most literary prizes require meeting certain criteria such as quality writing that sheds light on an important topic as well as financial compensation for winning them.

Annie Zhang won the 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize administered by magazine Overland with her short story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’ The judges were particularly taken by Annie’s use of language and narrative voice to create an atmosphere of place and time in her story, set on unceded Wangal land in Australia. Madeleine Rebbechi and Sheila Ngoc Pham came in second place respectively.

Established to commemorate Professor Philip Sidney Ardern, this prize aims to promote Old and Middle English literature as well as scholarship that upholds high standards of originality and integrity. To help make the prize permanent, its committee sent letters out soliciting contributions; so far the fund is over $1500! Donations should be sent directly to 1 Occom Ridge in Hanover Vermont for processing.

The Hillman Foundation hosts monthly Sidney Prizes for journalism that serves the common good, honoring Sidney Hillman – founder of Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America labor union that eventually gave rise to Unite Here and Workers United. Led by former Amalgamated CCWA President emeritus Bruce Raynor and funded primarily by leftist donors including Danny Glover.

George Polk judges award the annual $25,000 Sydney H. Schanberg Prize to outstanding long-form investigative or enterprise journalism produced during 2023. Works must stand out for their depth and breadth of coverage: local, state or federal government corruption; armed conflicts; military injustice; war crimes or genocide; sedition or authoritarian government abuses. A panel consisting of journalists, scholars and public figures includes former recipients such as David Carr, Jeremy Stahl and Mary McNamara as judges – the competition will open its doors September 12 2023.