Who's going to win les Victoires de la Musique 2024?
Let's have a look on this year nominees led by Zaho de Sagazan
It’s the most wonderful time of the year when I guess who’s going to win les Victoires de la Musique even if I have almost zero expertise over French pop current affairs. Last year, I was mostly right with 5 good predictions and 3 wrong ones where I sadly underestimated Stromae’s popularity. Les Victoires de la Musique [trad: Music’s Victories] are happening as always in Paris on February 9.
If you don’t remember what are les Victoires de la Musique, here is what I wrote last year:
Created in 1985 (like me!) and led by an obscure administration board composed of French professionals from the music sector, les Victoires de la Musique are the oldest award show honoring music achievements in France. They are deeply disconnected from what’s happening in music outside of the mainstream, are always awarding the least adventurous contestants and adopt social changes way too late. In this sense, they are indeed the French equivalent of the US Grammys.
New beginnings
Let me make some changes to this because les Victoires have elected a new president ! Vincent Frèrebeau is the founder of the label Tôt ou Tard [trad: Sooner or Later]. Even though it was created under Warner France’s umbrella and is now distributed by Wagram, it remains one of the most important independent labels in France. Mostly specialized in la nouvelle chanson française, They’ve released albums by Vincent Delerm, Dionysos, Thomas Fersen, Vianney and Shaka Ponk. The last two are nominated this year.
And according to their newly elected president, les Victoires have renewed and expanded their academy of selectors (from 800 to 882 and all of them are now music professionals). This new Academy is adding a bit of unpredictability this year, and we can already see the nominations clearly illustrate a clash between the old and the new guards. I believe this year’s nominations are a good crash course on what is succesful in French popular music in 2024.
On the 9 categories, 4 of them are gendered, a third is dedicated to newcomers, 2 of them are about concerts and only 2 of them are for a phonographic production (song and album). There haven’t been a genre category since 2020. A strong emphasis has been made on the young generation: even the main categories have babies in the nominees. Chief among them is Zaho de Sagazan, leading the nominations with 5 nominations (out of the 6 she could have received).
Another good surprise: Among the best selling rappers of the year, some of them managed to translate streaming success into a nomination: Josman in the best album category, Shay in the audiovisual creation, Gazo in the best male artist category and Aya Nakamura in the female counterpart category.
But Werenoi, Hamza, Ninho, Tiakola or even Jul - who took the time to release two gigantic albums in 2023 - are absent from the categories. Also notoriously absent is Christine and the Queens. A former favorite of the Academy, she released a monumental triple album who had the bad taste to be mostly sung in English. Do not worry, she still got good reviews.
Looking into fish guts
Male Artist
Who should win: Etienne Daho has been singing sexy and mysterious songs for more than five decades. Nominated 21 times, Etienne Daho only won one time (best pop-rock album in 2018 with L’invitation [trad: The invitation]. As the only veteran against a trio of way younger competitors, it should be an easy choice for the jury.
Who will win: I stand by Etienne Daho but never underestimate the winning power of the annoying Vianney. As the previous newcomer winner, Pierre de Maere could also be a good bet.
Who won’t win: It’s nice to see a black rapper among the nominees but it won’t happen for Gazo.
Female Artist
Who should win: With the new and improved academy, maybe it’s time for Aya Nakamura to take the trophy home. I already made my case for Aya Nakamura, France best selling female artist really deserves it.
Who will win: I can’t decide. It’s a tie in my head. Because kids love Louane. And children can be powerful lobbyists among the younger parents in the jury. On the other hand, Véronique Sanson is a legend. She began her career in 1967, she sold around 6 million records and she was married to Stephen Stills (yes the one from Brosby, Stills & Nash). Véronique already won two best female artist prizes already (from 1993 and 1996) and winning again would tie her up with the record holder: Vanessa Paradis with three wins. But she hasn’t released an album in five years so I honestly don’t know how she ended up here. Networking I suppose.
Who won’t win: Toulouse-born Jain already won on 2017 but it was the year of her megahit Makeba. I don’t think it will happen against such a strong competition.
Male newcomer
I didn’t know two of those dudes so “révélation” is a strong word here. I’ve decided I was gonna juge them on just one song.
Who should and will win: Yamê is the only one with a legit good song. Bécane [trad: a French slang for motorbike] is great and should have been nominated in the best song and audiovisual creation categories.
Who won’t win: I sure hope Vietnam-born Swiss singer Nuit Incolore is not going to win. Not because of racism (I swear) but because the song I listened to was so bad it reminded me of the darkest days of Kyo. On the other hand, Aime Simone is just kinda boring.
