Although she received three Victoires de la Musique during her career, Mylène Farmer does not intend to receive a fourth : for almost twenty-five years, the singer has stubbornly refused to go to this ceremony broadcast each year by France 2, as confirmed by businessman and ex-boss of NRJ Max Guazzini on the set of Pascale from the Tour du Pin this Monday October 23, 2023 on C8: “The people who make the Victoires de la Musique don’t really like success. Often, we don’t know the people who win. Where do they look for them? I believe that the profession, unlike the public, perhaps , does not appreciate it at its true value”. Since 2001, Mylène Farmer has not reappeared on the Victoires de la Musique set, and has even declined the Victory of Honor that she received in 2005 next to Jean-Jacques Goldmanwho was also absent that evening.
Jean-Jacques Goldman and Mylène Farmer are far from being the only ones to shun this ceremony. For several years, tongues have been loosening, and many artists have been loudly proclaiming the disconnection that they blame on the organizers of the Victoires de la Musique. In 2020, Matt Pokora, who holds the record for NRJ Music Awards trophieshad revealed to boycott this ceremony: “It’s not my thing. But the rhythm… There’s something for everyone, for all tastes and all styles of music. I’m more into popular music, and I’ve never been nominated so I have no particular affect with this ceremony”. More recently, The Parisian revealed that Lomepal had also asked, like Mylène Farmer, to no longer appear among the nominees for the Victoires de la Musique. The rapper criticizes the organizers for not having selected Damso in 2018, even though the latter had been a hit with his album Selfhood.
Florent Pagny felt betrayed
If he agreed to return to the Victoires de la Musique last spring, Florent Pagny also boycotted and criticized them for a long time. In 2017, he even called them “Show biz victories” and criticized the organizers for several years for having lied to him by making him return from Argentina for a reward that he never received: “I never felt comfortable in this ceremony. A few years ago, I was brought back from Argentina with the suggestion that I could win an award. I went. It was my biggest year, the one which marked my return with a bang, after the difficult years, thanks to Welcome to my home. Yet I got nothing. It’s not to my credit but I was disappointed.” he explained to Tele-Leisure few months ago.
Indochina committed an affront, Serge Lama failed them
In 2021, Bénabar denounced on the microphone of RTL a competition “corrupt”indicating that he had also informed the organizers that he no longer wanted to be among the nominees: “It’s a democracy where only people on the left would vote. We all knew – and those who tell you the opposite are liars – what the Victoires de la Musique winners would be a year before, two close names. This year was again evidence of a small group who took control and confiscated saying: That’s music“. same for me Nicola Sirkiswho in 2018 compared the competition to a “masquerade” : “We asked not to be included in the list of pre-nominations in October. This charade has gone on long enough. The record companies vote for their foals. That doesn’t interest me. We had a Victory of Honor in 2011 which we gave to a spectator present in the public. This must not have pleased the organizers” he revealed to Parisian.
Already in 2014, Daft Punk, who are currently in pole position to represent France internationally during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, were among the first to shun this ceremony, making it known publicly that they no longer wanted to be award-winning. This is also the case for the singer Serge Lamawho, in 2013, refused his Victory of Honorand of Marc Lavoinewho recently atomized the ceremony with Tele-Leisure : “It has no interest for me. There are 300 people voting among themselves. There is a form of lobbying in there, which I find a bit stupid.”