HCM CITY— Pop and soul sensation Mỹ Tâm is among five female singers battling it out to win Best Music Album.

Her collaboration Tâm 9 has been nominated for the Cống Hiến (Devotion) Award for Best Music Album by Vietnam News Agency’s Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Sports & Culture) newspaper. 

The album, which includes 13 songs in pop soul, was released late last year and sold more than 5,000 copies after just one day of its release. It has sold more than 20,000 copies.

Featured songs, Đâu Chỉ Riêng Em (Not Only Me), Đừng Hỏi Em (Don’t Ask Me) and Người Hãy Quên Em Đi (Forget Me), have became top hits on local music forums and websites. 

The songs were produced as Music Videos (MVs) by MT Entertainment, owned by Tâm, before release on the album Tâm 9. 

The MV Đâu Chỉ Riêng Em, composed by Khắc Hưng, attracted 50 million viewers on YouTube six months after its release.

Tâm 9 was ranked 10th on Billboard’s World Albums chart in the third week of January based on sales data compiled by Nielsen Music, according to Billboard.com.

“My dream of introducing Vietnamese music to the world has come true,” said Tâm, known as the Queen of Pop, on her fan page, after being the first Vietnamese singer listed on Billboard. 

Songwriter and singer Lê Cát Trọng Lý’s Không Sao Về Bắt Đầu (Let Begin Again) was nominated for Best MV and Best Composer.

The album includes 10 songs of classical folk music, composed by Lý, a graduate of HCM City Music Conservatory.

The songs were mixed by music producer and cellist Nguyễn Thanh Tú who worked three years on the recording.  

Lý performed with the support of the orchestra of 12 string and wind musicians.

The album was produced and distributed by Lý and her staff through the artist’s fanpage. 

“The album Không Sao Về Bắt Đầu can be seen as a breakthrough in the songwriting process for Lý, who started composing songs in 2006,” said Hoàng Thuận, a music critic for Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper.

“My favourite songs on Lý’s album are Em (You) and Hồ Nước (Lake), both played with a string quintet and wind quartet. These songs used strong traditional and classical elements,” he added.  

Lý began her career 12 yeas ago when she was at university.

In 2008, she won several prizes at the Bài Hát Việt (Vietnamese Songs) programme organised by Việt Nam Television, including Song of the Month, Song of the Year and the Promising Young Singer for her song Chênh Vênh (Unstable).

Tâm and Lý will compete with Hà Nội-based colleagues, Hồng Nhung and Khánh Linh, for the prize.

Diva Nhung worked with music producer Hoài Sa on the album, Phố À Phố Ơi (Streets), a production of 11 songs featuring Hà Nội and its culture.  

Her album combines Vietnamese folk and western music, accompanied by several instruments and electronic music.     

Linh’s album, Ngài (Mister), includes five songs of semi-classic, classic crossover and symphony rock. 

The album’s featured songs, such as Về Với Đông (Back to the Winter) and Gió Bay Ngang Trời (Wind Blows on the Sky), shot Linh to new career heights.   

The last nominee for Best MV of the Year is Portrait by Uyên Linh, winner of the Việt Nam Idol 2010, a Vietnamese version of the TV reality show American Idol. 

Portrait features songs by young composers Phạm Hải Âu, Trần Nhật Hà and Linh Lan.

It tells the stories of young women who discover themselves through love. 

Nearly 100 music critics and reporters from prestigious newspapers and magazines submit votes for Cống Hiến Awards 2017.

The Cống Hiến Awards are presented annually to the best show, album and artist in nine categories.

The traditional categories include Best Music Video, Best Musician, Best Producer, New Talent, Best Singer, Best Show and Song of the Year.

There will also be an award for the Best Series of Music Performances. The awards ceremony will take place at the Cultural Friendship Palace in Hà Nội, with a live broadcast scheduled on Việt Nam Television on Thursday.—VNS