The sidney prize honors journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service of the common good. Since 1950, the Foundation has awarded tens of thousands of dollars to journalist-in-residence programs and individuals who exemplify reportorial excellence and storytelling skill while working for social justice. The winner of the sidney prize receives a cash award and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Sorel.
The foundation was founded in 1946 in honor of Hillman, the president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America labor union and a leader who fought for a better America and a progressive industrial democracy until his death in 1947. The Foundation continues his legacy of fighting for workers and the common good through the work of its staff and board. The board of directors includes leaders from left-leaning labor organizations like Unite Here, Workers United and SEIU.
In addition to the annual Hillman Prize, which recognizes a single piece of journalism for its impact and impact on society, the foundation has several other awards and recognition programs. For example, the philanthropic organization has an ongoing series of grants to support journalism projects in the US and Canada. In 2011, the foundation inaugurated the Canadian Hillman Prize, recognizing journalists who seek out stories that change lives and work for social justice. The prize is worth CAD$10,000.
During his storied career as an actor, Sidney Poitier won an Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field in 1963, and also starred in such films as In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner in 1967. Poitier was also an esteemed humanitarian, a defender of civil rights and a tireless advocate for peace.
Each year, the foundation gives a $10,000 grant to an individual or institution to help promote and protect civil rights in the US and around the world. This year, the prize was given to a pair of activists who worked together to expose corruption at a local police department in the state of Georgia. The finalists for the award were the Center for Media and Democracy, which led the investigation, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which contributed to the work.
The foundation annually awards a prize to an author of a scholarly book on the history of technology in memory of the late Dr. Sidney Edelstein, a noted expert on the history of dyes and founder of a specialty chemical manufacturing firm. The Edelstein Prize, which was previously known as the Leonardo da Vinci Award, is given in conjunction with SHOT. The winner of the prize receives $3500 and a plaque. The winner is selected each fall by an independent jury of scholars and experts. In the past, this group has included historians of science, technology and the environment, business people and academics. The jury also has included some of the founders and early leaders of the Society for the History of Technology. The deadline for nominations is the last day of each month.