A little rap and a lot of Zaho from Sagazan. The Victoires de la Musique are making their (small) revolution. This year, no more small arrangements between friends, the ceremony is more open. Gazo, Aya Nakamura, Shay, Damso… Often snubbed, urban music won major awards for this new edition. The young Zaho de Sagazan, nominated in five categories, won four victories including that of album of the year. Here are the winners of the 39th edition of the Victoires de la Musique.
Rapper Gazo, big winner of the Flammes ceremony, the rap equivalent of the Victoires de la Musique, wins the prize for male artist of the year. But surprise! Perfect tie with Vianney. “It represents everything the French love,” continues Léa Salamé. The rapper is content to thank his audience with restraint. Vianney takes the opportunity to congratulate the other nominees and thank his label. “If music is a cry that comes from within, as Bernard Lavilliers said, it might as well be a cry of love, a cry of peace,” continues Vianney. That’s what we can wish for each other, my guy,” he concludes, giving Gazo a hug.
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Aya Nakamura, also awarded by Les Flammes in 2023, wins her Victoire de la Musique. In 2022 the interpreter of Pookie and Djadja had already received the prize for the most streamed album of the year. One of the most listened to artists in the world, too rarely rewarded in France, symbolizes the velvet revolution of the 39th Victory ceremony.
Zaho de Sagazan won the Original Song Victory for La Symphonie des éclairs. “Oh damn!” the singer exclaims in tears on set. “All artists dream of writing songs that touch people’s hearts,” comments the 24-year-old young woman from Saint-Nazaire, already winner of the 2023 Joséphine Prize and the revelation of the year by SACEM. “This song is important to me, it tells the story of my whole life. I always thought it was wrong to be sensitive. And then I discovered music and I realized that my greatest fault was in fact my greatest quality.
Second Victory for the 24-year-old tornado. “Thank you very much, that’s nonsense!” she exclaimed, out of breath. What joy! Thank you so much, I spent so much time on this album. Already compared to Brel or Barbara, Zaho de Sagazan confirms his status as a revelation and favorite of the year.
With his QALF Tour, Damso wins the concert of the year award. He is one of the rare rappers to have been nominated for the Victoires de la Musique. Already in 2019, he won the Rap Album Victory with his album Lithopédion. It was the first and last time that artists were rewarded in this category.
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It seems that this year (finally) celebrates urban music. For her first nomination for the Victoires de la Musique, Shay, also known for her participation in the show Nouvelle École, leaves with the prize for audiovisual creation for her single Commando.
The Franco-Cameroonian singer, who provided solo piano vocals for the first part of Stromae, on March 9, 2023 in Marseille, has become in just a few months one of the most listened to artists on streaming platforms. He owes this success to his hit Bécane, first shared on TikTok then on Colors. The title has more than 75 million streams on Spotify. The young Yamê leaves this evening with the prize for Male Revelation of the Year.
The 24-year-old prodigy wins the Female Revelation Victory. If her first speeches were marked by emotion, this time the young woman takes the stage with more confidence and a committed speech. “I believe that artists seek to do good to themselves and to do good to others. And there are people who do good things but they are priceless. (…) I think of all the caregivers and all the caregivers,” says Zaho, who worked for a time as a caregiver before launching into music. “Shout out to everyone in the world who is trying to do good. The world is so beautiful and at the same time so horrible, but on our small scale we can do things.” She also mentions firefighters, teachers, caregivers: “They don’t have a Victory, well I’ll give it to you,” she exclaims, lifting the trophy.
“It seems like it’s her year tonight!” exclaims Léa Salamé. Yes, it’s not every day that an artist wins four victories, even less so in the year of their first participation. Even Orelsan last year stopped at three.
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Bernard Lavilliers received a Victory of Honor. “A poet of modern times” – in the words of Léa Salamé – that several artists wanted to celebrate. Terrenoire, Jeanne Cheral, Olivia Ruiz, Catherine Ringer and Fada Freddy performed the 77-year-old singer’s best-known songs, such as Saint-Étienne. Moved to tears, the latter then went on stage to accompany Catherine Ringer on her cult song Idées noirs. The Victory of Honor was presented to him by Sandrine Bonnaire, in a surprise tribute. “I want to hear you sing again and forever, hear your golden voice,” said the actress in a poetic and emotion-filled speech.
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