One of Vietnam's most cherished songwriters is getting a new lease of life — and the call is open to anyone who loves his music. Hát Cùng Trịnh (Viet Legacy Awards 2027) is a new contest inviting singers aged 16 and over, in Vietnam and overseas, to reinterpret the songs of Trịnh Công Sơn, the composer behind more than 600 songs and the first Vietnamese musician to sell over two million copies of an album.
The contest is organised by the Viet Legacy Development project with the backing of Sơn's own family, and its aim goes beyond talent-spotting. organisers want to pull his catalogue — poetic, philosophical ballads that have moved Vietnamese listeners for decades — closer to younger audiences, and to see it reimagined. Jazz, soul, electronic and contemporary arrangements are all fair game, as long as they honour the spirit of the originals. Soloists, duets and full bands can enter.
The family's blessing matters here. Sơn's younger sister, singer Trịnh Vĩnh Trinh, has publicly welcomed fresh takes on his work, pointing to artists like Hà Lê and Trần Thế Thể Thiên, whose version of Diễm Xưa has given the classic a new angle. She also thanked the generations of singers who carried his music to the public — from Khánh Ly and Cẩm Vân to contemporary stars like Mỹ Tâm and Uyên Linh — and argued that welcoming young performers is how his songs stay alive.
The format runs in three rounds. Online video submissions open from 15 November to 31 December 2026, with 30 contestants advancing. From January to the end of February 2027, the field narrows to 10 finalists, who play a grand gala in Ho Chi Minh City on 4 April 2027. Khánh Ly — the voice most associated with Sơn's songs — joins musician Trần Tiến and Trịnh Vĩnh Trinh as artistic advisers for the finale, with screenwriter Nguyễn Thị Minh Ngọc, Quang Thành and Dương Trường Giang on the preliminary panel.
For travellers, this is a genuinely good excuse to plan a spring trip to HCM City. Trịnh Công Sơn tribute concerts regularly draw huge crowds in Vietnam, and the gala lands right as the city hits its dry, comfortable season. Even if you can't catch the final, his music is everywhere in the country — café playlists, karaoke rooms, cover bands — and hearing it in situ is one of the more memorable cultural experiences Vietnam offers. Follow the contest's rounds online from late 2026 if you want to track who makes the final before booking.
