Awarding 47 prizes at the 13th International Art Photography Competition (VN-25)

On December 5, the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) held an award ceremony and opened the 13th International Art Photography Competition in 2025 in Vietnam (VN-25) at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Nghia Do Ward, Hanoi ). The event took place on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (December 8, 1965 - December 8, 2025).

Opening of the 13th International Art Photography Exhibition in 2025 in Vietnam. Photo: Organizing Committee

This year's International Art Photography Competition has four themes: Freedom for Color Photos, Freedom for Monochrome Photos, Portraits and Travel , sponsored by the International Federation of Art Photography (FIAP).

Speaking about the contest, photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations , President of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, emphasized that the International Artistic Photography Contest in Vietnam has become a prestigious "meeting place" for the global photography community. Despite taking place in a difficult context, VN-25 was a great success beyond all expectations with 13,236 entries; gathering 1,054 authors from 31 countries and territories. The number of entries was impressive, having increased by nearly 30% compared to the VN-23 contest.

Photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, President of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, spoke. Photo: Organizing Committee

“These numbers affirm the prestige and brand of the international photo contest in Vietnam, proving that Vietnam is a reliable destination, an attractive artistic playground for professional and amateur photographers around the world,” photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong affirmed.

According to the President of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, VN-25 was organized with the highest international standards. In addition to the prestigious awards of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA), the competition continues to be sponsored by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), awarding Medals and Honorary Certificates to 4 attractive topics: Freedom of Color, Freedom of Monochrome, Travel and Portrait.

01-awarding-gold-medals-to-Mr. Thanh Lam, Vice-President of Propaganda and Arts Council, and Mr. Doan Thanh No, Vice-President of Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations.jpg — Awarding the Gold Medal winners. Photo: Organizing Committee

The entries at VN-25 were highly appreciated for their artistic and technical quality, demonstrating the diversity in creative thinking of authors from many different cultures. In all four themes, photographers have deeply exploited the aesthetics of light, composition and moments, while reflecting humanistic stories and new perspectives on life, people and landscapes. Many works made a strong impression with their modern, experimental approach, showing the integration of Vietnamese photography into the international creative flow as well as the clear maturity of the domestic author team.

Awarding the Silver Medal winners. Photo: Organizing Committee

4 Independent Jury Boards, including highly-qualified and experienced photographers from Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Spain and Indonesia, selected 663 exhibition photos from 383 authors from 22 countries and territories; and awarded 47 prizes to outstanding authors from Croatia, Taiwan (China), Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Vietnam, according to the award system of VAPA and FIAP.

05-award-presentation-to-representatives-of-German-authors-who-won-award-at-the-contest.jpg — Awarding the prize to the German author's representative. Photo: Organizing Committee

Standing out at this year's competition, author Marcel Van Balken (Netherlands) won the FIAP Blue Ribbon - the winner of the most awards in the competition with 10 selected works including 1 Gold Medal, 1 Silver Medal, 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Honorable Mention and 6 exhibition works.

Vietnamese authors who won Gold Medals include: Nguyen Trong Tam with the work “Ocean Discovery” (VAPA); Nguyen Tien Anh Tuan with the work “The Power of the “King Cobra” SU-30mk2” (FIAP); Tu The Duy with the work “With the Fish” (VAPA); Do Thi Thuan with the work “Eyes of the Steppe” (VAPA); Le Khai Nhan with the work “Two Smiles” (FIAP).

Delegates visit the exhibition. Photo: Organizing Committee

On the Vietnamese side, photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong assessed that Vietnamese authors have won 34 out of 47 awards. This is a proud achievement, reflecting the passion and strong force of the country's photography. However, although Vietnamese works are very beautiful and eye-catching, they still follow familiar "paths"; strong in emotion but sometimes lacking in boldness in technique and novelty in subject matter.

The exhibition of outstanding works will run until December 9.

Some works won Gold Medals: