The overseas Vietnamese competitors from Russia, Germany,the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Italy were selected at a preliminarycontest held in Prague on July 12.
The final competition willtake place at FLC - Sam Son Resort in Thanh Hoa province, with sevenoverseas Vietnamese competing alongside 29 singers who live in Vietnam.
Accordingto composer Luong Ngoc Minh, the contest's organiser, Sao Mai has made aname for itself in Vietnamese communities abroad since it started in2013.
The finalists will compete for the awards in three categories: chamber music, folk and pop.
Thebiennial competition provides a boost for talented singers startingtheir careers. Performers like Trong Tan, Anh Tho and Thanh Thuy becamefamous after winning Sao Mai.
"Unlike in previous seasons, thecompetitors this year are allowed to present international songs, butthe lyrics should be in Vietnamese," Minh said at a recent pressconference. He is also the deputy head of Vietnam Television'sLiterature and Art Department.
In the final round, each performer will perform a duet with one of their rivals.
"Aprofessional singer doesn't just need to know how to perform on theirown – they also need the skills required for performing as a team," Minhsaid.
The judges' names haven't been revealed yet. Unlike othermusic game shows or reality shows where winners receive cash rewards orrecording contracts, Sao Mai gives winners the chance to performregularly on national TV and in major Vietnam Television musicprogrammes.
Despite the non-cash prize, thousands of youngpeople registered for the tryouts, which took place in three placesaround Vietnam, as well as in Europe.
Contestant Tran Ngoc Lam ofthe northern province of Yen Bai said he decided to audition becausethe prestigious competition could boost his career.
"Althoughgame show winners may become famous more quickly thanks to those shows'advertising campaigns, I believe that Sao Mai gives its winners more inthe long term, as they become more mature through the contest," he said.
The chamber, folk and pop finales will be broadcast live at 8.30pm on VTV1 on July 26, August 1 and August 8, respectively.
Agrand finale featuring the 12 best contestants will be shown on August15 at 8pm on VTV1. The winner will also be announced that night.-VNA