Winners of the National External Information Service Awards were honoured at a ceremony held in Hanoi on July 28 night. The sixth edition of the annual awards, organised by the Steering Committee for External Information, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and Vietnam Television (VTV), aims to recognise and honour outstanding authors, press works, and books in the external information sector. Many touching stories from hospitals and quarantine areas have helped unite the community, spreading the message "No one is left behind in Vietnam". Those stories and messages have been shown through music videos and picture books, attracting the public attention. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
The National External Information Service Awards 2019 attracted nearly 1,300 entries in 17 languages in various categories including print news in Vietnamese, e-newspaper in Vietnamese, print newspapers in foreign languages, e-newspapers in foreign languages, radio, television, photos and books, up 37 percent over last year’s competition. Two new categories – short video clips and innovative initiatives that help bring the images of Vietnam to the wider international community – were added this year in an attempt to catch up with the changing times and media landscape. The viral “Vietnam We Thank You - Vietnam co len!” social media campaign, the brainchild of Wayne Worrell, an English teacher in Hanoi, won the “Initiative” award. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
This year, the organisers award 18 first prizes, 33 second prizes, 44 third prizes, and 80 consolation prizes, coming to a total of 175 winning submissions. Many touching stories from hospitals and quarantine areas have helped unite the community, spreading the message 'No one is left behind in Vietnam'. Those stories and messages have been shown through music videos and picture books, attracting the public attention. The English version of the hand-washing dance 'Ghen Co Vy' (Jealous Coronavirus) has been highly valued in the sixth National External Information Service Awards. The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) won 44 prizes, including seven first prizes, eight second prizes, seven third prizes and 22 consolation prizes. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan congratulated the winners and sent her regards to all those working in the external information sector, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SAR-COV-2 severely affecting all aspects of socio-economic activities on a global scale. National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the press had successfully communicated to the world the efforts and the achievements Vietnam had made in the fight against the pandemic. 'The entrants have been getting more diverse year after year, with this year seeing the highest number of works from foreigners,' National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
'Dai le Phat dan Vesak 2019: Thong diep ve mot the gioi hoa binh, yeu thuong' (Vesek 2019: The message about a world of peace and love” by journalist Le Minh Son from Vietnam News Agency's Vietnamplus e-newspaper receives the third prize. At this year’s awards, VietnamPlus also secured a consolation prize for its reportage 'Fansipan: Tu giac mo hoang duong toi cong trinh cua cac ky luc' (Fansipan: From a fabulous dream to a project of records). These works focus on popularising the images of Vietnam as an attractive and beautiful destination as well as friendly and hospitable Vietnamese people. In particular, the articles are all in the form of Mega Story, combining the text, photos and video clips to bring readers comprehensive and vivid information. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
The Vietnam News Agency's Vietnamplus e-newspaper secured five prizes, including one first, one second, two third and one consolation prizes of the 6th National External Information Service Awards. At the same time, the foreign language editions of VietnamPlus also won six prizes, including two second, one third and three consolation prizes. This is the 6th consecutive time VietnamPlus has won high prizes of the National External Information Service Awards since it was launched in 2014. The winning works of VietnamPlus mention various outstanding matters and events of Vietnam in 2019 and first months of 2020, helping to introduce and popularise the images of the country and people of Vietnam to international friends. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
The group of works 'Nhung nguoi gac niem vui, noi buon vi To quoc' (Those who put aside joys and sadness for the Fatherland) by journalist Cao Thuy Giang from Vietnam News Agency's Vietnamplus e-newspaper was presented with the first prize in the e-newspaper category. The works 'Nhung nguoi gac niem vui, noi buon vi To quoc' are the results of many fact-finding trips to hotspots and pandemic epicenters in provinces and cities across the country. Through articles, the reporter of VietnamPlus wants to bring readers a more comprehensive and lively insight into the solidarity spirit of people from all walks of life as well as the great contributions and sacrifices of frontline forces such as medical workers and soldiers. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
