HCM CITY — Singer Hòa Minzy scored a leading eight nominations at the 2025 Làn Sóng Xanh (Blue Wave) Music Awards.

Hòa’s viral music video Bắc Bling (Bắc Ninh) received nominations for Song of the Year, Music Video of the Year, Viral Song and Best Collaboration alongside celebrated artist Xuân Hinh and songwriter Tuấn Cry, who is also the song’s composer.

The MV, a blend of northern folk music with hip hop, showcases her deep love for her hometown in the northern province of Bắc Ninh.

It was filmed at famous locations in Bắc Ninh, such as the Dâu Pagoda, the Đô and Bà Chúa Kho Temples, the Phù Lãng pottery village and many other historical sites and scenic landscapes. Nearly 300 residents, who are nearly 90 years old to young children, appear in the video.

The production reached 100 million views in four weeks, becoming one of the fastest MVs to set a record in Việt Nam.

Masew, the MV’s producer, earned a nomination for Producer of the Year and Best Remixed Recording.

In addition, Hòa’s another song, Nỗi Đau Giữa Hòa Bình (Pain in Peacetime), got a nomination for MV of the Year and Favourite Movie Soundtrack.

The song, composed by Nguyễn Văn Chung, is on the soundtrack of Mưa Đỏ (Red Rain), a war epic inspired by the 81-day battle to defend the Quảng Trị Ancient Citadel in 1972 and produced by the People’s Army Cinema.

Hòa is also nominated as Female Singer of the Year for her contribution to Việt Nam’s music scene in 2025.

Hòa Minzy, 31, whose real name is Nguyễn Thị Hòa, became popular in 2015 with her MV Ăn Gì Đây (What We Should Eat), a production featuring contemporary folk music. Her hits include Không Thể Cùng Nhau Suốt Kiếp (We Can’t Be Together Eternally), Nếu Mai Này Xa Nhau (If We Separate) and Thị Mầu.

Following Hòa Minzy is pop star Soobin, who has five nominations, including Male Singer of the Year, after he gained big success in 2025 with the “Live Concert: All-rounder” tour in Hà Nội and HCM City, attracting crowds of 40,000 fans.

The tour brings SlimV, the concert tour’s producer, a nomination for Producer of the Year.  

Soobin’s new music video Mục Hạ Vô Nhân (There’s No One in Front of Your Eyes), released in November, is nominated for MV of the Year.

The production is inspired by the classic xẩm song of the same name. Xẩm songs were traditionally sung by blind artists, who wandered from town to town to earn their livelihood, reflecting daily life stories. This form of singing became popular in the northern region of Việt Nam since the 14th century.

The video features two men who disguise themselves as blind fortune tellers to tease women in the village, and then the villagers decide to teach them a lesson in manners.

Soobin collaborated with People’s Artist Huỳnh Tú, who produces and directs traditional art performances, and rapper Binz in the video that earned him a nomination for Best Collaboration.

The 34-year-old singer told local media that he devoted efforts to the project as a way of expressing gratitude to his father, People's Artist Huỳnh Tú, who nurtured a love for folk music in Soobin since he was a child.

He said, “The love motivated me to bring folk music into my production, where tradition and modernity interfere with each other.”

The singer is selected for Favourite Soundtrack for the song Tiến Hay Lùi (Forward or Backwards) from the movie Nụ Hôn Bạc Tỷ (Money Kisses) directed by Thu Trang, featuring songwriter Bùi Công Nam.  

Soobin, whose real name is Nguyễn Huỳnh Sơn, impresses audiences not only with high-quality music but also in his roles as a songwriter, performer and mentor to the next generation of artists.

His successes in 2024, especially with the reality programme Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai (Call Me by Fire), provided him with the opportunity to showcase his strength and capabilities as a versatile artist.

Young singer Phương Mỹ Chi received four nominations, including two major categories of Female Singer of the Year and Outstanding Singer of the Year.

The 23-year-old Chi gained big success in 2025 after finishing third in the Sing!Asia, a Chinese music show that includes a large line-up of artists from various countries.

She also appeared in the music video Made in Vietnam by producer team DTAP, featuring People’s Artist Thanh Hoa and singer Trúc Nhân.

The video was nominated for MV of the Year, recounting a journey to discover national historical and cultural values. It also highlights traditional art such as water puppetry, quan họ (duet singing) and hò (southern folk tunes), and captures beautiful landscapes.

Chi also received a nomination for Best Collaboration.

Chi joined the music industry in 2013 after being runner-up in the first season of The Voice Kids of Vietnam, a reality television singing competition for children from six to 14 years old, based on the concept of The Voice Kids of Holland.

Having a sweet and strong voice, Chi quickly became famous among audiences with folk and contemporary folk songs. She released the album Vũ Trụ Cò Bay in 2023, highlighting songs inspired by Vietnamese folk tales and literary works about the country, and women’s fate, family and love.

The Blue Wave Awards was initiated in 1997 by the HCM City Television and Radio (HTV) to promote Vietnamese pop music.

HTV director Cao Anh Minh said this year, music not only highlights stories of love but also honours traditional values and patriotism.

The awards ceremony will be held at the HTV Theatre on January 30. — VNS