Golden Apricot Award-winning artists are building the cultural industry.

Ho Chi Minh City needs to quickly build a professional music and film production system, from recording studios and film sets to distribution platforms.

The artists who won the 31st Mai Vàng Awards are determined to continue working diligently, improving the quality of their creative work, and contributing to building a healthy and rich cultural life.

In 2026, the artists who won the Mai Vàng Award carried with them a strong desire for creativity and the hope that art would become a driving force for the development of Ho Chi Minh City's cultural industry, aiming to become a key economic sector by 2030.

Cultural industry - enhancing national standing

In the context of globalization, the cultural industry is increasingly recognized as one of the leading industries, directly contributing to economic growth, job creation, and enhancing national prestige. UNESCO has emphasized that the cultural industry not only creates economic value but also promotes identity, creativity, and sustainable development.

Following its urban expansion and population exceeding 14 million, Ho Chi Minh City boasts a young, dynamic workforce, the largest cultural and artistic training system in the country, and an increasingly diverse network of creative spaces and performance centers. However, reality shows that the human resources in the cultural and artistic fields still do not fully meet the needs of development. This highlights the urgent need for policies on training, rewarding, and developing artists and performers, so that the cultural industry can truly become a key economic sector of Ho Chi Minh City in the next decade.

Actress Lam Vy Da expressed her hope that Ho Chi Minh City would continue to invest heavily in modern stages, studios, and performance centers so that artists have places to experiment with new ideas. She also set a goal to refresh her image, shifting to roles with greater psychological depth, to reciprocate the trust and love of the audience and to be worthy of the Mai Vang award she received.

In the field of Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera), artist Hung Vuong affirmed that he will dedicate more time to participating in performances that serve the community, bringing Cai Luong closer to young people.

Meritorious Artist Tran Vuong Thach suggested that Ho Chi Minh City could develop programs to commission theatrical, cinematic, and musical works with ideological and artistic value. These art projects need to be connected to the cultural industry ecosystem, from performance to distribution and promotion, so that the works have a long lifespan and contribute to the formation of a sustainable creative market.

People's Artist Tu Long, who was recently honored at the 31st Mai Vang Awards - 2025, believes that Ho Chi Minh City has many advantages to become a creative center of the region because it possesses a strong concentration of creative resources. The city needs to develop multidisciplinary art creative centers where stage, film, and music artists can work together and exchange ideas. When artists are placed in an interdisciplinary creative environment, the effectiveness of their artistic work will be enhanced.

Artists and writers who won the 31st Mai Vàng Awards - 2025. (Photo: HOANG TRIEU)

The driving force behind the "Creative City"

Singer Tung Duong believes Ho Chi Minh City has great potential for developing the music and film industries, especially given that the city is designated as a creative hub in Southeast Asia. "Ho Chi Minh City needs to quickly build a professional music and film production system, from recording studios and film sets to distribution platforms. With good infrastructure, artists will be able to create high-quality products that are competitive in the international market," said singer Tung Duong.

He said passionately, "I will continue to pursue experimental music projects, contributing to expanding the creative scope of Vietnamese music and bringing Vietnamese music to the world ."

From the perspective of a seasoned professional, People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc believes that the development of the cultural industry must be linked to training and passing on skills, building a strong successor generation. A sustainable cultural industry requires a force of well-trained artists. Ho Chi Minh City should strengthen specialized training programs and create opportunities for young artists to participate in large-scale projects. When given the chance to practice their profession, they will mature quickly.

Theater manager Huynh Anh Tuan, who has been involved with privately run theaters for many years, emphasized the role of support mechanisms and market connections. "The cultural industry needs a complete ecosystem, from creation and production to distribution. If there are policies to support privately run art units, theaters will be more confident in investing in works of high artistic value," said Mr. Huynh Anh Tuan.

Mr. Tuan said he will continue to invest in new plays, contributing to keeping the lights on in the city's theaters and creating opportunities for young artists to practice and hone their skills.

Composer Cao Van Ly expressed his wish for traditional music to receive more attention in the cultural industry development strategy, especially in the context of digital transformation and international integration. "Traditional music is the root of national identity. When properly invested in, traditional music will become a source of inspiration for new creations. I hope Ho Chi Minh City will develop regular performance programs so that traditional music can have a sustainable life," composer Cao Van Ly shared.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nghe-si-mai-vang-xay-dung-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-19626022321182149.htm