NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards (NMA) are an annual French music awards ceremony organized by radio station NRJ in partnership with TF1. The 27th edition took place on October 31, 2025, at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, with Star Academy alumni dominating francophone categories and Ed Sheeran winning two international awards.
Details
Organizing Body
NRJ Group and TF1
Type
Fan Choice Awards
Frequency
Annual
Categories
- Francophone Female Artist of the Year
- Francophone Male Artist of the Year
- International Female Artist of the Year
- International Male Artist of the Year
- Francophone Song of the Year
- International Song of the Year
- Francophone Breakthrough of the Year (Male)
- Francophone Breakthrough of the Year (Female)
- International Breakthrough of the Year
- Francophone Collaboration/Duo of the Year
- International Collaboration/Duo of the Year
- DJ of the Year
- Social Hit of the Year
- Concert Tour of the Year
Processes
Nomination Process
NRJ selects five nominees in each category based on commercial performance, streaming data, radio airplay, and social media engagement. The awards cover both francophone and international artists.
Voting Process
Winners are determined by a combination of public voting (75 percent) and a jury established by NRJ and TF1 (25 percent). Fans vote online through the NRJ website. The public vote during the 2025 ceremony generated nearly eight million votes.
The NRJ Music Awards (NMA) are an annual French music awards ceremony organized by radio station NRJ in partnership with television network TF1. Created in 2000, the awards honor both francophone and international artists across 14 categories. The 27th edition took place on October 31, 2025, at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, hosted by Nikos Aliagas and broadcast live on TF1.
How the NRJ Music Awards Work
The ceremony follows a hybrid voting model:
- Nomination: NRJ selects five nominees per category based on commercial performance, streaming data, radio airplay, and social media engagement. Categories are split between francophone and international artists.
- Voting: The public vote counts for 75 percent of the final result, while a jury established by NRJ and TF1 contributes 25 percent. Fans vote online through the NRJ website. The 2025 ceremony generated nearly eight million votes, a record number.
- Ceremony: The awards are held annually at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. The ceremony features live performances from both francophone and international artists. The 2025 edition included performances from Ed Sheeran, KATSEYE, Pierre Garnier, Marine, Vanessa Paradis, and Charlotte Cardin.
The name "NRJ" is a play on words between the French pronunciation of the letters and the French word "energie" (energy), standing for "Nouvelle Radio des Jeunes" (New Radio of the Young).
The ceremony was traditionally held in mid-January as the opening of MIDEM (the international music market) but moved to November in recent years. Nikos Aliagas has hosted every edition since 2009, except for 2022 when Camille Combal took over.
Real-World Example: The 27th NRJ Music Awards (2025)
The 2025 ceremony was dominated by former Star Academy contestants, who won six of 14 awards. Helena won two trophies: Francophone Female Artist of the Year and Francophone Song of the Year for "Mauvais Garcon." Pierre Garnier won Francophone Male Artist of the Year, his third career NMA. Marine won Francophone Female Breakthrough of the Year, and Julien Lieb won Francophone Male Breakthrough of the Year. Jungeli and Lenie won Francophone Collaboration of the Year for "A tes cotes."
On the international side, Ed Sheeran won two awards: International Male Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year for "Azizam." Lady Gaga won International Female Artist of the Year for the second time. Rose and Bruno Mars won International Collaboration of the Year for "APT." Alex Warren won International Breakthrough of the Year.
David Guetta won DJ of the Year, and the Social Hit award went to "Golden" (David Guetta remix) from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. Gims won Concert Tour of the Year and received an honorary award as the most-streamed artist of 2025. Vanessa Paradis received an honorary award for 40 years of career.
With 13 career NMA trophies, Ed Sheeran is approaching the all-time record held by M. Pokora (16 trophies).
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The NRJ Music Awards are one of the few major ceremonies where public voting carries 75 percent of the decision. Independent artists with passionate fanbases can influence outcomes through organized voting campaigns. The 2025 ceremony showed how fan mobilization works: Star Academy alumni won six awards because their fanbases voted in record numbers.
The francophone categories specifically target French-language artists, creating opportunities for independent French, Belgian, and Swiss artists who might not compete in international categories. The Breakthrough categories (Revelation de l'annee) target emerging talent in both francophone and international fields.
If you are an independent francophone artist, focus on streaming numbers and social media engagement during the eligibility period. Build a fanbase that will vote during the ceremony. Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your performance on French platforms. Check the NRJ Music Awards website for eligibility windows and voting dates.
Related Resources
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming performance that supports NMA nominations
- Target Streams Calculator - Set streaming goals for awards eligibility
- 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Build revenue alongside awards strategy
- When and How to Hire a Music Manager - A manager can coordinate awards campaigns
- MTV Video Music Awards - Compare with another major fan-voted ceremony
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