Eurovision Asia 2026: Meet Vietnam's Tóc Tiên
Vietnam is preparing to make its Eurovision Asia debut, with singer Tóc Tiên set to represent the country at the inaugural contest in Bangkok, Thailand.
But who is the artist behind the name, and how did she earn the chance to represent her country?
Here’s everything we know about Tóc Tiên's journey to Eurovision Asia 2026.
About the artist: Tóc Tiên
With more than two decades of experience in the music industry, Tóc Tiên is a consummate professional who has had a long influence in Vietnamese music and fashion.
She was born in May 1989 as Nguyễn Khoa Tóc Tiên, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. From a young age, she aspired to be a singer and participated in a wide variety of music competitions such as Yo! Cùng ước mơ xanh and Đi tìm Ngôi sao! In a move that recalls former Eurovision winner Sandra Kim, Tóc Tiên lied about her age to meet the requirements to participate in both of these competitions.
Her busy singing and modelling schedule affected Tóc Tiên's academic results at high school, and led to conflict with her parents, who aspired for her to become a doctor. However, by the age of 19 she was already having success as a TV host and musician, including releasing her first album Nụ cười nắng mai in 2007 and her second Tóc Tiên thiếu nữ in 2009.
In 2011, Tiên relocated to Los Angeles to further develop her music career. During this period, she performed in Vietnamese-language music videos as well as honing her live performance skills in clubs across the United States.
Since 2014, Tóc Tiên has based herself firmly back in Vietnam, coming third in Season 1 of The Remix and more recently being a finalist in Chị đẹp đạp gió rẽ sóng. She has continued to release numerous albums and is an established Vpop idol.
Tiên is known for blending traditional Vietnamese sounds with global pop, EDM and R&B structures. As well as a singer, she is known as an actor, a TV host and an all-round superstar.
About the song: Em Tiên
Em Tien is a genre-busting track that incorporates elements of traditional Vietnamese folk music, synth-pop and high-energy EDM.
The title translates to "I'm Tiên" in English and is a reference to Tóc Tiên's name. The lyrics present her as a powerful supernatural Vietnamese woman, travelling around the world illuminating the world with her strength.
The lyrics have a strong patriotic flavour and repeatedly compare the titular figure to the lotus flower, an unofficial floral emblem of Vietnam.
In the live performance at Vietnam's national final show, Tóc Tiên performed her song with four backing dancers and an elaborate traditional-inspired headdress.
How was Tóc Tiên selected for Eurovision Asia 2026?
Unlike many countries at the inaugural Eurovision Asia, Tóc Tiên was internally selected by Vietnamese broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) to represent her country in Bangkok. VTV instead opted to hold a national
final to select her song, entitled The Sound of Vietnam (Thanh âm Việt Nam).
The Sound of Vietnam took place on 3 October 2026, and was hosted at the Zoom Media Studios, a large commercial film and TV studio located in the southern Ho Chi Minh City.
Songs were prepared by separate creative teams with different visions, and were selected by Huy Tuấn, a prominent Vietnamese music producer and VTV's Music Director for their participation at Eurovision Asia. Tuấn also sat on the jury for the national final, along with other judges Lưu Thiên Hương, Dương Khắc Linh, John Hùng Trần, and Gavin Nguyễn.
Scores were determined using a mixed jury-televote system, with 40% of the scores determined by the jury, 40% determined by the Vietnamese public and 20% by international viewers.
Five songs participated, with songs presented in a mixture of Vietnamese and English:
Love Always Wins (written by Nguyễn Đình Ngọc Trân);
Follow Me (written by Gustav Mared and Tổng Đài);
Em Tiên (written by Trần Thị Thu Hà);
Khó gì? (written by Trần Thiên Phúc, Nguyễn Tuấn Duy and Phạm Châu Duy); and
a to A (written by Trần Bá Vương, Vũ Phạm Ngọc Duy and Lê Trung Bảo).
Exact scoring from the national final is not known, but at the end of the night it was Em Tiên which emerged victorious.
Tiên will now be hoping for a second victory on the podium in Bangkok!
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