Top tunes: Thanh Vuong (top) and Thai Trinh receive their Bai Hat Viet awards at the HCM Municipal Theatre. — File Photos

HA NOI — The song Ky Uc Mua Dong (Memory of Winter) by emerging composer Thanh Vuong won top prize at the Bai Hat Viet (Vietnamese Songs) Awards on Sunday.

The Song of the Year 2011 is a ballad featuring lyrics about a typical Ha Noi winter. It was performed by singer To Minh Duc at the award ceremony at the HCM Municipal Theatre.

Vuong is no stranger to the Bai Hat Viet award show which is co-sponsored by Viet Nam Television and the Cat Tien Sa Company. His song Ky Uc Mua Dong received the Best Song of the Month title in November.

This award is Vuong's highest achievement at the competition since 2008. He also won the award for best musical arrangement at the monthly show.

"The Bai Hat Viet Awards is a significant gathering of young songwriters. I want to thank my mother who is my financial sponsor. While I focused on song writing, I wasn't able to earn any money," said Vuong at the awarding ceremony.

Vuong also thanked his memories of Ha Noi in winter, which inspired him to write the song.

Four other prizes were awarded by a panel of veteran composers including the Best Music Arranger to composer Thanh Tam, Promising Composer to young songwriter Thai Trinh; the Creativity Award for Ha Noi-based composers Nguyen Vinh Tien and Nguyen Duc Cuong and a Lifetime Award for composers Thanh Tam and Hoai Sa.

The 18-year-old song-writer Thai Trinh's song Dung Yen (Stay Till) earned her an award from the Viet Nam Recording Industry Association. Trinh composed the song based on country and western music.

The two audience awards were given to singers Uyen Linh and Trung Quan and composers Vo Viet Phuong and Nguyen Duc Cuong for their rap song Cay Bang.

About 20 journalists voted for the song Tra Lai Cho Em (Give Back to Her) by composer Duong Cam.

"Bai Hat Viet 2011's panel received many great songs from composers across different musical genres. The composers are confident in combining western styles of rap, country, R&B and rock with Vietnamese characteristics," said Quoc Trung, head of the panel.

The Bai Hat Viet Awards have been held annually since 2005 to encourage young Vietnamese songwriters. — VNS