Vietnamese pop singer Vu Thu Minh has won the Best Asian Artist Award at the annual Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) 2013 for her distinguished contributions to music.
The Hanoi-born 36-year-old soprano C (spinto soprano accent in the opera genre) accent singer rose to popularity mainly with songs in the pop/dance genre, though she has not taken any professional vocal training.
Minh could not attend the award ceremony at Asia World Expo Area in Hong Kong on November 22 since she was performing in Russia. She sent her thanks to fans and organisers via a video message.
The artist said she was very proud to be among the Vietnamese singers who have won the title. She further said she would try her best to promote Vietnamese music in the international market.
MAMA, which was initiated in 1999 by the South Korean Mnet Media entertainment company, is one of the Republic of Korea's three most prestigious music awards, and attracts many Asian celebrities.
The first ceremony outside the Republic of Korea was held in Macau in 2010 and in Singapore in 2011. In both 2012 and 2013 it took place in Hong Kong.
The annual awards cover various categories including the Grand Awards for artist, album, and song; Solo/group Awards; Music Genre awards; Music Video Awards; and Popularity Awards.
This year, the holders of best Asian artists include Derrick Hoh, Thu Minh, Tor Saksit, SM + SH, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Aron Kwok.
In 2012, singer My Tam became the first Vietnamese artist to receive the Best Asian Artist title at the MAMA.-VNA
