The favorites won almost everything. Belgian singers Stromae and Angèle were crowned male and female artists of the year at the music victories, Friday at La Seine Musicale, a hall at the gates of Paris, while rapper Orelsan scored a hat-trick that allowed him to overtake Johnny Hallyday. Stromae completed its collection with the best album for Multitude while that of Angèle, Nonante-Cinq, was the most streamed.
After a long break caused by a burn-out, Stromae, 37, resumed her flight with Multitude. He is now seven wins in his career. “I’m still a little moved,” said the artist at the microphone, who thanked his relatives who work with him, his brother Luc Van Haver and Coralie Barbier, his wife.
Forgotten the depression, aggravated by the side effects of an antimalarial, which had nailed the slender Belgian to the ground a few years ago, in the wake of an exhausting world tour. The artist returned to the stage in 2022, a first for seven years to present the successor to his album Square root (2013, that of consecration). With Multitudehe found the winning recipe.
OrelSan overtakes Johnny
In a ceremony criticized for a lingering taste of deja vu, OrelSan, triple crowned last year, did not help the situation. OrelSan, 40, is this time triple winner for the clip of The questthe song of the year for this same title and the concert of the year.
The Norman rapper now goes beyond the monuments Johnny Hallyday et Alain Souchon, ten trophies each. He is only one length away from the record of 13 trophies, co-held by -M- and Alain Bashung.
Doubled by Angèle, two months before the Coachella festival
Angèle, 27, now has five Victories in her career. Something to reassure the artist who was asking himself questions despite the previous successes. His first opus “Brol” had nevertheless sold 1.5 million copies and three Victories have since been enthroned on his trophy cabinet. And in mid-April, she will be in California for the Coachella festival.
Concerts that have proven that the link with the public is always present. On December 3, 2022, she celebrated her 27th birthday on stage in front of the 40,000 spectators at Paris La Défense Arena.
Emotion pour Serge Lama et November Ultra
There were two emotional sequences in the ceremony. Serge Lama received a Victory of Honor, the 600th award given in the history of the ceremony, which was celebrating its 38th edition. And to receive a standing ovation on the eve of his 80th birthday.
“I was very moved because I knew it would be my last night in front of a standing audience. This victory makes me very happy because it comes from the profession. It was the right moment: I’m leaving …”, confided to the press the one who will no longer sing. “This Victory crowns a career, I have a lot of projects, probably my autobiography but other things without singing that I can’t talk regarding yet.”
The other touching moment was November Ultra, sacred feminine revelation, recalling in tears that her mother told her “you know, the children of workers it is rare that they become artists”. The Belgian Pierre de Maere was crowned male revelation.
High in Clash
These are two new faces that are too rare and we will therefore no doubt hear in the days to come the refrain regarding the Victories which too often come from the same artists. The absence of specific prizes for popular musical styles, such as electro or rap, has thus been the subject of much criticism.
“Above all, stay well between you and your little arrangements, we don’t need you to exist, and to be the only French music that is exported”, thus castigated Yuksek, a figure of electro, on Twitter.
For its part, rap, apart from OrelSan, is also under-represented in the queen categories with regard to the bubbling French-speaking scene and its hegemony. Ninho, crowned with a Victory for male artist to the most streamed album, was not even present to receive his prize.
The full list:
- Female artist: Angèle
- Male Artist: Stromae
- Album of the Year: Stromae, Multitude
- Song: OrelSan, The quest
- Audiovisual creation: OrelSan, The quest
- Concert: OrelSan
- Female revelation: November Ultra
- Male revelation: Pierre de Maere
- Most streamed album for an artist: Angèle, ninety-five
- Most streamed album for an artist: Ninho, Boss
- Victory of honor: Serge Lama
