Following reports that singer and actress Miu Le was detained for investigation over illegal drug use, many audiences have begun asking the same question: Where were the artist managers?
On May 10, singer Miu Le and five others were detained by Hai Phong police for allegedly using illegal drugs at Tung Thu Beach in Cat Ba, Cat Hai Special Zone.
Authorities said all individuals tested positive for narcotics.
On social media, many questioned the role of artist managers in incidents like the one involving Miu Le.
The public reaction is understandable. In many people’s minds, “artist management” often evokes images of powerful entertainment executives or giant agencies in South Korea and China, where artists are managed through highly professional - and sometimes extremely strict - systems.
But the reality of Vietnam’s artist management profession is far removed from that image.
When managers call artists “boss”
Singer Miu Le was detained for investigation over alleged illegal drug use. Photo: File photo
Speaking with VietNamNet, H.P., a communications manager for several singers and actors, described artist managers as representatives who coordinate and oversee nearly every aspect of an artist’s career - from image and activities to finances.
Private life is often included as well because, in entertainment, part of an artist’s personal life inevitably becomes part of their public work.
In reality, Vietnam does have several professional artist management companies operating effectively.
However, such companies remain limited in number and do not dominate the market the way they do in South Korea or China. Most artist management work in Vietnam is still handled by individuals.
Those working as managers come from a wide range of backgrounds: entertainment journalists, communications and advertising professionals, television editors, senior staff at production companies, concert promoters, musicians, music producers, relatives, friends and even devoted fans of the artists themselves.
What they often have in common, however, is a lack of formal professional training, degrees or certifications in artist management.
Outside of professional agencies, most people carrying the title of “manager” today are essentially employees hired and paid by artists based on private agreements.
Many artists now establish their own companies and act as CEOs themselves, making the employer-employee relationship even more obvious.
As a result, it is increasingly common for artists to have multiple managers at the same time. How much authority those managers actually hold often depends entirely on what the artist is willing to grant.
In many cases, the relationship between artist and manager is based more on goodwill and mutual support than on legally binding agreements. Even when paperwork exists, it is often merely symbolic.
Cases involving figures such as beauty queen Thuy Tien have raised alarm bells for Vietnam’s artist management profession. Photo: CTV
When both sides fail to negotiate clear responsibilities, obligations and legal boundaries, assigning accountability after a scandal becomes extremely difficult.
H.P. cited Miu Le’s case as an example, noting that the singer reportedly had two companies simultaneously performing management functions.
After the incident, it remains unclear which party will handle the fallout surrounding her music projects, film contracts and commercial commitments.
Because many artist-manager relationships lack strong legal foundations, managers often focus on minimizing their own liability when scandals erupt involving artists such as Miu Le or Thuy Tien.
Structural weaknesses
Communications expert Nguyen Ngoc Long believes Vietnam’s entertainment industry has long been operating through what he described as “crippled giants” in terms of professionalism.
First, because managers come from many different professional backgrounds, each often excels in only one specific area while lacking expertise elsewhere. As a result, professionalism remains a luxury rather than the norm.
For example, a skilled journalist or PR specialist may be excellent at building media relationships and social communication strategies but lack understanding of complex compensation clauses in commercial contracts.
Conversely, an experienced concert promoter may excel at stage operations but struggle when it comes to building long-term and ethical image management strategies for artists.
According to Long, professionalism cannot emerge from patchwork thinking - where managers rely purely on instinct and personal experience - while genuine stars require multidimensional management systems capable of protecting them from legal and ethical risks.
Second, Long argued that the brutal pace of the entertainment market, with its constant pressure to achieve quick success and maximum exposure, leaves managers with little time for self-improvement.
To maintain an artist’s popularity and meet immediate commercial demands, managers are often consumed by daily tasks ranging from booking shows and signing contracts to reacting to public controversies in real time.
When artists’ egos need to be indulged for commercial gain and business opportunities require split-second decisions, managers no longer have enough space to deepen their understanding of risk management or legal matters.
“This constant rush has created major defensive gaps,” Long said.
“They are busy building sandcastles of fame while forgetting to build solid foundations. So when legal crises strike, entire teams collapse into chaos and helplessness.”
A possible path forward
Fashion designer Cong Tri. Photo: File photo
Nguyen Ngoc Long believes that if Vietnam’s entertainment industry wants to move beyond instinct-driven operations and achieve true professionalism, artist managers must be willing to undergo what he calls a structural “revolution” built around two strategic directions.
First, instead of maintaining the “one person does everything” model, managers should function more like conductors, assembling multidisciplinary teams of genuine specialists to compensate for their own weaknesses.
Professionalism, in this sense, does not mean managers must know everything. It means they must be capable of gathering and coordinating teams that include lawyers to review legal risks in contracts, branding experts to shape ethical public images and experienced business professionals to maximize commercial value.
Under this model, managers step back into the role of “commander,” focusing on overall vision and connecting talented resources together.
When every link in the chain is handled by a true specialist, projects not only move faster but are also equipped with stronger layers of protection against ethical or legal crises like the one currently under discussion.
The second - and more sustainable - direction involves completely separating artistic expertise from business administration by hiring professional CEOs to operate artist companies.
“We must honestly acknowledge that someone who is good at public relations or excellent at choosing performance opportunities is not necessarily capable of managing a business with strict risk-control systems and financial metrics,” Long said.
Hiring professional executives would allow entertainment companies to operate transparently, systematically and with rational risk management, free from emotional or personal influences tied to artists.
Managers would then be freed from administrative burdens and able to return to their core strengths, whether in PR, content creation or performance booking.
According to Long, this division of labor based on expertise is the key to building a professional entertainment ecosystem where both artists and the teams behind them are better protected from market turbulence.
Meanwhile, H.P. noted that although Vietnam’s artist management profession - and the entertainment market as a whole - still remains fragmented and underdeveloped, there are encouraging signs emerging.
One of the clearest trends is the gradual shift away from traditional one-on-one artist-manager relationships toward more professional corporate structures.
Whether those companies are led by managers or artists acting as CEOs, each model comes with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific needs and conditions of both sides.
Still, the rise of entertainment companies - and eventually major industry players - remains an optimistic sign, at least in terms of increasing professionalism.
Vietnamnet.vn
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