Singer Bonnie Banane winner of the 2024 Joséphine Prize

Singer Bonnie Banane received the Joséphine Prize, an alternative award to the Victoires de la Musique, the organizers announced.

The artist was rewarded Thursday September 26 for her second album Nini during a ceremony at studio 104 of the Maison de la Radio. “Bonnie Banane evolves beyond genres, always seeking to blur the boundaries between them. Juggling between R’n’B, song or even jazz, it is always the words that fuel his melodies, like incantations“, according to the organizers.

Having passed through the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art, Anaïs Thomas, her real name – nicknamed “Nini”, the eponymous title of the album – became known in 2012 with the title “Muscles”.

Clara Ysé, Crystal Murray, ELOI, Irène Drésel, Lala &ce, LORD$, Lossapardo, Luidji and Sophye Soliveau were also in the running, after a selection by a committee of journalists. The jury was chaired this year by rapper and actor Disiz, and made up of ten artists including November Ultra, winner of the first edition, in 2022.

During this evening, the young jurors of the Joséphine Prize of the 18/20 year old jury also voted for the rapper from the Paris region Luidji, for his album Season 00a second opus with melancholy accents tinged with jazz and pop.

The Joséphine Prize, which takes its name from Joséphine Baker and the Dare Joséphine by Alain Bashung, rewarded last year Killinga rapper signed to the independent label founded by Luidji. This ceremony, which aims to promote “the diversity of musical styles and the representativeness of all artist profiles“, was born from the frustration of the Victoires de la Musique awards, criticized in recent years for their lack of diversity.

Les Flammes, a young ceremony dedicated to rap and its trends, was also born from the same observation.