Culture

Composer Nguyễn Hùng wins inaugural “Vietnamese inspiration” prize

Follow Gia Lai Newspaper on Google News
For the first time, the National Press Award for the cause of Vietnamese cultural development will honor a “Vietnamese inspiration” recipient, with the 2025 award going to composer Nguyễn Hùng for his song Còn Gì Đẹp Hơn (What could be more beautiful).
Nguyễn Hùng and Vũ perform the song "Còn gì đẹp hơn"

The award, newly introduced under the category Cảm hứng Việt (Vietnamese inspiration), recognizes journalism’s role in fostering positive values and shaping an advanced Vietnamese culture rich in national identity. Organizers describe the category as a symbol of Vietnam’s cultural soft power, one capable of touching hearts, igniting aspirations, and spreading the national spirit in the modern era.

Nguyễn Hùng’s song, featured in the film Mưa Đỏ (Red Rain), has become a nationwide phenomenon. During Vietnam’s National Day celebrations on September 2, Còn Gì Đẹp Hơn was performed across numerous stages, evoking war memories, patriotism, and a longing for peace.

Although not the official soundtrack, a lyric video featuring scenes from Mưa Đỏ helped amplify the song’s impact. “I wrote Còn Gì Đẹp Hơn entirely from natural emotion,” Nguyễn Hùng said. “At first, it was about romantic love. But when I played Hải in Mưa Đỏ, I felt a deeper need to write about love for the homeland, about mothers waiting for their sons to return from the battlefield.”

Author Nguyễn Hùng

By early November, the song had inspired nearly 290,000 TikTok videos, surpassed 50 million views on YouTube, and reached about 8.5 million streams on Spotify. Together with his performance as Hải, Nguyễn Hùng’s work has rekindled national pride and emotional connection to Vietnam’s cultural identity.

Before Còn Gì Đẹp Hơn, the composer achieved success with his hit Phép Màu (Miracle), which earned more than 55 million YouTube views.

(Source: SGGPO)

You may be interested