Kanoé at the NRJ Music Awards 2026: the vote that will decide everything
Summary
Friday, October 23, the Croisette lights up its spotlights. On the stage of the Palais des Festivals, TF1 will line up its headliners and homegrown talents. In one corner of the beam, a name from elsewhere. That night, Kanoé is playing for Male Francophone Revelation at the NRJ Music Awards.
Belleville rap arrives on the Croisette.
NRJ Music Awards 2026 in brief
- Date: Friday, October 23, 2026, 9:10 PM
- Location: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes
- Nomination: Kanoé, Male Francophone Revelation
- ⏳ Votes: open until October 23 at noon, one free vote per day and per category
- Broadcast: TF1, NRJ and TF1+
Belleville, a freestyle, 13 years old: the path leading to Cannes
Some careers start in a dressing room. This one started in a bedroom. Kanoé, born on September 1, 2004, grew up in Belleville and laid down his first bars before even having a driver’s license. Around 13 years old, a freestyle circulated. The spotlight shone for the first time, very early, on a kid no one expected.
The rest was built without shortcuts. The album Noé was released in 2023 and established a flow that doesn’t seek easy punchlines. In May 2025, the clip Autodidacte #1 put the spotlight back on him: the track says exactly where the guy comes from. Autodidacte is a status before being a title.
At Project X Paris, this path speaks to us: it starts from the Parisian pavement and arrives on a national stage without changing skin. It’s rare. That’s what makes this nomination interesting.
Vibe check: Autodidacte #1, the clip that restarted the machine in May 2025.
Five names, one spotlight
The Male Francophone Revelation category features Anyme, Danyl, Kanoé, Mauvais Djo and RnBoi. Five profiles, five communities, one trophy. No established star to make up the numbers: it’s the new scene raw, with all that implies in online mobilization.
And that’s where the setting changes everything. An NRJ nomination isn’t won by fight IQ, it’s won by the number of daily votes. Kanoé has the strongest story in the category: the kid from Belleville, the viral freestyle, the album made without machines behind. What he lacks is not legitimacy, it’s the voting discipline of his community.
Our prediction fits in one line: if the fanbase gets in battle order, the trophy is within reach. Otherwise, the spotlight will pass by.
Visual preview: Kanoé’s catalog, to listen to before October 23.
Why does this edition look like a Star Academy night?
Look at the full list and the setting jumps out. Aya Nakamura and David Guetta dominate the poster with 3 nominations each, but it’s the castle’s galaxy that occupies the most seats: former students in revelation, female artist, concert. The TF1 machine first shines on its own talents.
The clearest symbol bears a name: Quentin Mosimann. Winner of Star Academy in 2008, he was named director of the new season in September 2026, a few days before being nominated in the DJ category. Closing the loop, prime time version.
Add Céline Dion, nominated in Francophone Concert for her stage comeback, and you get an edition where TV spectacle weighs heavily. In this context, a 100% new rap scene category becomes the real counterpoint of the evening.
Did you know?
An additional category, Francophone Song of the Year, will be decided by a public vote live during the ceremony. Nothing is decided before the last minute on air.
Votes open: how to make an impact until October 23
Votes have been open since September 16 and close on October 23 at noon. Three entry points: the NRJ website, the NRJ app and TF1+. It’s free, and renewable once per day and per category.
In other words, the mechanism rewards regularity, not one-night enthusiasm. Five weeks of daily voting separate us today from the ceremony. Don’t delay: every missed day is a day of light given to the competition.
BELLEVILLE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
On October 23, the beam will sweep the Croisette and stop for five seconds on one name. Kanoé grew up far from this light. The countdown is on, and the street is already voting.
#KANOE #NRJMUSICAWARDS #RAPFR #RADARPXP #BELLEVILLE