The biennial prize honors work by writers in the island’s four languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. It has 12 categories, not far from the structure of the British Book Awards with its 16 categories, but also not nearly as crowded as the PROSE Awards with its 106 finalists in 39 subjects. This year’s shortlist includes 49 titles. It is smaller than the 192 submissions received in 2020, reflecting the effects of the pandemic on publishing and what organizers say was a desire to shift focus to children’s books.

The award ceremony was held at the Media Corp theater and co-hosted by Hannah Waddingham and three-time Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown. Bastille and One Republic were the evening’s performers. Other celebrity attendees included Cate Blanchett, Lana Condor, Ted Lasso actor Donnie Yen and actress Nomzamo Mbatha. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a trustee of Earthshot, attended as well. She spoke of the importance of a shared imagination and history in bind societies together, and how the global community must find ways to combat climate change.

Prof Miksic’s book was hailed as “fundamental” and a “radical reinterpretation of the history of Singapore”. He had discovered bits of historical information in literary records that pointed to Singapore’s existence before 1819. This led him to conclude that the island was part of an ancient Southeast Asian kingdom. He had started excavations at Fort Canning in 1984 and worked with volunteers, including local Singaporeans.

Other winners included educator Tan Xiang Yeow, whose work focused on Singapore’s social fabric and how it evolved, for the 2023 winner of the nonfiction category. The prize also honored work in translation, and this year’s edition saw the return of a Readers’ Favourite award in which the public votes online for their favorite shortlisted title.

In the category of social innovation, five finalists were recognized for their efforts to create a more sustainable future. They were chosen from 15 finalists, ranging from entrepreneurs who developed technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air and a business that uses drones to monitor rainforest activity to companies launching zero-emission electric scooters.

The event was a glitzy affair that drew celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the world. Despite the fact that his wife Kate Middleton stayed in London to oversee their son’s preparation for school, Prince William was in attendance. He wore a 10-year-old dark green Alexander McQueen suit to the glitzy event, in line with sustainability principles. He joined other celebrities and philanthropists in the crowd to watch the award presentations and to see his wife’s creation, Jewel Changi Airport’s Rain Vortex attraction. Afterwards, he visited an exhibit on marine conservation at the National Museum of Singapore. He then met Singaporeans working to protect the environment. The trip is the second time he has visited the country, in 2021 and again last year. He was invited by his wife’s uncle, Ng Swee Lin, the founding chairman of Earthshot.