President Võ Văn Thưởng presents the Hồ Chí Minh Prize to Vietnam News Agency journalist and photographer Chu Chí Thành. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Veteran photographers of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) were among artists granted the 2022 Hồ Chí Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Arts at a ceremony held on Friday.

The ceremony was held at the Hanoi Opera House by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the occasion of the 133rd anniversary of the birth of President Hồ Chí Minh (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2023). It was attended by State President Võ Văn Thưởng.

A total of 128 authors and co-authors were honoured with the prizes, including 16 who were awarded or posthumously awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize this time.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the State Prize for Literature and Arts was awarded to many renowned figures such as composer Đoàn Chí Bổng, composer Đinh Trung Cẩn, artist Trần Ly Ly, artist Lê Hồng Chương, and actor Nguyễn Á.

Writer Nguyễn Huy Thiệp was posthumously awarded the State Prize for his collection of works including the short story Tướng Về Hưu (The Retired General) and the collection of short stories Những Ngọn Gió Hua Tát (The Hua Tát Breezes).

Seven veteran journalists of the VNA were honoured. Among them, photographer Chu Chí Thành was granted the Hồ Chí Minh Prize while photographers Nguyễn Hữu Lộc, Phạm Văn Thính, Đinh Quang Thành, Trần Văn Tuấn with the State Prize.

Late photographers Võ An Khánh and Nguyễn Đặng will be posthumously presented with the Hồ Chí Minh and State Prizes, respectively.

Speaking at the award ceremony, State President Võ Văn Thưởng said: “At this solemn ceremony, let us together express our deep gratitude to the generations of artists who bravely sacrificed for the revolutionary cause.

“Together, we honour the artists, with their creative talent and persistent hard work, having created works with outstanding ideological content and artistic form that have had a great effect on the revolutionary cause and a long-lasting impact on social life, contributing to the national cultural and educational development, enhancing the aesthetic and cultural awareness of the people, and contributing to the development of Việt Nam’s advanced and distinctive culture, literature, and arts.”

The State President warmly praised and congratulated the great achievements of Vietnamese artists in recent years, and those who have been awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2022.

He added that the prizes comprehensively and deeply evaluate the country's literature and arts in the past 50 years since the national reunification. He, therefore, suggested that relevant organisations and localities continue to deeply appreciate the role of literature and arts in the development of Vietnamese culture, while uniting and honouring artists who have made significant achievements and contributions to the country.

A total of 128 authors and co-authors were honoured with the prizes, including 16 who were awarded or posthumously awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize this time. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

Prior to the award ceremony, VNA held a gathering with photographers who used to work at the agency and were granted the 2022 Hồ Chí Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Arts.

Addressing the event in Hà Nội, VNA Deputy General Director Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nhung said that since the Hồ Chí Minh and State Prizes were first presented in 1996, 19 journalists from the VNA have been honoured with four Hồ Chí Minh Prizes and 18 State Prizes on literature and arts, in the field of photography.

VNA Deputy General Director Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nhung (second, left) and VNA photographers who receive the 2022 Hồ Chí Minh Prize and the State Prize on literature and arts. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

Among them, martyr-journalist Lương Nghĩa Dũng, late photographer Võ An Khánh, and journalist Chu Chi Thành were granted both prizes.

The prizes, presented every five years, are noble awards from the Party, State, and people to the VNA and its brave journalists who have stood side by side with the nation during historic moments and contributed to the national liberation, reunification, construction, and safeguarding, Nhung noted, describing this as a great source of pride and honour for generations of VNA staff.

Many VNA reporters laid down their lives on battlefields while performing their duties. With over 260 among the more than 400 martyr-journalists nationwide, the VNA is the Vietnamese press agency having the highest number of martyr-journalists. It also has the largest number of photos of the country’s resistance wars and major historic events. Those photos have become a priceless asset for the revolutionary press and the photography of Việt Nam, according to the official.

At the meeting, the veteran journalists shared their love for the job, stories about the days full of hardships, and memories of the photo collections winning the Hồ Chí Minh and State prizes. — VNS