Playwright Goh Boon Teck and painter Nai Swee Leng awarded this year's Cultural Medallion
The Cultural Medallion is regarded as Singapore's top arts accolade, and is awarded to those who have significantly contributed to the country's arts scene.
The recipients of the 2025 Cultural Medallion, Nai Swee Leng (left) and Goh Boon Teck (right). (Photo: National Arts Council)
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On Thursday (Nov 27), playwright Goh Boon Teck and painter Nai Swee Leng were awarded this year's Cultural Medallion for their contributions to Singapore's arts scene.
Goh, 54, is best known for his iconic street opera-centric play Titoudao, inspired by his mother. Titoudao was staged eight times across the world and was also adapted into a Mediacorp television series in 2020. Goh is also the founder of theatre company, Toy Factory Productions.
Nai, 79, is an authority on Chinese ink painting, having practised the art form for more than 60 years. In 1966, he co-founded the Molan Art Association and has exhibited his works in Singapore and all over the world. Nai is also one of only two Singaporean artists inducted into the highly prestigious Xiling Seal Art Society in China.
Thursday's ceremony also saw five other arts practitioners receiving the Young Artist Award. The award honours practitioners aged 35 and below for their impact on the community. This year's recipients are:
- Syafiqah ’Adha Sallehin, a composer and the co-founder of the ensemble Open Score Project, which crafts original pieces that fuse traditional ethnic instruments from different cultures
- He Yingshu, a writer of Chinese literature, whose first short story collection was shortlisted for the 2020 Singapore Literature Prize
- Alvin Lee Chang Rong, a filmmaker whose works have won awards at numerous film festivals
- Daryl Qilin Yam, a writer whose novel is being adapted into a television series by US-based screenwriters
- Genevieve Peck Jing Yi, a lighting and projection designer who previously served as the chief associate visual director for the ASEAN Paralympic Games in 2015
In a statement, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said: “In this milestone SG60 year, the Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award remind us of how far our arts scene has come with the growth and development of our nation.
“The arts have accompanied us in every milestone, celebrating our Singaporean culture and identity. The distinguished achievements of the seven recipients today affirm the central place of the arts in our collective journey and the bright future ahead for both our country and our arts scene.”
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was the guest of honour at Thursday’s ceremony, said: “SG60 is a good time to reflect on the role of the arts in interpreting the Singapore Story. This year’s Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients themselves give voice to the many memories and hopes along the journey. They help shape our collective understanding of ourselves.”
