Actor Nguyen Le Viet Anh and actress Nguyen Ngoc Lan are pictured with their best actor and actress awards of the 40th National Television Festival. (Photo vietnamnet.vn)

The awards ceremony of the festival was held on December 16 in a virtual format for the first time to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control.

Speaking at the event, Tran Binh Minh, general director of Vietnam Television (VTV), said it was the first time that the festival was held without the presence of any delegates but just judges to honour the excellent works.

“This year's television festival has 422 entries in nine categories. Basically, the works have closely followed the mainstream of the nation, focusing on profound humanistic messages rather than the investment in terms of scale and sophisticated expression.

“The number of entries and the level of investment by the television units, despite being inequivalent to the previous festival due to the impact of the pandemic and the significant decline in revenues, still promote and innovate the ideological values, content and modes of communication,” he said.

This was the second time that Anh won the highest award at the National Television Festival.

"It's been five years since I first received the Best Actor award, the feeling is like the first time," he said, adding that he was filled with happiness and pride.

The actor added that the award would be a driving force for his career. He is now starring in the film Huong Duong Nguoc Nang (Sunflower Against the Sun) broadcast on VTV3.

Speaking at the ceremony, actress Lan shared that The Law of Heaven was the first film in which she collaborated with Vietnam Television Film Centre (VFC).

“The award means that my role as a villain in the film has not been hated but even remembered by the audience,” she said.

After The Law of Heaven, Ngoc Lan continued to work with VFC in the film Troi Buoc Yeu Thuong (Tied Up with Love).

Besides those two most prestigious awards, the organising committee granted 38 gold awards for works of nine categories, the highlight of which are the film Life and Death by two directors Khai Hung and Nguyen Mai Hien of Serial Drama category.

Another gold winner of the same category is the film Ke Sat Nhan Co Doc (The Lonely Killer) by Ho Chi Minh City Television.

In addition, the organising committee handed out 63 silver awards, 109 certificates of merit and 14 excellent works on the subject of ethnic minorities./.VNS

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