Musician Phú Quang was honoured at Bùi Xuân Phái - Love for Hà Nội award ceremony held on Wednesday in Hà Nội. He was awarded Grand Prize for his songs about Hà Nội. — Photo vnexpress.net

HÀ NỘI — The annual Bùi Xuân Phái – Love for Hà Nội prizes were announced on Wednesday at the Vietnam News Agency headquarters in Hà Nội.

The prize was named after late artist Bùi Xuân Phái and is held by Thể Thao Văn Hóa (Culture & Sport) daily and the painter's family.

The Grand Prize was awarded to musician Phú Quang for his songs about Hà Nội. He doesn't only write songs but has made many poems popular by putting them into lyrics. 

One of his most popular songs is Em Ơi, Hà Nội Phố (Darling, Oh the Streets in Hà Nội).

The poem was penned by late poet Phan Vũ in 1972 but it was made popular when released as a song of the same name by Quang. 

The song was first sung on the radio in 1987 by singer Lệ Thu and then other famous singers like Ngọc Tân, Thanh Lam and Bằng Kiều.

It has become one of the most famous songs about Hà Nội and is familiar to all Hanoians.

Quang turned poems by Thái Thăng Long, Thanh Tùng, Phạm Thị Ngọc Liên and Tạ Quốc Chương into lyrics which are also popular among music lovers. 

Quang, 71, is the youngest winner in the category which honours people who have devoted their lives to work dedicated to Hà Nội. 

"The judging panel believes this will make the Grand Prize be awarded to the young generation in the next years," said Lê Xuân Thành, Thể Thao Văn Hóa's Editor-in-Chief and head of organisation board at the award ceremony. 

The award's Work Prize went to Serbian Marko Nikolic. He beat two contenders at the category to win the prize for his novel Phố Nhà Thờ (Nhà Thờ Street).

Nikolic has been living in Việt Nam for several years. The novel is a romatic story featuring the life of a French man in Hà Nội around his work and his love for a Vietnamese woman.

The novel is written in Vietnamese.

The Job Prize category was given to two recipients including a group of artists and a group of Hà Đông intellectuals.

The group of artists led by Nguyễn Thế Sơn carried out a project to turn the area at the foot of Long Biên Bridge into an attractive spot for local youths and tourists. The area is mostly frequented by homeless people and scrap-iron dealers.

Hà Đông Intellect group including writer Nguyễn Quang Thiều – deputy-president of Việt Nam Writer's Association, artist Chu Lượng – director of Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre, and poet Lương Tử Đức collected ancient royal documents and gave them to localities around Hà Nội and other provinces. 

 A landmark to designate Kilometre Zero (Km0), a national cultural symbol and significant tourist site at the capital city’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake won the Idea Prize. 

The design contest was organised by Kiến Trúc (Architecture) Magazine and Vietnam Association of Architects in co-operation with Hà Nội People’s Committee.

The design is expected to improve the public space in the area, making it appropriate to the status and value of the historical relic and special national landscape.

A painting and photo exhibition is being held to mark the awards at Vietnam News Agency's hall until Sunday at 5 Lý Thường Kiệt Street. 

The paintings and photos by artist Văn Dương Thành and photographer Trần Chính Nghĩa portray artist Phái and the streets of Hà Nội. — VNS