Mai Khôi

Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi, known professionally as Mai Khoi, is a Vietnamese singer, artist, and political activist. Described as the "Lady Gaga of Vietnam" and also compared to Russian artist-activists Pussy Riot, she began as an award-winning pop singer before her outspoken criticism of the Government of Vietnam's censorship and lack of democracy led to government persecution and restrictions on her freedom of speech. Khôi has also criticised Google and Facebook for cooperating with internet censorship in Vietnam. In 2018, she received the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent in recognition of her democracy activism, and in 2021, she was awarded the Four Freedoms Freedom of Speech award.