A new signal in a children's award.

After seven seasons, the 2026 Cricket Children's Award (organized by the Sports and Culture Newspaper) is showing a remarkable shift: It not only honors excellent works for children, but is also beginning to focus on creating creative ecosystems for children in the digital age.

This is evident in the Top 10 finalists this year, which include novels, poems, illustrations, comics, musicals, animation, and multi-platform creative models. While children's awards previously focused on books and literature, this year's list reveals a different picture: children are not only reading books but also engaging with art through theater, film, digital platforms, and interactive entertainment products.

Most notably, for the first time, a "creative ecosystem" was included in the Top 10 finalists. The animated series "Wolfoo" and the creative ecosystem developed by Sconnect Vietnam are clear evidence of this new direction. Not limited to individual animated episodes, "Wolfoo" has expanded into a multi-platform product line including theatrical films, digital content, educational products, and interactive activities for children. This is a common model in the global cultural industry, but still relatively new in the Vietnamese children's creative environment.

The appearance of the musical "The Miracle of Kurt," produced by the STARLAB Academy of Arts, also shows that the award is paying more attention to works that have the potential to be performed, adapted, and disseminated in contemporary cultural life. From primarily recognizing the value of the content, the Cricket Award is now beginning to focus on the long-term development potential of the work within the creative cultural value chain.

In the context of Vietnam promoting the development of the cultural industry in accordance with Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW and Directive No. 04-CT/TW, the shift of a children's award towards an "ecosystem" mindset reflects a new awareness of the role of children's culture. Today's children not only need good books to read, but also integrated creative spaces to experience, interact, and nurture their imagination.

From an award honoring creative works, the Cricket Award is gradually becoming a platform to encourage the formation of new creative models for Vietnamese children. And that may be the most encouraging sign of this year's competition.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tin-hieu-moi-trong-mot-giai-thuong-thieu-nhi-750366.html