Honoring those who "keep the flame" of national culture alive.

By honoring nine outstanding individuals and five outstanding groups, the Dao Tan Award 2025 not only recognizes artistic achievements but also celebrates those who have persistently created and contributed to preserving and spreading national cultural values ​​in the contemporary context.

The Dao Tan Award honors individuals in the category of "Outstanding Arts Manager".

The Dao Tan Cultural Heritage Award (1845-1907), initiated in 2000 by the Institute for Research, Preservation and Promotion of National Culture in collaboration with the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Magazine, has been held annually since 2005. Over the past 20 years, the award has become a prestigious forum to encourage, recognize, and motivate outstanding individuals and organizations in the fields of theater, literature, painting, and music , thereby making a positive contribution to the country's cultural renewal, exchange, and integration.

Journalist Nguyen The Khoa, Deputy Director of the Institute for Research, Preservation and Promotion of National Culture, and Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Magazine, stated that the Dao Tan Award is not the result of a competition or a voting campaign, but rather an award proactively sought out and selected by the organizing committee to honor deserving works and individuals. Therefore, it requires careful consideration and a high sense of responsibility to society. This explains why, year after year, the award categories are flexibly adjusted, not rigidly fixed, but rather following the flow of artistic life, aiming to promptly identify and highlight individuals who have a positive influence on the development of traditional national culture.

That is why the 2025 Dao Tan Award includes a new category for the first time: "Outstanding Arts Manager," helping the public better understand the contributions of the leaders of public and private theater units. Among the artists awarded this year, People's Artist Le Ngoc (Chairwoman of Le Ngoc Theater) has led her eponymous theater unit to become a shining example of socialized theater in the North, with works achieving record-breaking performances of 300-400 shows and making their mark through dozens of overseas tours. People's Artist Trung Hieu (Director of the Hanoi Drama Theatre), who has contributed significantly to the transformation of the capital's theatre scene in recent years, in his role as artistic director and director of many influential plays, showcasing a new, contemporary staging approach such as "Twin Village," "Circle of Betrayal," and "Bi Vo"... Also present is People's Artist Ho Ngoc Trinh (Head of the Vam Co Cai Luong Troupe, Tay Ninh province), who has made her mark with a series of gold medals for acting and directing at professional festivals and competitions, and has made outstanding contributions to the development and maintenance of the Vam Co Cai Luong Troupe's position – one of the strongest public art units in the Southwest region.

The recent Dao Tan Awards also saw the first-ever appearance of the "Outstanding Art Dissemination Person" category, honoring director and Master of Arts Nguyen Thanh Hiep (Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper) and playwright Mai Van Lang ( Voice of Vietnam Radio ). Few know that, in his role as a journalist and Head of the Theoretical and Critical Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Theater Association, from 2010 to the present, director Nguyen Thanh Hiep has staged and organized over 1,200 performances of the "School Theater" program at 200 schools in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces and cities, contributing to nurturing and fostering a love for theater among young people. With his burning passion and enthusiasm for traditional art, playwright Mai Van Lang also surprised many by pioneering the application of digital platforms to build an entire "ecosystem" including a fanpage, YouTube, blog, and a series of exchange activities to strongly spread the value of Cheo and folk art to the public both domestically and internationally.

Compared to other literary and artistic awards, the Dao Tan Award is unique in its broad and humane approach, recognizing established artists who continue to dedicate themselves to their craft and promptly encouraging talented individuals who have made significant contributions but have not yet received the recognition they deserve, as well as individuals and organizations actively involved but not widely known. Building on this spirit, the "Grand Prize" category for the 2025 season was awarded to playwright Le Duy Hanh (1947-2023) – a major figure in Vietnamese theater over the past 50 years, alongside Luu Quang Vu, Xuan Trinh, Tao Mat, and others.

According to People's Artist Le Tien Tho, Director of the Institute for Research, Preservation and Promotion of National Culture, and Chairman of the Dao Tan Award Council, author Le Duy Hanh was awarded the State Prize in 2001 for three theatrical works: "Bui Thi Xuan's Final Act," "The Sun of the Night Century," and "Southern Sky." However, the theater community believes he has a series of other works of great value such as "Ngoc Han's Confessions," "King Thanh of the Le Dynasty," "The Swan's Dress," "The Queen of Two Kings," and "The Jade Poetic Soul," which deserve to be honored at a higher level.

Alongside significant achievements in the field of theater, the 2025 Dao Tan Award also recognized the contributions of individuals in the fields of music and painting. Artist Le Sa ​​Long was awarded the "Outstanding Artist" prize for his series of topical paintings, "I Love My Compatriots So Much," depicting the aftermath of historical storms and floods. Along with his series, "Saigon During the Lockdown," Le Sa ​​Long demonstrated the heart of an artist deeply connected to the flow of life, using the language of painting to share and spread the beauty of nature, the country, and its people, both in times of peace and hardship. The "Outstanding Singer" award went to Meritorious Artist Tran Tu (Army Song and Dance Theatre), who has dedicated over 30 years to bringing songs and music to remote border areas and islands. Beyond performing, he also composes and participates in musical films, leaving a strong impression as an artist-soldier.

In the context of traditional art facing fierce competition from modern forms of entertainment, the achievements of the Dao Tan Award can be seen as a driving force, igniting the passion and strength for individuals and organizations to persevere and strive in the journey of preserving and promoting the traditional art of their ancestors. People's Artist Le Ngoc shared that receiving the Dao Tan Award is an honor and a valuable recognition of her efforts in leading the Le Ngoc Theater over the years, with the aspiration to bring Vietnamese art to the world stage. This is a great source of inspiration for her and the collective of artists to continuously contribute and affirm the value of Vietnamese identity in global integration.

The 2025 Dao Tan Award Ceremony recently took place as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Institute for Research, Preservation and Promotion of National Culture. Along with the categories of "Grand Prize," "Outstanding Author" (the late playwright Luu Quang Ha), "Outstanding Art Manager," "Outstanding Painter," "Outstanding Singer," and "Outstanding Art Dissemination Person," the organizing committee also awarded prizes in the category of "Outstanding Amateur Tuong Club" (the Tuong Club of Hau Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (formerly), now Giai Lac commune, Nghe An province) and the category of "Outstanding Work" (the play "Against the Current of Peace" - Vietnam National Drama Theatre; the circus play "Nghieu, So, Oc, Hen" - Vietnam Circus Federation; the Tuong play "Sacred Traces of Hanoi," and the Cai Luong play "From Viet Bac to Hanoi" - Vietnam National Traditional Theatre).

DAC LINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ton-vinh-nhung-nguoi-giu-lua-van-hoa-dan-toc-post936245.html