Sidney Hillman Foundation strives to promote social justice for the common good through annual journalism awards. One such prize, known as the Hillman Prize for Writing on the Environment, was given this year to author Bill Rankin for his book After the Map: Cartography, Navigation and Transformation of Territory in the Twentieth Century. Rankin was among three winners announced this weekend along with Society for the History of Technology’s 2017 Sidney Edelstein Prize recipient Society for History of Technology 2017 Sidney Edelstein Prize recipient GroupGSA for renovating early 20th-century industrial buildings located throughout Rosebery.

At this year’s Sidney Prize event, winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges made up of acclaimed Australian directors Justin Kurzel and Michael Caton-Jones along with Screen NSW chief executive and UNESCO City of Films patron Rouben Mamoulian. Additionally, this was also an event to showcase and launch the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award which recognizes an emerging short film writer with a cash prize of $7,000. Applicants from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Hong Kong with no more than five short screenwriting credits can apply.

Rachel Ang’s story Thalassophobia won this year’s Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize from a shortlist of 10 entries, sponsored by Malcolm Robertson Foundation and administered by Overland magazine (an outlet which expands imagination, knowledge and understanding). Overland team is committed to maintaining their blind-judging process by reading each submission anonymously before selecting their winners.

Recently, the University of Texas at Austin announced it had received a $2 Million gift from Sidney and Margaret McDonnell Foundation, in memory of its late founder who championed classical music. This donation serves as an ode to his legacy as an avid supporter of his school and champion for classical music.

Recently, the foundation has been embroiled in several high-profile labor battles due to its leadership comprising former Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America president Bruce Raynor as well as Unite Here and Workers United president emeritus John Dempster. The Sidney Hillman Foundation remains dedicated to leftist activism, with prize money from its prize pool representing its founder’s legacy. This marks a second significant donation by this foundation within four years towards scholarship funds. As well as awarding its flagship Sidney Prize, the foundation also sponsors a monthly prize for journalism on issues of economic and social justice and offers fellowships to journalists working at non-profit organizations. The foundation also offers various grants that assist individuals and organizations with their work. To learn more, visit its website. Hillman Foundation awards are administered by an appointed board of trustees consisting of prominent figures from business, academia and arts communities. Funding comes from both individual donors and foundations alike; additional assistance comes from U.S. Health and Human Services.