Building a creative ecosystem for children in the digital age.

The 7th Cricket Children's Award in 2026 acknowledges the increase in the number of entries, the richness of art forms, and also shows a remarkable shift in thinking about the development of children's culture.

The Jury presents awards to the works showcasing exceptional creativity at the 2026 Cricket Children's Award (Photo: HOANG HIEU)

The 7th Dế Mèn Children's Award in 2026 acknowledges the increase in the number of entries, the richness of art forms, and demonstrates a remarkable shift in thinking about the development of children's culture. From an award primarily focused on literature, Dế Mèn is gradually expanding into a space connecting multiple creative fields, aiming to build a cultural and artistic ecosystem for children in the digital age.

The Cricket Children's Award has just concluded its largest-ever season with nearly 150 entries/sets of works, demonstrating the growing societal interest in children's creativity.

A notable new feature of this year's awards is the organizers' increased emphasis on honoring enduring contributions to children's art through the Grand Prize "Lifetime Achievement - Cricket Knight," honoring the late Associate Professor, Doctor, painter, director, and People's Artist Ngo Manh Lan.

While in previous seasons, the title of "Knight of the Cricket" recognized the long-term contributions of artists such as Nguyen Nhat Anh, Tran Duc Tien, Ly Lan, and Pham Tuyen, this year, that significance is further expanded to encompass the value of artistic heritage for children.

In the memories of many generations of viewers, Ngo Manh Lan is one of the pioneers of Vietnamese animation with classic works such as "The Story of Ong Giong," "The Kitten," and "The Toad and the Frog." He was also the first illustrator of "The Adventures of Cricket," a quintessential work of Vietnamese children's literature, cherished by the childhoods of many generations. This tribute expresses gratitude to a great artist while also demonstrating a growing awareness of the role of children's art in cultural life, where enduring values ​​are nurtured through generations by imagination, compassion, and creativity.

Besides the revamped award structure, the 2026 Cricket Award also shows a significant expansion in the types of art participating. In the early seasons, the award was mainly associated with literature; this year, the top 10 finalists include many different art forms, such as: comics, painting series, musicals, animation, and multi-platform creative models.

Specifically, the entries for the award include 3 storybooks, 2 sets of illustrations, 2 comic books, 1 poetry collection, 1 musical, and 1 animated series, along with the accompanying creative ecosystem. The appearance of these interdisciplinary products shows that the award is keeping pace with the changes in children's cultural lives today. In the digital age, children need access to images, sounds, animation, theater, and online platforms simultaneously. Therefore, children's culture has become more dynamic, no longer confined to printed books or traditional art forms.

The awarding of the Cricket's Aspirations Prize to the digital animation product "Wolfoo" is a positive sign, showing that the organizers have a more open view towards new forms of creativity and a clearer understanding of the role of the children's content industry in the digital environment. This is also the first time the concept of a "children's creative ecosystem" has been clearly emphasized in the award's guidelines.

In reality, for many years, children's literature has mainly relied on the individual efforts of authors, domestic animation has lacked large-scale projects, and children's theaters are scarce... while children are increasingly influenced by foreign entertainment products on digital platforms. Therefore, the proactive expansion of art awards to include more creative forms shows a positive sign in the thinking about developing children's culture. Another noteworthy highlight of this year's awards is the increasingly clear role of children in creative life.

This year's top 10 finalists include four young authors: Vu Ngoc Diep (11 years old), Nguyen Minh Quan (11 years old), Nguyen Dang Hai Nam (16 years old), and Le Nha Uyen (10 years old). All of them are actively involved in the arts as creators. This is an encouraging development in the current art education environment. Digital technology, digital painting, online publishing platforms, and creative playgrounds have provided opportunities for children to showcase their artistic talents from an early age. These young authors have brought a fresh perspective to the award, rich in imagination and closer to contemporary life.

Alongside the awards ceremony, the 2026 Cricket Award has been expanded into a series of accompanying art events. The exhibition " The World of Childhood Through the Works of the Late People's Artist Ngo Manh Lan," held at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, showcases many of his representative illustrations, paintings, and animated films. This activity helps the public reflect on the contributions of a great artist, connecting today's children with the country's children's art heritage. From a broader perspective, the developments of the 2026 Cricket Award also demonstrate a shift in the approach to the children's cultural industry.

For many years, the children's content sector in Vietnam has not truly developed a synchronized ecosystem from creation and production to distribution. Meanwhile, in many countries, the children's cultural industry is a field with enormous reach, encompassing books, animated films, music , educational games, and digital platforms. According to experts, we have the potential, but we lack a sufficiently strong connecting mechanism to nurture long-term creativity in children.

From an annual art award, the Cricket Award is gradually expanding into a forum connecting writers, artists, directors, performers, and content creators for children. This direction is significant in the context of the domestic children's culture sector still lacking professional and long-term creative spaces.

THUY PHUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xay-dung-he-sinh-thai-sang-tao-cho-thieu-nhi-thoi-dai-so-post966202.html