Singer of the year Tung Duong sets a Music Devotion record

Shining stars: Yesterday's Music Devotion Awards featured a performance by the nation's leading singers. — VNA/VNS Photos Minh Duc

The 31-year-old singer has thus far garnered seven Music Devotion awards, an unparalleled feat in the event's history.

Last November, Duong released the album Doc Dao (Unique Path), his biggest music project to date, with Vietnamese-French musician and producer Nguyen Le.

The 10-song album presented in an international jazz style, has received a great deal of acclaim from music connoiseurs. Duong also organised a series of concerts titled Doc Dao in Viet Nam and Paris, for which he walked away with the Best Show of the Year title.

The Best Composer award went to Do Bao, strong "rival" to Nguyen Le.

Winning speech: Do Bao receives the Best Composer award.

Bao said he was more than happy to win his second prize in many years, having taken the title last year as well.

He composed and produced the album Canh Cung 3 – ChuyenCua Mat Troi, Chuyen Cua Chung Ta (The Bow 3 – The Story of Sun, The Story of Us) with diva Ha Tran.

Canh Cung 3 got the Album of the Year award yesterday, and Bao was on the stage again to receive it on behalf of Ha Tran, who lives in the United States.

The Song of the Year award was given to Tinh Yeu Mau Nang (Sunlight Love), performed by singer Doan Thuy Trang.

The singer was almost speechless at receiving the award. Taking a deep breath, she dedicated her prize to the song's writer Pham Thanh Ha, who is also her husband.

In the New Artist category, which saw the emergence of talents from TV shows, the top award was snagged by singer Vu Cat Tuong, who became famous as a contestant at The Voice 2013 reality show, where she was the runner-up.

The 22-year-old sang thrilled the audience with Vet Mua (Rainy Sign), her own composition.

This year saw the introduction of a new category – Best Series of Music Performances, which was won by Rockstorm – an annual rock concert which gathers the best talents from across the nation in the genre.

Since 2004, the Devotion Music Awards has honoured popular performers and musicians like Hong Nhung, Tung Duong, Thanh Lam and My Linh.

This year, more than 100 journalists from Ha Noi and HCM City were invited to vote for their favourite shows and performers in seven categories, including the newly added Best Series of Music Performances.

Organised by the Vietnam News Agency newspaper The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports&Culture), the awards aim to promote Vietnamese music and honour artists who make significant contributions to the industry.

The ceremony at the Ha Noi Opera House last night also included a stirring programme featuring Vietnamese A-list singers, all of whom were Devotion Award nominees.

Highlights included performances by saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan, singers Nguyen Dinh Thanh Tam, Nguyen Thao, Truc Nhan and the all female band The Stave.