With the slogan “Happiness from simple things,” the Happy Vietnam 2025 Human Rights Media Award aims to celebrate moments of joy in everyday life, showcasing Vietnam’s achievements in human rights and reinforcing its image as a peaceful, independent, and free nation.

The award was officially launched this morning in Hanoi, jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam Television, and the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists. It is one of the key events in the Human Rights Media Exhibition series.

According to Deputy Minister Le Hai Binh, the happiness of Vietnam - a nation of peace, independence, and freedom - is something many other countries long for. While every individual among Vietnam’s 100 million citizens has a unique sense of happiness, it is all tied to national pride.

The Happy Vietnam 2025 award seeks to spread positivity through a simple concept: participants are invited to capture their most meaningful happy moments - no staging required.

"Ordinary, everyday images are the most human and powerful affirmation of a truly happy Vietnam," Binh emphasized.

Though a similar photo and video contest was co-hosted two years ago by the Ministry of Information and Communications (now merged into the Ministry of Science and Technology), this marks the first time Happy Vietnam has been officially approved as an annual media award for human rights.

Under the theme “Happiness from simple things,” the Happy Vietnam 2025 Award honors meaningful stories and affirmations of Vietnam’s peaceful, vibrant, and rapidly developing society. It highlights the country’s human rights progress, enhancing its international reputation and standing.

The competition is open to all individuals - amateurs and professionals, Vietnamese and foreigners - aged 15 and up, with no limit on the number of entries.

Submissions are accepted from May 22 to September 30. Full details and entry guidelines are available at: https://happy.vietnam.vn

The awards ceremony is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025. Notably, there will be a special award for creativity in human rights content and media format.

In 2025, Vietnam climbed to 46th in the global Happiness Index, up 8 places from 2024 and 19 from 2023. This marks a major milestone reflecting international recognition of the country's human rights policies and achievements in recent years.

Binh Minh