- Open to all producers of content that demonstrate relevance to Singapore as an international financial hub
- Six categories including awards for best commentary and top financial blogger
Singapore Exchange (SGX) today launched the inaugural SGX Orb Awards to recognise excellence in financial journalism and content, bolstering its work to enhance financial education and empower investors.
Following the theme of “Connecting Perspectives and Inspiring Conversations,” the awards are open to all local and overseas producers of content that demonstrate relevance to Singapore as an international financial hub. With the proliferation of social media and mobile technology, everyone now has a voice – and the power to influence those seeking information.
Submissions for six award categories are invited from the print and broadcast media, online news sites backed by publishing or editorial companies, as well as independent writers such as bloggers and investment websites. Members of the public can also nominate entries, and vote for their preferred winner among the final contenders.
Judging will be conducted by a distinguished panel, including senior executives from Deloitte, Google News Lab and Nasdaq. The winners will be announced in June 2018. More information can be found in the appendices and at www.sgx.com/SGX-Orb-Awards.
Appendix 1: SGX Orb Awards – Categories
- “Story of the Year” – Securities
We are seeking a news or feature story that best offers insights on investing in the securities markets – Equities and Fixed Income. Your story could be about the rise of passive investing in an environment of low volatility, or relate how stock traders can profit even as interest rates start ticking higher. The winning entry will capture significant developments that impact capital markets.
- “Story of the Year” – Derivatives
Derivatives have a major influence on Singapore’s relevance to global markets, and we are looking for a news or feature story that delivers on this theme. For example, will freight rates be a blind spot for commodity houses, and can FX traders outdo their peers in other asset classes? The winner will showcase a knack for turning typically complex concepts into clear and precise storytelling.
- “Your Opinion Counts”
This award recognises the most outstanding overall commentary or op-ed piece that shares a unique and thought-provoking opinion on Singapore’s importance as an international financial hub. The idea should be persuasive, even if it is controversial.
- “The Visual Treat”
The category for all things creative and experiential, for example, a broadcast segment for TV or a home-made video that probes deep into the workings of a particular financial asset class. The winner will deliver a compelling story while offering viewers an experience to remember.
- “The Hidden Gem”
This award seeks to honour the best feature or analysis of an under-covered stock listed on SGX, whether on Mainboard or Catalist. With more than 700 stocks on SGX, the challenge will be to uncover a fresh angle that investors or analysts may have missed.
- “GoTo.com”
We aim to enhance financial education, and the award for this category will go to the financial blogger or independent investment-related website that most empowers investors to make educated decisions with their money. If your blog stands out from the pack for all the right reasons, you can be a winner.
Appendix 2: SGX Orb Awards – Judging Panel
Ernest Kan
Deputy Managing Partner, Markets, Deloitte
With over 30 years of professional experience, Dr. Ernest Kan has vast expertise in financial audit and consultancy, particularly in Initial Public Offerings, in diverse sectors such as finance, energy and resource, healthcare and life science, manufacturing, technology and telecommunications, consumer business, public sector, travel and leisure. He is active in academia and serves as Chairman on the Advisory Board of the Singapore Management University (School of Accountacy). On the judging panels front, Dr. Kan has chaired the Singapore Corporate Award CFO Judging Panel for almost a decade.
Irene Jay Liu
Google News Lab Lead, APAC
Irene Jay Liu leads Google News Lab in the Asia-Pacific region. She was previously an investigative reporter and data editor at Reuters, where she was a 2017 Pulitzer finalist in the national reporting category. Earlier, she worked at the South China Morning Post and as a political reporter with the Times Union in Albany, New York. She teaches data-driven investigative journalism at the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Nik Gowing
International journalist and former BBC presenter
Nik Gowing was a main news presenter for BBC World News (1996-2014) and worked for 18 years at ITN, including as Bureau Chief in Rome and Warsaw and Diplomatic Editor for Channel Four News. He has served on advisory councils including Chatham House (1998-2004), the Overseas Development Institute (2007-2014) and Wilton Park (1998-2012). He is Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Geo-Economics. In 2016, Nik co-authored (with Chris Langdon) interim findings of the “Thinking the Unthinkable” study, which is currently scaling up because of global executives’ anxieties about the new pressures on leaderships. Since 2016 he has been a Visiting Professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, focusing on deepening and widening the “Thinking the Unthinkable” research. In September 2017, he was appointed an adviser on leadership challenges to the President of the UN General Assembly.
Rebecca Victoria Smith
Head of Listings and Capital Markets, APAC ex-China, Nasdaq
Rebecca Smith is head of origination, capital markets relationships, business development and client relationships in Asia. Rebecca has 20 years of capital markets experience. Rebecca was Managing Director, APAC for Nasdaq (2000-2012), Co-Head of Client & Issuer Marketing for Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (2012-2013) and Executive Director, APAC Origination for Deutsche Bank AG (2013-2016). Rebecca is a permanent resident of Hong Kong and is currently based in Hong Kong covering the region.
