A sidney prize is a literary award that recognizes excellent writing. These awards usually require an application and the submission of written work, typically an essay or poem on a selected topic. Some of these prizes have been around for decades, while others were established just a few years ago. The winners of these awards are chosen by a panel of judges, and the winning essay or poem is published in a literary magazine. Some of the more popular awards include the Sidney Prize for Best Short Story and the Overland Prize for an outstanding short story.

The Sidney Prize for Best Short Story is awarded to the author of an original story published in Overland magazine. The winner receives a $5000 prize and two runners-up are each awarded $250. The winning story is published in Overland’s autumn issue, while the runners-up stories are published online. This literary magazine is based in Sydney, Australia and was founded in 2024.

MACON, Ga. — The 2014 winner of the Sidney Lanier Prize for Southern Literature is fiction writer Elizabeth Spencer, who will be presented the prize at an April 12 ceremony at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The prize is given by the Mercer University Center for Southern Studies to recognize significant career contributions in literature or drama that reflect the Southern experience. It is named after the famed poet Sidney Lanier and is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Sidney Lanier Endowment for Southern Studies and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Everything in today’s world seems to be shrinking. Essays turn into op-eds, which turn into blog posts and then get tweeted. Often we see journalists in the field reporting the latest news and events, but their work is skewed by a desire to entertain and not inform. Fortunately, the Sidney Hillman Foundation’s journalism prizes stand athwart this trend, yelling stop. They are the only prizes in the country to celebrate investigative reporting that advances social justice.

Since its founding in 1950, the Hillman Foundation has sought to illuminate the great issues of our time—from the search for a basis of lasting peace to the need for better housing, medical care and employment security for all people, to the promotion of civil liberties and democracy, the battle against discrimination based on race or nationality and the struggle for economic justice. In 2025, the foundation will award its annual Hillman Prizes to journalists who exemplify reportorial excellence and storytelling skill while advancing social justice. The call for entries is open to journalists and subjects worldwide, but the work must be intended for and available to a U.S audience. This year’s deadline is Jan. 30, 2025. Visit the website for more information on the prize and how to apply. The winning works will be announced in May. The winners will each receive a $5,000 honorarium and be celebrated at a dinner in New York City on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.