For the first time, the National Press Awards for the Development of Vietnamese Culture will present the “Vietnamese Inspiration” honor, and this year’s award goes to Nguyen Hung, composer of the song Con Gi Dep Hon (What Could Be More Beautiful).
Nguyen Hung has embarked on a remarkable artistic journey as his self-composed song Con Gi Dep Hon, inspired by the film Mua Do (Red Rain), has become a musical phenomenon. During the National Day celebrations on September 2, the song resonated across numerous stages and public venues, spreading a spirit of national pride while evoking wartime memories and a deep yearning for peace.
This year also marks the first time the National Press Awards have introduced the special category “Vietnamese Inspiration”, designed to honor the media’s role in shaping and spreading positive values while contributing to the development of an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity.
The award is seen as a symbol of the soft power of Vietnamese culture — a force that can touch hearts, awaken aspirations, and spread the Vietnamese spirit in a new era.
Although Con Gi Dep Hon is not the official soundtrack of Mua Do, its lyric video, featuring scenes from the film, created a powerful promotional effect and emotional resonance with audiences.
“I wrote Con Gi Dep Hon purely from instinct and emotion. At that moment, I simply wanted to complete a song people could listen to and feel. I never imagined it would touch so many hearts,” Nguyen Hung shared. He added, “At first, the song was about romantic love. But when I took on the role of Hai, I felt compelled to write about a greater love — love for the homeland, and for the mothers waiting for their sons to return from war.”
The song quickly went viral alongside the film Mua Do. As of early November, it had generated nearly 290,000 videos on TikTok, over 50 million views on YouTube, and 8.5 million streams on Spotify. Both the song and Nguyen Hung’s portrayal of Hai struck a deep emotional chord with audiences, rekindling patriotism and national pride.
Before Con Gi Dep Hon, Nguyen Hung had already gained widespread recognition with his hit Phep Mau (Miracle), which has amassed more than 55 million views on YouTube.
