Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc won the Intervision song contest in Moscow on Sunday.
The international jury awarded Phuc the prize for a performance that blended elements of folk singing and rap. Artists from 22 countries took part in the event.
Phuc received 422 points, while the runners-up, the Nomad Trio from Kyrgyzstan, earned 373 points. Dana Al Meer of Qatar came in third with 369 points.
“Thank you so much. It is an honor to be here,” Phuc said on stage, thanking his supporters and the audience.
The Hanoi-born artist won the Vietnamese version of The Voice in 2015 and has since released many hits in his home country.
In Moscow, he performed the song Phu Dong Thien Vuong, inspired by a mythical Vietnamese folk hero.
The organizers said the contest draws inspiration from a Soviet-era competition of the same name and aims to celebrate friendship and cultural diversity.
Singer Shaman (Yaroslav Dronov), representing Russia, asked the jury not to vote for him, arguing that his country had already won by hosting Intervision.
Russia revived the competition after it was banned from the Eurovision Song Contest due to the Ukraine conflict. Moscow has since promoted the revamped Intervision as a “depoliticized” event.
“Culture and music have no borders, and today’s event showcases the unifying power of art,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message to the participants. The organizers said that next year’s competition will be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Eurovision has taken massive hits in Europe after viewers labeled it as ‘highly corrupt and politicized’ where certain Western European countries are automatically qualified in the final, while the Eastern bloc goes through qualification stages. This is all in addition to the relentless LGBT and anti-family propaganda promoted on the show.