The Vietnam Digital Content Creator Awards 2025 – Vietnam iContent – is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on 29/11, at Military Region 7 Gymnasium in TP HCM.

The performance of "Bac Bling" is a highly anticipated highlight of the event. The song has received two nominations in the Inspirational Music and Inspirational Video categories at Vietnam iContent 2025. Hoa Minzy is also nominated for the Individual for Community award.

Singer Hoa Minzy. Photo: Artist provided

Tuan Cry composed "Bac Bling," which debuted in early march. It blends traditional Bac Ninh folk elements, such as quan ho (traditional folk singing) and hat van (ritual singing), with traditional instruments like the flute, dan nguyet (moon lute), and dan nhi (two-stringed fiddle), all set to a hip-hop and electronic style. The arrangement preserves the folk spirit while incorporating a modern feel.

Nhu Dang directed the music video, which vividly recreates the Kinh Bac cultural space through scenes of rural villages, festivals, communal temples, and ao tu than (four-panel traditional dresses). This visual storytelling contributes to honoring the heritage of the quan ho region. Xuan Hinh, Tuan Cry, and Hoa Minzy lend their voices to the song.

Upon its release, the music video quickly became a phenomenon, garnering over 93 million views in less than one month. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cited the product as an "example of renewing traditional art." After 27 days, the music video reached 100 million views, and 200 million views after 81 days, marking the fastest rise in Vpop history.

"Bac Bling" plays a significant role in promoting Bac Ninh's cultural image. The music video vividly depicts ao tu than dresses, quai thao conical hats, quan ho singing by the lake, village festivals, and historical sites such as Den Do Temple, Dau Pagoda, and Phu Lang pottery village. The song's blend of traditional instruments with modern beats makes the music video both familiar and innovative.

In Bac Ninh, the hit song's impact led to a sharp increase in weekend tourist numbers. Local authorities launched additional free experience tours, and many young people participated in video and photo trends inspired by the music video. On social media, hashtags and various cover and parody versions spread widely, bringing Bac Ninh's culture closer to younger audiences.

Industry experts view "Bac Bling"'s success as evidence of how creative thinking and modern technology can revitalize traditional art, injecting new life into folk music in contemporary society. In late october, composer Tuan Cry penned new lyrics for the song, addressing online fraud and conveying a message urging personal information security to prevent financial scams.

Hoa Minzy, 30, whose real name is Nguyen Thi Hoa, hails from Bac Ninh. She won the Star Academy competition in 2014. Her popular songs include "Roi Bo" (Vu Huy Hoang), "Khong The Cung Nhau Suot Kiep" (Mr Siro), and "Bat Tinh Yeu Len" (Tang Duy Tan). In early 2024, Hoa Minzy received her first award for Most Favorite Female Singer at the Mai Vang Awards. In the same year, she was honored as Female Singer of the Year at the Cong Hien Awards. Early this year, the singer released the music video for "Bac Bling," creating a major hit in her career.

In addition to Hoa Minzy, the Vietnam iContent Awards gala will feature performances by other artists: Duyen Quynh will sing her hit "Viet Tiep Cau Chuyen Hoa Binh," buitruonglinh will perform "Thinh Vuong Viet Nam Sang Ngoi," Lamoon will sing "Ho Vuon Minh," and the 11 New Talents will perform "Take a Shot."

The Vietnam iContent 2025 awards are co-organized by the Authority of Radio, Television and Electronic Information, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and VnExpress. Under the theme "Vietnam Shines," the event celebrates outstanding creative individuals, projects, and products. It also serves as a forum for regulatory bodies, social media platforms, organizations, and individuals to share information, discuss trends, and outline development directions.

This year's awards recognize Vietnamese individuals, content creation groups, and production organizations operating in the domestic market, based on their activities and products up to september 2025. The organizing committee has divided the awards into three categories, comprising 11 prizes.

Following the preliminary round, Vietnam iContent Awards 2025 selected 72 prominent candidates from over 100 initial nominations to advance to the final round. Readers can vote for their favorite nominees from 3 p.m. on 30/10 until the end of 18/11. The results, based on 30% reader votes and 70% judging panel scores, will be announced at the gala on the evening of 29/11 in TP HCM.

Mai Nhat