The 44th Ho Chi Minh City Press Awards in 2026 honoured 72 outstanding journalistic works selected from nearly 300 entries competing across six thematic categories. According to Duong Vu Thong, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Journalists Association, this year’s awards once again witnessed active participation from the city’s media organisations. Many entries were carefully produced, demonstrating strong investigative value, in-depth analysis, high humanitarian significance, broad social impact, and clear public benefits.
In the categories of reportage, investigative reporting, journalistic essays, and documentaries, award-winning works stood out for their innovative approaches and their ability to address current social issues and matters of public concern. In the political commentary category, numerous entries offered profound analysis and practical recommendations for the development of both the city and the country. Meanwhile, works in the interview, live coverage, and news reporting category demonstrated strong news value and timely reflections on significant social events. In the news and photojournalism category, many entries captured emotionally powerful moments and vividly portrayed political, economic, cultural, and social developments across the city.
Through these works, judges and readers alike could clearly see the passion and commitment of the city’s journalists, as well as their willingness to engage directly with communities and cover diverse sectors of society. Their efforts reflected civic responsibility, social commitment, and a deep love for the profession. The award-winning works also demonstrated the growing professional standards of the city’s journalists, highlighting their political integrity, professional ethics, and dedication to contributing to the development of Ho Chi Minh City and the nation.
Nguyen Tan Phong, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Journalists Association, noted that the Ho Chi Minh City Press Awards have been organised continuously since 1982. Throughout their history, the awards have remained one of the city’s most prestigious professional honours, recognising outstanding journalistic achievements and the creative dedication of journalists. Through this annual event, the association seeks to encourage innovation, promote higher journalistic standards, and contribute to building a professional, humane, and modern press system in line with the Party’s policies on media development in the new era.
Over more than a century of development, Viet Nam’s revolutionary press has accompanied the nation throughout every stage of its history. Within that proud tradition, Ho Chi Minh City has consistently served as one of the country’s major journalism hubs. In 2025 and especially during the first months of 2026, Viet Nam entered a period of significant transformation driven by digital transformation, institutional reform, administrative streamlining, socio-economic development, and deeper international integration. Against this backdrop, the city’s journalists have continued to affirm their social responsibility and professional mission.
Media organisations across the city have actively embraced innovation, applied new technologies, developed multimedia journalism platforms, enhanced content quality, and improved audience engagement. These achievements not only demonstrate the adaptability of the city’s press but also contribute to strengthening the reputation and standing of Vietnamese journalism in the digital age.
According to Van Thi Bach Tuyet, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, journalists in the city have truly embodied the role of “revolutionary soldiers,” using “the pen and the page as sharp weapons” to serve the people and the revolutionary cause, as President Ho Chi Minh once taught. The city’s press remains one of the brightest examples of Viet Nam’s revolutionary journalism, distinguished not only by its rich traditions but also by its ability to provide valuable information, inspire readers, and lead innovation and reform.
Thanks to the close engagement of journalists, patriotic movements have continued to flourish across all sectors of society, generating practical results and contributing to the successful implementation of the city’s development and integration goals in the new era. Through stories deeply rooted in everyday life, the values that define Ho Chi Minh City’s people -solidarity, dynamism, creativity, courage, compassion, and community spirit - have continued to be promoted and shared widely.
As the country enters a new stage of development, journalism faces both significant opportunities and considerable challenges. The rapid advancement of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, social media, and evolving patterns of information consumption is reshaping the profession and creating new demands for journalists.
According to Chairman Nguyen Tan Phong, more than ever, media organisations and journalists must maintain strong political commitment, uphold professional ethics, foster innovation and creativity, continuously improve professional competence, and master emerging technologies while remaining firmly committed to the core values of revolutionary journalism: truthfulness, objectivity, humanity, and service to the nation and its people.
Looking ahead, Deputy Secretary Van Thi Bach Tuyet expressed confidence that journalists will continue to uphold their proud traditions, maintain their professional integrity, fulfil their political and social responsibilities, embrace creativity and dedication, and move forward confidently into the new era.
