The Flames ceremony, rap trophies, accessible for the first time to the general public

The third edition of Les Flammes, a ceremony rewarding French artists in the field of rap and R&B, will be held for the first time in the presence of the general public. This event will take place on May 13, 2025 at La Seine Musicale, near Paris, its organizers announced Monday, November 25. This decision responds to “strong demand” fans and “reflects the desire for inclusiveness of the event”explained the organization in a press release.

A presale is planned for Tuesday, November 26 for Spotify subscribers. The official ticket office will be put online this Wednesday, November 27 from 2 p.m.

Change of address

After two years at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris, the ceremony moved to La Seine Musicale, in Boulogne-Billancourt. She will find there “a larger space, in harmony with its growth and influence”the organization said. The room will be shared between music industry professionals and the public, with places reserved for youth and the voluntary sector. “It’s an accomplishment. I’m sure it will give more energy to the show.”declared Amadou Ba, co-founder of the media Booska-P and co-producer of Les Flammes alongside Yard, media and communications agency. The lack of rhythm, accompanied by technical hiccups, gave rise to criticism last year.

Born in response to the Victoires de la Musique, long accused of ignoring the hip-hop scene, Les Flammes distinguished Aya Nakamura as a female artist and Gazo as a male artist in 2024. The French artist, dressed in an elegant white down jacket in fur, kicked off the evening by performing Baby. The audience, repeating the words in chorus, showed their enthusiasm, just like for the two pieces Pookiefrom his second album, and Hypé.

All musical cultures

For the majority of awards, nominations and winners are determined by a combination of public and jury votes. Associated with music streaming leader Spotify, this ceremony is also broadcast on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.

Beyond a simple awards ceremony, Les Flammes also offers a real spectacle thanks to numerous stage performances during each edition. In 2024, the public was surprised to witness a medley of the greatest hits by rapper La Fouine, as well as a poignant performance by Médine. The latter interpreted Gaza Soccer Beachpaying tribute to the children of Gaza victims of the bombings. The ceremony ended in apotheosis with Alonzo, who performed Little genius alongside Jungeli, Imen Es, Abou Debeing and Lossa. This piece, for which Alonzo won the Flame for African or African-inspired music piece of the year.

Also read
Booba, SCH and Ninho: the Golden Coast, the first 100% rap and urban culture festival in Dijon

One of the great strengths of Les Flammes is its eclecticism: rappers, composers, labels and productions are among the nominees. The desire to pay tribute to everyone and celebrate all the players in urban music constitutes an absolute priority for this event. During the last ceremony, 24 Flames were awarded. The categories cover a wide range, ranging from Female Artist and Male Artist of the Yearto Female revelations, masculine and scenicpassing through Album of the yearwhether rap or new pop. Other distinctions honor the African music piece of the yearthe Caribbean Song of the Yearthe Feature of the yearas well as the Composer, Music Video and Best Stage Performance. Finally, a special tribute is paid to graphic designers through a prize dedicated to the best Cover d’album.