To celebrate our language, our culture and our love of Quebec television, come to the 39th Gémeaux Awards. Last year, Pierre-Yves Lord masterfully hosted an entertaining, unifying and energetic gala. He is doing it again with pleasure this year and is already looking forward to highlighting the excellence of the artists and artisans of our small screen.
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Pierre-Yves, the opening of the Gémeaux Awards always sets the tone for the ceremony. What can you tell us about the first seconds of the gala?
My favorite communication channel to arouse emotions has always been music. A flamboyant musical number will once again launch the gala! I want people in the room and at home to feel like they are at a big party and not at an awards ceremony. This is also the angle that guides all our artistic choices: we want the atmosphere to be festive!
Last year, the public loved the segment on artificial intelligence, where Christian Bégin’s face ended up on the body of the winner of L’île de l’amour, and Simon Boulerice’s face, on the body of Martin St-Louis, the coach of the Montreal Canadiens!
This is the segment of the gala that people talked about the most! There was also Marina Orsini, who replaced Marie-Mai on Big Brother Célébrités, and Marthe Laverdière on a TV show. Of course, we won’t do the same thing this year, but technology allows us to have fun with the staging and create nice surprises.
Are the artists aware when they participate in an act like this?
Christian Bégin, Simon Boulerice and Marina Orsini had heard that we were going to do a little something about them, but they had no idea what was in store for them! They were all good sports, especially Christian, who laughed a lot when he saw himself participating in a reality TV show.
As a host, what is your favorite moment of the gala?
Last year, I was truly transported by the beauty of the thanks from the artists and artisans. Since it was my first time hosting the Gémeaux, I didn’t know if I would be totally absorbed by my next interventions. Finally, I was able to pay attention to what was happening on stage. What the artists say when they win an award is the variable of the gala that we don’t control, and that’s also where the magic happens!
How do you prepare before a gala?
I watched a lot of television. To my great joy, I must say, because I love what we produce here. It’s an integral part of our culture, our Quebec identity. I get very involved in all the projects I participate in. During team meetings, I come up with concepts, ideas. (laughs) I’m pretty proactive! I send excerpts from shows to the production team and I send inspiration to the musical director, Alex McMahon. Those who have never worked with me may find me intense, but I like to get my hands dirty. It’s as a team, with everyone’s ideas, that we manage to create a party that lives up to our beautiful Quebec television.
The 39th Gémeaux Awards Gala will be broadcast this Sunday at 8 p.m. on Radio-Canada.
