Ha Noi performer wins ‘Star Academy' title in HCM City

Vocal chords: Pham Quoc Huy (left), winner of TV reality show Ngoi Nha Am Nhac, performs a duet with Viet Nam Idol Van Mai Huong in the finale on Friday. — VNS Photo Ly Vo Phu Hung

HCM CITY — Pham Quoc Huy of Ha Noi sang and danced his way to victory in Ngoi Nha Am Nhac, the Vietnamese version of reality TV show Star Academy, on Friday.

With a well-trained and powerful voice and slick dancing skills, the Ha Noi College of Art student beat the two other finalists with a tally of 35.93 points at HCM City's Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium.

In the final, which was broadcast live on HCM City Television's HTV7, Huy and the others performed a solo, a duet with a famous singer, a duet with other contestants, and a freestyle dance. Singer Doan Trang, one of the judges, said Huy's stable manner and great progress during the course of the 10 live shows in the three-month contest was the winning factor.

Hoang Thi Yen Chi of the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities finished second with 34.87 points.

Tang Ngoc Tuyen, a singing and dance instructor in Ha Noi, scored 33.5.

The winner took home VND300 million (US$15,000), while the two runners-up split a similar amount.

Ngoi Nha Am Nhac, produced by the HCM City Television and Cat Tien Sa Company, was a live contest involving 16 contestants aged 16-30 who stayed together for a period and were trained by skilled singers and dancers Nam Khanh, Thu Minh, Khanh Thi, Tran Ly Ly, and Bulgarian Alexander Vachev.

All the shows, hosted by singer Yen Trang and actor Tuan Tu, were broadcast on HTV7.

More than 5,000 people took part in auditions held in Ha Noi, HCM City, and the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) city of Buon Ma Thuot in April. — VNS