Winners of the National External Information Service Awards were honoured at a ceremony held in Hanoi on July 28 night. The sixth edition of the annual awards, organised by the Steering Committee for External Information, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and Vietnam Television (VTV), aims to recognise and honour outstanding authors, press works, and books in the external information sector. This year, the organisers award 18 first prizes, 33 second prizes, 44 third prizes, and 80 consolation prizes, coming to a total of 175 winning submissions. Many touching stories from hospitals and quarantine areas have helped unite the community, spreading the message 'No one is left behind in Vietnam. In photo: Winners of second prize (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
In 2019, Vietnam has achieved many important and comprehensive achievements in socio-economic development, national defence and security, enhancing foreign relations and comprehensive cooperation with neighbouring countries. The winning entries reflected these achievements of Vietnam in many languages and platforms, contributing to promoting the political, diplomatic, economic, cultural and social achievements of the country and promoting Vietnam as a dynamic, proactive country actively integrating into the international community where it is a responsible member. Vietnam has also made positive and internationally-recognised contributions in multilateral diplomatic mechanisms and activities, such as being elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, as well as taking over ASEAN Chairmanship for 2020. In photo: Winners of second prize. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
The sixth edition of the annual awards, organised by the Steering Committee for External Information, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and Vietnam Television (VTV), aims to recognise and honour outstanding authors, press works, and books in the external information sector. In 2018, the organising board received 1,000 entries in forms ranging from print newspaper articles, online articles, radio broadcasts, television broadcasts, press photos, landscape photos and books. The works were published in 13 languages (Vietnamese, English, French, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian). The organising board awarded 90 works, with eight first prizes, 17 second, 25 third and 40 consolation prizes presented. In photo: Winners of second prize. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
Vietnam has reaped many important achievements in 2019. The country has also made remarkable contributions to international affairs, such as joining peace-keeping activities of the UN, dispatching its Level 2 field hospital to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, hosting the second US-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Summit, and being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021 with 192 out of the total 193 votes. Those achievements testify to the open external policy of Vietnam, and prove that Vietnam is a reliable friend and partner in the international community… At the same time, they are also a rich source of information and inspiration for press works serving the external information service. In photo: Winners of third prize. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
Together with rapid responses and tracking work, communication campaigns have provided quick, relevant information in the community, contributing to Vietnam’s significant achievements in the fight against COVID-19. The country’s efforts and initiatives to respond to and control the COVID-19 pandemic have been praised by the international community. Personal stories and positive messages amid the pandemic have been presented in new and vivid forms. They have been honoured in the sixth National External Information Service Awards, contributing to promoting the image of the country, its people and efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 to friends around the world. In photo: Winners of third prize. (Photo: Vietnamplus) 
The viral 'Vietnam We Thank You - Vietnam co len!' social media campaign, the brainchild of Wayne Worrell, an English teacher in Hanoi, won the 'Initiative' award. He and friends living in Vietnam created photos and videos in April calling for resilience and thanking frontline workers and doctors for their devotion. In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, he shared his thinking in kicking off the project: ‘So I thought, well, why don’t we do more? Let us, the expat community, thank the doctors, the nurses, the police, the military and the volunteers for their sacrifice to keep us safe. I reached out to friends. They reached out to their friends. And I got pictures and videos from different people.’ The project surprised even him by going viral. (Source: Vietnamplus) 
This sixth holding of the awards saw the highest-ever number of submissions from foreign reporters and academics. Foreign reports delved deeply into the country’s economic reform, its economic and investment cooperation potential via new-generation free trade agreements, and its central role in ASEAN, particularly in settling the East Sea dispute. Rudroneel Ghosh, Assistant Editor on the Editorial Page at the Times of India, won first prize for his article on ASEAN centrality and the East Sea dispute. The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) is one of the leading press agencies with the highest numbers and quality of works competing in the National External Information Service Awards for consecutive years. This year, the VNA won up to 44 prizes, including seven first prizes. In photo: Winners of first prize. (Photo: Vietnamplus) VNA
