Vietnamese singer wins Best Southeast Asian Act at MTV music awards

By Tan Tan November 6, 2016 | 08:09 pm PT

Vietnamese pop singer Dong Nhi. Photo courtesy of MTV EMA

Dong Nhi was up there with the likes of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.

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Vietnamese pop singer Dong Nhi from Ho Chi Minh City has won global fame by bringing home the Best Southeast Asian Act from the MTV Europe Music Awards 2016.

The 28-year-old beat nominees from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in one of the 18 official categories at the famed awards, MTV Asia announced on Sunday night (Hanoi time).

Dong Nhi started her music career in 2007 and has won various local music awards. She entered the dance-electronic genre in early 2014, and her music video Bad Boy was a local hit.

Speaking in a video on MTV Asia’s Facebook page, she said the award is “an unforgettable moment in my career”.

“I’d call it a dream come true,” she said. “We really want to have the opportunity for Vietnamese artists like me to take part in the international stage. I really want to bring Vietnamese music to the world and learn more from the world to bring back to Vietnam.”

The MTV EMA awards are presented by MTV Networks Europe. Winners are chosen by viewers and fans on the EMAs’ website.

Vietnamese pop star Son Tung M-TP also won the award last year, while My Tam claimed it in 2013 when it was known as the Best Regional Act. Ho Ngoc Ha was nominated in 2014 but she was defeated by Sarah Geronimo from the Philippines.

The MTV EMA 2016 was held in the Netherlands with Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Martin Garrix, Shawn Mendes, Twenty One Pilots and Zara Larsson among the big winners.