Held annually, the awards aim to discover and spread positive social values while highlighting Vietnam’s achievements in protecting and promoting human rights, with people placed at the center of development policies.
Over the years, the awards have evolved from a photography and video contest into a broader communications initiative celebrating stories of Vietnamese people, everyday life, and the country’s development through visual storytelling.
The competition is open to professional and amateur creators, including Vietnamese citizens and foreign participants aged 15 and above.
Entries in the photography and video categories need to capture meaningful moments of life in Vietnam, from bustling cities and rural areas to communities in mountain, border, and island regions. Submissions are expected to reflect Vietnam’s development achievements while conveying positive and humane messages under the theme “Happiness from Simple Things.”
Trinh Thi Thuy, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “In the digital era, with smartphones, and digital infrastructure and platforms, every citizen can become a ‘media ambassador’. Every piece of work can become a ‘broadcasting point’ spreading the image of Vietnam to the world.”
“This award is to ignite and spread creativity, thus helping build our national image. When millions of positive stories are shared and amplified, we are promoting the national image and contributing to strengthening social trust, increasing consensus, elevating national prestige, and countering misinformation and distorted narratives about Vietnam in the international arena,” said Thuy.
Entries will be accepted by August 30, 2026, via the official website: happy.vietnam.vn. The awards ceremony is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026 in Hanoi.
As part of the “Happy Vietnam 2026” awards, a series of major media and cultural activities will also be held nationwide, including the Happy Vietnam Festival (Happy Fest), exhibitions, cultural events, and communications campaigns on domestic and international media platforms.
The “Happy Vietnam 2026” Awards is receiving entries at: https://happy.vietnam.vn.
Submitted works must be authentic, artistically and communicatively valuable, clearly reflecting Vietnam’s development achievements, and convey positive humanitarian messages with broad social impact.
The contest is open to Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above.
