The University of Sydney’s prize awards recognise excellent written work. All prizes require an application with submission of a written piece, typically an essay or poem, on a selected topic. Submissions are made under a pseudonym and are subject to the signing of a copyright release form.
The Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is open to all writers who live or are based in Australia and are unpublished (including online). The prize judges, Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, have chosen a shortlist of eight pieces for this year’s competition. The winner will be announced in August. We encourage authors to consider the question ‘Does this work take up or represent a marginalised or vulnerable identity?’ — if the piece does, please indicate which.
Established in 1854 from a bequest by WC Wentworth, this prize is awarded annually for an outstanding essay addressing a nominated question. This essay should demonstrate originality and the ability to shed light on a particular aspect of Australian law, history or culture. It should be capable of generating debate and further research. The Prize is sponsored by the University of Sydney Law School and is endorsed by the Society for the History of Australia.
The Hillman Prizes are a series of monetary awards given by the left-of-center nonprofit journalism foundation, the Hillman Foundation. The Hillman Foundation also gives monthly Sidney Awards to journalists who pursue investigative journalism in service of the common good. The foundation was named in memory of Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America labor union – an early predecessor to Unite Here and Workers United (formerly SEIU). Its board includes left-leaning celebrity Danny Glover.
In 2025, the Hillman Foundation also began a separate award for journalistic investigation in service of the common good – called the SEIU Sidney Award for reporting on racial and economic justice. All U.S and Canadian Hillman Prize entries will be considered for this award.
Each year, AJL selects one book in each of two categories: a picture book or short informational book in the Younger Readers category and a novel or longer nonfiction title in the Older Readers category. In addition, a list of Notable Books is designated each year. A compilation of the Notable Books lists from 1985 through 1999 is available for purchase. In 1985, AJL began designating a Notable Books list in each category at the same time as it designated prize winners. Currently, a Notable Books list is published in each of the Younger and Older Readers categories.