An edition marked by the Star Academy
Among the big names present this year, we could count on Vitaa, Indochine, Slimane, David Guetta and Teddy Swims. The spotlight was also on two revelations from the Star Academy: Pierre Garnier and Héléna Bailly. The two artists were able to count on the support of their friend and singer Lénie, who came to present an award, even if we would have liked to see her also perform on stage. In addition, two candidates from this season, Masseo and Emma, had also won their place on the stage of the NRJ Music Awards.
And if the ceremony offers a French-speaking Revelation of the Year category, for several years, there has now been a special category for Belgium: Belgian Revelation of the Year. This prize is awarded by NRJ Belgium. This year, it was Mike and his team who had the task of covering the event. A mission all the more impressive as it follows that of Cauet, a leading figure in radio, as well as Julie Taton and her team.
In the studio, the atmosphere was both intense and friendly. With water, pieces of chocolate and other sweets for everyone. Everything was in place for everyone to have a good time. And even though a little stress was in the air, Mike’s team brilliantly rose to the challenge, welcoming a series of artists: Carbonne, Joseph Kamel, Amir, Kendji Girac, Jungleli, Ofenbach, Pierre Garnier, and many others. The highlight of the evening? The coronation of Héléna Bailly, who was the first to receive an NMA this year.
NRJ Music Awards: Héléna Bailly elected “Belgian Revelation of the Year”
Climbing the steps: glamor at full speed
Already delighted with our experience in the studios, we were still far from imagining what awaited us as we climbed the steps of the Palais des Festivals. In our 31st, we headed towards them, covered in their sparkling red carpet. While we immortalized on video the crowd and the celebrities present alongside us (including Charlotte Cardin, Pierre Garnier and the group Justice), two lucky people, Sara and Anthony, had the opportunity to pose like stars for a photo on the carpet. This couple of fans had won the NRJ Belgium competition and were invited to participate in the event.
“I never thought I would find myself here, confides Sara. I watch the show every year from my couch. It was strange and impressive to walk up the steps alongside the stars.”
Once the steps were up, Sara and Anthony took their places in the room. For our part, we took the opportunity to explore backstage, even stopping by the makeup artists’ stand. Although they were particularly friendly, their tight schedule did not allow us to benefit from their talents!
Behind the scenes, meetings and anecdotes
Although we couldn’t go through the makeup stage, we haven’t lost hope! In addition to the artists who were going to perform on stage, we were able to interact with several guests who came for the occasion. Jarry, proudly dressed in a “Bonhomme” t-shirt in homage to his show, even slipped a note to Belgium: “Well done, Charleroi, but stop the work!” A humorous reference to a recent construction site error in the region.
As we walked backstage to reach the room, we were also able to admire the signatures of the many artists who passed by. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” wrote Soprano in 2022, while Martin Garrix and Woodkid had also left their mark.
In the room: surprising performance and intense sound
Once installed in the room, our first observation was the relatively modest size of the space compared to what we see on the screen. Situated only a few rows from the stage, we were however struck by the sound intensity, much more vibrant than the television rendering.
Among the performances, that of Slimane particularly struck us, revealing an impressive depth of sound live. A word of advice: if you have the opportunity, attend a concert by your favorite artists; the experience is incomparable to that of television.
After more than three hours of show, the public was able to experience live the closing of the votes for the French-speaking Artist of the Year category, won, unsurprisingly, by Pierre Garnier, big winner of the evening with two NRJ Music Awards.
“An unforgettable experience”
After the show, Sara, Slimane fan, and Anthony remembered this unique adventure: “We can’t imagine everything that goes on behind the scenes! We see the scene changes and the audience is guided for applause.”
As for us, after doing a few improvised dance steps backstage, alongside Kevin Dias, Mindy’s boyfriend in the hit series “Emily In Paris” or Claire Romain, one of the three Cat’s Eyes (the new series on TF1), we tried to leave with an NRJ Music Award under our arm… Because for the first time, touching them was not just reserved for artists. Bad luck, security was on duty, and we left empty-handed!