Female newcomer
Who will win: Zaho de Sagazan has 5 nominations, way more than anyone else this year. It’s the easiest guess in the history of guesses.
Who should win: Zaho for sure. Definitely the best newcomer of the year, male or female. And Adèle Castillon is not really a newcomer, because she was in the short-lived duo Videoclub.
Who won’t win: Sorry Meryl. We hardly knew you.
Best New Artist on Stage
After a three-year break, this category is back! Traditionally the révélation scène* category was a way to set up another type of artist against the now defunct “best album from a new artist” category. It’s definitely lacking some clarity because we can found two artists already nominated in the other newcomer categories.
Who will win: Zaho de Sagazan once again. It’s just basic maths.
Who should win: Julien Granel is the epitome of Gen-Z music. Danceable pop hits in crazy live shows played with a lot of energy and sincerity in front of an army of young noisy fans. I’ll give him the award just after seeing one video.
Who won’t win: Honestly, the carribean-infused R&B from Meryl (and a full band!) looks like a lot of fun. But it’s not gonna happen.
Best Album
Who will win: As the front-runner of this year competition, Zaho de Sagazan will win without difficulty. Vianney is really trying this year, with a record entirely made of duos and trios with famous singers from France and elsewhere (Hello, Ed Sheeran and Charlie Winston). The result is as awful as expected. As I already explained, Etienne Daho never won Best Album, so it wouldn’t be the first time the academy tries to write a wrong by giving the trophy to the veteran with an okay record.
Who should win: La Symphonie des éclairs by Zaho de Sagazan is my favorite record of this selection. It was even in my end-of-year review where I called it “a cohesive piece of art” with music both “minimalist and electronic with a strong dramatic flair”.
Who won’t win: The Fool is a by-the-numbers disco-infused pop record without any personality. Jain is still very good at hooks but she needs better composers. It’s not going to go to a rap record either. Even a good one with old-school instrumentations. Sorry Josman.
Best Song
Who will win: Secret - Louane
Have you heard Secret? If the answer is no, you’re the only one.
Who should win: Enfant de - Pierre de Maere
Last year’s newcomer winner came back strong but not strong enough to counter Zaho de Sagazan razzia on nominations. I believe this should be the consolation prize for Pierre de Maere just because it’s a cool song. La symphonie des éclairs is not even the best song of Zaho’s album but it was the safest choice for the academy. If it was Tristesse, I would have stood by it but this one doesn’t deserve to win.
Who won’t win: Clara Ysé has no chance to win when Louane is competing with another piano ballad but could end up splitting the vote.
Best Tour
Funnily enough, the best tour category only includes people with this one nomination. So no consolation prize available for the losers in other categories. Instead, we get an ultimate rematch from previous edition winners. And it’s going to be bloody. I can’t even make a prediction here. Every one of the nominees could, should and shouldn’t win in the category for multiple reasons.
Shaka Ponk always made terrible music but put up impressive live shows (with holograms and shit). They already won three awards for their live shows so when we are talking about the very! last! one! They definitely could win for a final chance.
On the other hand, Big Flo et Oli never won a Victoire for a concert (but they have four other awards in the main categories). It’s only slightly less terrible but a buddy told me the live shows are well made.
Pomme is another Victoire darling with already two awards under the belt despite her young age. Last year, she was nominated twice for her very good album but she didn’t win (booo!). Maybe that’s the moment when the academy decide to rectify that mistake.
Talking about rectifying, Damso only won one award - back when we still had a rap category - despite being arguably the best rapper of the last ten years. This new and improved academy could chose to give the trophy to him, not only to make amends but also because he did a lot of arenas and festivals (and 5 Bercys in a row).
Audiovisual creation
Who will win: La symphonie des éclairs - Zaho de Sagazan
We’ve seen last year with Orelsan’s La Quête that the academy loves animated shit so of course this hand-drawn animated short movie from the front runner will win.
Who should win: Commando - Shay
A 3-minute blockbuster with guns, cars and a strong visual identity inspired by Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City. In a perfect world, a video with so much effort into it should win. The only problem: the song is so-so.
Who won’t win: Flamme - Juliette Armanet
I already talked about Sardou-hating Juliette Armanet last summer. She’s been a favorite for a while. Flamme is an awesome song and the choreo is great but are we really giving awards to a video with people dancing in black and white in 2024? I don’t think so.
Tell me your picks!