Musician Tran Tien secured the Grand Prize at the 18th Bui Xuan Phai - For the Love of Hanoi Awards 2025 with "songs deeply imbued with the cultural essence of the Red River, the Old Quarter and Doai Region.

Le Quoc Minh (left), Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan dan Newspaper and Vu Viet Trang (right), General Director of the Vietnam News Agency, present the Grand Prize to musician Tran Tien.

Organised by the Vietnam News Agency’s The Thao & Van Hoa (Culture & Sports) newspaper, the awards were granted at a ceremony in Hanoi on October 3 evening.

Attending the event were Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan dan (People) Newspaper Le Quoc Minh and General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Vu Viet Trang.

The 76-year-old Hanoi-born musician is among the pioneers who brought free-spirited, improvisational creativity to Vietnamese music, composing across diverse genres such as jazz, country, rock, hip-hop, and rap. His colleagues fondly refer to him as "The King of Vietnamese Pop."

In his compositions, Hanoi is more than just a place or the nation’s capital – it is the Old Quarter of childhood memories, a flowing current of Northern folk culture and a tapestry of everyday streets and the rustic charm of the Doai Region countryside.

When brought together, the Red River, the Old Quarter, and Doai Region form a cultural triangle that is both historical and symbolic. Through this connection, Hanoi in Tran Tien’s music transcends geography and becomes an expansive cultural space – vibrant, dynamic and deeply imbued with the Vietnamese spirit.

His songs enrich the nation’s musical identity, turning Hanoi into a cultural symbol deeply woven into the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.

In addition to the Grand Prize, the organisers presented the Work Award to a series of paintings of Hanoi by painter Pham Binh Chuong and to the musical Lua Dat (Fire from the Earth) by the Youth Theatre of Vietnam.

The Award for Good Deeds went to the construction and inauguration of the Vietnam Exhibition Centre (VEC), while the Idea Award was given to the project for building the Hanoi Opera House and a cultural and art park in Quang An, Tay Ho.

The “Bui Xuan Phai: For the Love of Hanoi” Awards were launched in 2008 by "The thao va Van hoa" and the family of painter Bui Xuan Phai (1920 - 1988), who is renowned for his paintings of Hanoi.

It aims to honour authors, works, ideas, and initiatives with artistic and scientific values that reflect a deep love for Hanoi. So far, more than 160 authors, works, ideas, and initiatives have been officially nominated, with over 70 awards presented.

Last year, the Grand Prize honoured architect Prof. Dr. Hoang Dao Kinh, who has substantially contributed to the restoration of many cultural and architectural structures nationwide, especially Hanoi.

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