Hanoi (VNA) - The 19th Cong hien (Devotion) Awards ceremony was organised by the Vietnam News Agency’s The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) newspaper at the Hanoi Opera House on March 5, honouring outstanding artists and athletes.

The event was attended by Vietnam News Agency General Director Vu Viet Trang, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, along with numerous distinguished guests.

In his speech, Editor-in-Chief of the The Thao & Van Hoa newspaper Le Xuan Thanh reflected on the awards’ 20-year journey, which has used the public opinion to encourage and honour positive values in popular music throughout the year, thereby influencing and guiding this diverse market sector.

According to Thanh, this year marks the first time the awards have extended to Asia, partnering with the organisers of the prestigious Music Awards Japan. Through this strategic collaboration, the most excellent artists honoured at each season will have opportunities to advance into the continent, harmonising with the latest trends in regional and global music. Additionally, the annual Cong hien stage will welcome and honor outstanding artists from the Music Awards Japan.

SOOBIN Hoang Son cleaned up this year awards with three prizes for Best Album for “Bat no len” (Turn it on), Best Music Video for “Gia nhu” (If), and Male Artist of the Year.

Divo Tung Duong was announced as the winner in the Song of the Year category with “Tai sin” (Reborn). Throughout the 20 years of the awards, he has been nominated 23 times and won 14.

In the Series of the Year Award category, the live concert “Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai” (Call Me By Fire Vietnam) was named the winner. Music director of the concert, SlimV, was also honoured as the Producer of the Year.

Phan Manh Quynh received the Musician of the Year award, while the New Artist of the Year award went to Duong Domic for his outstanding contributions throughout his musical journey over the past year. Singer Trang Phap was named female artist of the year.

The Programme of the Year Award belonged to SKYNote by singer Quoc Thien.

In addition to the 10 main categories, the Impressive Devotion Award was presented to the organisers of the Youth Programme Concert for their creativity and groundbreaking innovation in combining a high-quality music night with interactive programmes and training for students.

Regarding the sport category, the Sports Achievement of the Year Award went to the national men’s football team for their remarkable achievement of winning the ASEAN Cup 2024.

The Athlete of the Year Award was presented to striker Nguyen Xuan Son, who was also the Best Player and also the Top Scorer at the ASEAN Cup 2024 with seven goals. Meanwhile, the Young Athlete of the Year Award went to Nguyen Thi Huong for her remarkable accomplishments, including earning a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics, claiming a Gold medal at the Asian Championships, and winning three Gold medals at the Southeast Asian Championships.

The Spirit of Devotion Award was given to the Dong Luc Joint Stock Company, a leading Vietnamese firm in sports equipment, health products, educational tools and sports facility construction, committed to sustainable community and social development.

💮 In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Cong hien Awards, the organiser held an auction for a golden nightingale cup following traditional standards. A participant won the auction with a bid of 900 million VND (35,287 USD). The entire proceeds will be donated to build and repair classrooms for children in remote areas, supported by the The Thao & Van Hoa newspaper./.