The Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize

Congratulations, 2018 Hamilton Prize Winner Sydney Kim!

Sydney Kim of Weston, Mass., has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity, a four-year full-tuition scholarship to Wesleyan University, worth as much as $200,000. Her submission, a short story titled "The Driveway," was selected by an all-star committee of Wesleyan alumni chaired by Hamilton writer and original star Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. '15 and director Thomas Kail ’99, from more than 550 entries. Kim attends Concord Academy and will be a member of Wesleyan's Class of 2022. Read more about 2018 Hamilton Prize winner Sydney Kim!

The Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity was established in honor of Miranda and Kail. It is awarded to the incoming first-year student whose work of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or other creative written expression (lyrics, plays, scripts, etc.) best reflects the originality, artistry, and dynamism embodied in Hamilton.

Hamilton Prize Selection Committee

Wesleyan University has announced the distinguished members of its 2018 Hamilton Prize Selection Committee. The all-star committee, made up of Wesleyan alumni, will choose the recipient of the Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity.

Lin Manuel Miranda '02 and Tommy Kail '99Honorary Chairs

Thomas Kail ’99 (right) is the Tony-winning director of Hamilton: An American Musical, Emmy-winning director of Grease Live and Tony-nominated director of In the Heights.

Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, Hon. ’15 (left) is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning composer, lyricist and actor. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning Hamilton and In the Heights. His additional Broadway credits include Bring It On: The Musical (co-composer/co-lyricist, Tony nomination for Best Musical), and West Side Story (2009 revival, Spanish translations). A 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient, Miranda has recently composed songs for Disney’s Moana (2017 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song) and has been actively supporting the relief efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in September 2017, creating the benefit single, “Almost Like Praying.”
Photo: Robert Adam Mayer

 

Committee Members

Hamilton Prize FAQs

  • What is the Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity?

    The Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity is a four-year full-tuition scholarship to be awarded to the incoming student, beginning with Wesleyan’s Class of 2021, whose work of creative written expression is judged to best reflect the originality, artistry and dynamism embodied in Broadway’s Hamilton. Winner of eleven 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Hamilton tells the story of our country’s youngest founding father: Alexander Hamilton, a brash young immigrant who changed the course of history. The scholarship was established in honor of Hamilton creator, writer, composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02 and director Thomas Kail ’99—award-winning Wesleyan alumni who embody the University’s spirit of boldness, creativity and experimentation.

  • How do I apply for the Hamilton Prize?

    In addition to a completed application for admission to Wesleyan, Hamilton Prize applicants must submit a single submission of original work of creative written expression. Acceptable submissions include short fiction, poetry, slam poetry and song lyrics, as well as excerpts from longer works of fiction, creative nonfiction, screenplays or theatrical plays, and any other form of creative written expression. Specific details and submission guidelines can be found here.