It’s the end of an era in the middle of the show business Quebec. The TVA network announced on Tuesday that it would end the Gala Artis after 36 years of existence. A decision which is not unrelated to the fact that viewers have tended to shun award ceremonies for a few years.
This continuous drop in ratings is observable for all galas in Quebec, but also around the world. The Oscars, the Césars and the Golden Globes have all seen their audiences dwindle in recent years.
TVA did not fail to point this out on Tuesday, when announcing the final end of the Gala Artis. “The world of media and television is constantly changing, and faster and faster. What was a guarantee of success in the past is no longer always so relevant today. This is the case of traditional galas, which no longer respond exactly to their original mission”, also recalled the “diffuser of emotions” by means of a press release.
TVA had been thinking for several months about the future of the Gala Artis. The 2022 edition of the gala, which always takes place in the spring usually, had also been reported sine die. It will ultimately never take place. In 2021, the gala hosted in the midst of a pandemic by Charles Lafortune and Guy Jodoin had recorded a 32% drop in ratings compared to the previous edition.
The Artis Gala, formerly the MetroStar Awards, rewarded Quebec’s favorite artists on television. The public was then invited to vote for their favorite celebrities in each category. For a long time, the voting system favored artists linked to TVA. But in recent years, the way of determining the winners has been modified, which also allowed some stars affiliated with Radio-Canada to stand out.
With its red carpet broadcast before the gala, the Gala Artis prided itself on being the most “jet-set” ceremony in Quebec. Guylaine Tremblay, Patrice L’Écuyer and Pierre Bruneau hold the record for the number of Artis trophies awarded in their career, with around twenty awards each.