The awards ceremony was organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Commission for Information and Education.
Among those attending were Mr. Pham Quy Trong, Deputy Head of Department 3 for Local Affairs under the Central Commission for Information and Education; Mr. Tang Huu Phong, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Commission for Information and Education; and Mr. Cao Anh Minh, Deputy General Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Press and Radio-Television Agency.
The city presented additional rewards to winning authors and teams, equivalent to 50 percent of the prize money awarded by the National Press Awards Council.
Nine works by Ho Chi Minh City-based press organizations received prizes this year, including two from Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper.
A three-part series titled "Illusions of Power in the Online World," produced by Vo Thi Hong Hiep, Le Hoang Viet Lam, and Hoang Diep Hang, won a C Prize.
Another Sai Gon Giai Phong project, "Special Data Journalism Project: Ho Chi Minh City at 50 - Proud Milestones Through the Pages of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper," received a Consolation Prize. The project was produced by Nguyen Chien Dung, Vo Minh Phong, Tran Thi Hong Van, Nguyen Minh Phong, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dan, Le Thi Huu Vi, and Tran Thuy Phuong Quyen.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Tang Huu Phong congratulated the award-winning journalists, saying the honors recognized the contributions of the city's press corps and would encourage reporters and editors to produce more innovative, impactful, and high-quality journalism.
He noted that this year's winning entries covered a broad range of formats and came from several local press organizations.
Building on the results, Mr. Tang Huu Phong urged city news outlets to invest more systematically in works intended for major national journalism awards. Press organizations should identify potential topics, fields and formats early, capitalize on their respective strengths and assemble appropriate teams to develop the projects, he said.
Looking ahead, he called on the press to devote greater attention to major issues arising from the development of both Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City, including efforts to achieve double-digit economic growth, advance cultural development, and expand the cultural industries.
He also stressed the media's role in addressing misinformation and misleading viewpoints through well-researched, carefully produced, and persuasive journalism.
As audiences increasingly consume information across multiple platforms, news organizations should continue investing in multimedia products, including video, short-form clips, and high-quality photojournalism, Mr. Tang Huu Phong said.
He encouraged the city's journalists to strengthen professional responsibility, resilience, and innovation while devoting greater resources to substantive reporting that contributes to the development of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.
Mr. Tang Huu Phong also highlighted the broader social role of journalism. Through community programs and visits to provinces and cities across the country, award-winning journalists and news organizations have taken part in initiatives supporting disadvantaged people, demonstrating the press's commitment to social responsibility and its connection with local communities.
