Young musicians, actors dominate HTV Awards nominations

HCM CITY – Young musicians and actors are spending their time, talent and skills in quality productions that are expected to win them new achievements at this year’s HTV Awards, to be held here tomorrow (April 23).

The annual awards, launched by HCM City Television and Đông Tây Promotion Promotions in 2006, honour performers who have contributed to the channel’s development in TV, music and theatre.

This year sees the rise of young artists in the music and TV series categories.

Singer and songwriter Vũ Cát Tường was nominated for Favourite Composer and Favourite Singer.

It is her second consecutive nomination for Favourite Composer.

“I’m happy when continuing to receive recognition of listeners,” said the 24-year-old musician, who brought home the HTV Awards for Favourite Composer last year.

 “It is my motivation to produce more and more quality songs,” she said.

Tường is well-known after being the runner-up at the Voice of Việt Nam singing contest in 2013.

Since then, she has written and performed several pop songs like Yêu Xa (Distance Love), Vết Mưa (Rainy Sign) and Mơ (Dream).

They have attracted millions of listeners on local online music channels like Zingmp3.vn and nhaccuatui.com. Their music videos have also gained more than one million views on YouTube.

In a television show that runs throughout the year to showcase new songs by Vietnamese writers, veteran composer Huy Tuấn said Tường’s compositions “revealed international influences while retaining their Vietnamese identity.”

Tường said: “In writing music I aim to transfer my thoughts, love and emotion to audiences.”

The music category also sees the appearance of young composer Châu Đăng Khoa, who has released several hits for pop stars like Hồ Ngọc Hà and Noo Phước Thịnh since 2012, and singer Trúc Nhân with his latest production Thật Bất Ngờ (Surprising) written by New Amazing.

Nhân became popular with local music fans after performing Phạm Toàn Thắng’s hit Bốn Chữ Lắm (Four Important Words) in 2014.

Rising movie star

Chi Pu, 24, is the youngest performer in the nomination list for Favourite Actress.

Chi Pu, whose real name is Nguyễn Thùy Chi, became popular in the teenage community after she was named “hot girl” in a beauty contest for teenagers in 2009. Since then, she has worked as a model for teenage magazines.

At 20, she discovered her passion for filmmaking and decided to move to HCM City to pursue her dream. She won minor roles in director Nguyễn Quang Huy’s Thần Tượng (Idol) film in 2013 and in Vietnamese-Canadian director Cường Ngô’s Hương Ga (Rise) in 2014.

In early 2015, she had a chance to shine when invited to play a leading role, a young woman who faces challenges in the pursuit of happiness, in HCM City Film Studio’s (TFS) 30-part TV series Vẫn Có Em Bên Đời (Having You by My Side) directed by Võ Việt Hùng.

Hùng said of the actress, “People think she is just a ‘hot girl’ but she actually has talent.”

The male lead actor in the film, Nhan Phúc Vinh, said, “At first, I thought working with a ‘hot girl’ would be difficult. But Chi Pu cancelled this thought in my minds.”

“She has a deep passion and love for film. She is very serious and professional in her work,” Vinh added.

Chi Pu said that Hùng and her co-actor had inspired her to act well.

Vẫn Có Em Bên Đời has received a warm welcome from the media and the public for its plot and the actors’ performances.

The film also brought an HTV Awards’ nomination for Favourite Actor for Nhan Phúc Vinh.

These musicians and actors are among 36 nominees in 12 categories of music, theatre, performing arts, emcee, modelling and TV series for this year’s HTV Awards.

HTV launched a public poll in early April. — VNS