Sixteen organisations with excellent works receive awards. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — The fourth Búa Liềm Vàng (Golden Hammer & Sickle) Press Awards 2019 honoured journalists and their work about Party building on Wednesday night in Hà Nội.

This year, Búa Liềm Vàng have two additional awards for the best work on the protection of the Party's ideological foundations and for the best work by an overseas Vietnamese author.

Vietnam News Agency won three prizes including one second prize for a photo series about the second DPRK-USA Hà Nội Summit and the official visit to Việt Nam by the Chairman of the Workers’ Party and the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un. Two consolation prizes went to Vietnam News Agency Television VNews and the Domestic News Editorial Board.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said the winning works were the epitome of political thinking, enthusiasm, intellect and conscience, showing the high level of social responsibility of journalists for the country, people and the Party.

Emphasising the special significance of 2020 which will mark the 90th anniversary of the Party, and 75 years since the country's Independence Day, Phúc said that in the context of difficulties facing the country in terms of the environment, defence, security and foreign affairs, the entire political system, people and the press needed to step up.

He said that rapid development of science and technology in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the explosion of information technology had set new requirements for the national press. The Việt Nam Revolutionary Press should continue to promote its important role as the voice of the Party, the State, and political, social, professional organisations, as well as a reliable forum for the people, Phúc said.

At the same time, the press must also fight hostile forces and misrepresentations, the PM stressed.

The Prime Minister said he hoped the press would continue to contribute to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation and to strive to realise the aspiration of building a strong and prosperous Việt Nam.

Búa Liềm Vàng is an annual awards ceremony organised by the Communist Party of Việt Nam’s Central Organising Commission in collaboration with Nhân Dân (People) newspaper, Tạp chí cộng sản (Communist Magazine), Vietnam Television and the Việt Nam Journalists Association to recognise outstanding journalistic works about politics, ideology, organisation and morality, dissemination, inspection, mobilisation, foreign policy and anti-corruption efforts. The works were published and broadcast in print and on radio and television in 2019.

The fourth Búa Liềm Vàng 2019 was launched in January 2019. The organisers received a total of 1,660 works, including 783 in print, 300 online, 377 for TV, 174 for radio and 26 photos.

The fifth Búa Liềm Vàng 2020 Press Awards was launched at the awards ceremony on Wednesday. — VNS