Hanoi (VNA) – The organising board of the 7th De Men (Cricket) Awards for Children 2026 on May 11 announced the Top 10 finalists for this year’s competition.
The list features a diverse range of creative works, including three story collections, two art series, two comic books, one poetry collection, one musical production, and one animated series accompanied by a creative ecosystem. Notably, four of the shortlisted creators are children.
Founded and organised annually since 2020 by the Vietnam News Agency’s The thao và Van hoa (Sports & Culture) newspaper, the Awards honour outstanding artistic and literary works either “by children” or “for children.” The awards include a grand prize called the Cricket Knight Award, and several Cricket Desire Awards of equal standing.
The seventh edition, launched on March 26, reviewed 146 notable children’s works created or completed between January 1, 2025 and April 25, 2026. Entries were submitted directly by authors or nominated by a network of writers, poets, artists, publishers and contributors closely associated with the newspaper and actively engaged with contemporary children’s art and literature.
This year’s shortlist reflects the award’s ambition to elevate its scope in line with the Politburo’s Resolution No.80-NQ/TW and the Secretariat’s Directive No.04, with the emphasis on cultural industries, creative ecosystems and contemporary cultural products capable of achieving wide social impact.
One notable feature of this year’s finalists is the expanded range of creative forms represented, spanning prose, poetry, painting, comics, musical theatre, animation and multi-platform creative models. Productions such as “Phep mau của Kurt” (Kurt’s Miracle) and the Wolfoo animation franchise demonstrate growing attention to works with the potential to become commercially viable cultural industry products.
The strong presence of young creators also stands out. Four child authors and artists reached the Top 10 this year, marking a significant increase compared to previous seasons.
Since its inception, the Awards have aimed to embrace a broad spectrum of creative fields, from literature and the arts to entertainment and digital platforms. Beyond honouring creative achievements, the awards seek to help build a vibrant cultural and artistic ecosystem for Vietnamese children in the digital era, while promoting reading culture and supporting the development of Vietnam’s cultural industries.
The awarding ceremony is scheduled for May 22 in Hanoi./.
De Men Awards nurture creativity, culture for Vietnam’s children
The awards honour outstanding contributions across creative fields – from literature and the arts to entertainment; from traditional publishing formats to contemporary digital platforms.
