The HK Prize for Democracy Activists
A Hong Kong-based charity has announced its first-ever prize to recognise the outstanding work of a teenager who is leading the city’s democracy activists. It is hoped the award will encourage young people to continue to push for change in their homeland, where a 24-year-old student with thick spectacles and a bowl haircut has become a symbol of their fight against Beijing’s rule. Joshua Wong, who has been convicted of sedition by the Chinese authorities for organising a peaceful protest, won this year’s hk prize.
In the same category, a documentary on the city’s democracy activism has been selected as one of the shortlisted films for the 2018 HK Documentary Film Awards. The film, Ten Years, follows a group of young people as they campaign for democracy and human rights. The director, Ng Ka-leung, has been described as “an auteur with a distinct style”.
Last month, the organisers of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon increased the prize money for local runners in an attempt to attract more participants. Permanent Hong Kong residents who finish the marathon in less than three hours for men or three and a half hours for women will receive HK$10,000, up from the previous HK$7,000. Jockey Club racehorse trainers will also be offered a bonus incentive of HK$200,000 to HK$50,000, with the winner taking home HK$100,000, in an effort to improve the quality of Hong Kong horses.
The HK Prize, formerly the HKU History Prize, was established in 2007 to commemorate George B. Endacott, who played a major role in the re-establishment of the Department of History after the Second World War. The prize supports excellence in research in Hong Kong and China history. It aims to promote scholarly exchange and mutual understanding between scholars and students in Hong Kong and the mainland and between Hong Kong and the rest of the world.
Other prize winners include demographer Wolfgang Lutz and members from War Child Alliance, who have been honoured for their contributions to global education. The HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee gave an online speech, saying that the winners exemplify Hong Kong’s spirit of creativity and innovation.
BOCHK SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PRIZE was established in 2022 to reward outstanding scientists or research teams in Hong Kong, or research-related institutions set up by Hong Kong higher learning institutions within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Prize has a Secretariat operated by the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, which is responsible for carrying out the functions of the Board and the Review Committee; shouldering the duty of liaison and coordination between the Board, the Review Committee, and the Compliance Oversight Team; and conducting evaluation activities and science popularization.
The HK Phil, along with its principal patron, the Swire Group, and all of the music-lovers in Hong Kong and around the world, extends our sincere gratitude for being awarded this prestigious international prize. We look forward to continuing our mission of making a difference in the lives of Hong Kong’s youth through education and the sharing of our expertise in the field of music.