Les Foudres 2026 : here are the pre-nominees for the upcoming Metal ceremony in France

You were already familiar with the Victoires de la musique, the NRJ Music Awards or Les Flammes. But have you heard of the ceremony Les Foudres? After a first edition in 2025, this event is making its comeback this autumn to celebrate the metal scene in France! “It was about time. Time for Metal, its artists, its craftspeople, its visions and its battles, to have their own stage of recognition. Les Foudres was born from a simple truth: to celebrate a thriving scene that had long remained in the shadows,” read last year on the official site.

This second ceremony dedicated to metal in France will take place at the Bataclan in Paris, just like last year. This time, the date is set for Thursday, December 10, 2026. For this second edition, once again open to the public, 13 categories and thus 13 awards are announced, including Revelation of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Event of the Year, and Live Performance of the Year.

So, who’s among the pre-nominated for this year’s 2026 edition of the Foudres? Who might get the chance to lift the trophy on the Bataclan stage this December 10? Find out with the list of pre-nominees!

• To be read
• Les Foudres: the winners and the prize list of the ceremony dedicated to French metal
• Les Foudres 2026: Igorrr, Ashen, Sun... the lineup for the second ceremony celebrating French metal
• Paris: The Upcoming Metal Concerts You Can't Miss

The Foudres 2026: shortlist of nominees

The Breakthrough of the Year

• Galibot
• Messalina
• mirabelle.
• Parallyx
• Sunborn
• Vestige

The Thunderbolt of the Album of the Year

• GOROD - The Ember Gone
• IGORRR - Amen
• MOVRIR - We, The Venom
• RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR - Chapter 04
• SLIFT - Fantasia

Artist of the Year Strikes Like Lightning

• NOISE ≤
• IGORRR
• NOVELISTS
• REVNOIR
• SLIFT

The Event of the Year, in a Flash

• 666 Festival 2026
• Motocultor Festival 2026
• Rock en Seine 2026
• V and B Fest 2026
• We Metal Fest 2026

The clip of the year strikes like lightning

• ALCHEMISED — Revnoir x Carpenter Brut (Directed by Pavel Trebukhin)
• DAEMONI — Igorrr (Directed by Dariusz Szermanowicz)
• FALCON — Rise Of The Northstar (Directed by Pavel Trebukhin and Vithia)
• FORGIVENESS — Gorod (Directed by Sebastien Duattis)
• LOOK AT ME — Jehnny Beth feat. Mike Patton (Directed by Jenny Beth)
• SPEED OR PERISH — Carpenter Brut (Directed by Seth Ickerman)

The year's standout live performance

• IGORRR – Olympia 2025
• LANDMVRKS – Zénith Paris 2026
• SLIFT – Hellfest 2026
• SUN & GRANDMA'S ASHES – Élysée Montmartre 2026
• ULTRA VOMIT – Hellfest 2026

The defining spark of this year's editorial project

• 45 Years of French Metal: The Grand Epic of Hexagonal Metal, from 1980 to Today - Jérémy Rossignol and Angélique Nicolas (Cultural and Historical Work)
• Gojira, the Savage Children – Jean-Charles Desgroux (Musical Biography)
• Hardcore: 40 Years of Rage from Black Flag to Turnstile – Rod Glacial (Documentary Work)
• No Remorse, True Stories Illustrated - Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead – (Collective Work, Graphic Novel)
• Quand le metal fait résonner la Chine - William Spok – (Documentary and Anthropological Work)

The Year’s Artwork in the Spotlight

• ADRIAN BAXTER - Amen by IGORRR - (Album cover)
• DOUWE DIJKSTRA - SLIFT at Hellfest - (Poster)
• ËMGALAÏ - Poster for the Rock in Bourlon festival
• FORTIFEM - Poster for the Motocultor festival
• FORTIFEM - Leather Temple by CARPENTER BRUT (Album cover)
• New Salem - Cold Lava by Bukowski - (Album cover)

The Year’s Lightning Bolt for Societal and Environmental Engagement

• Hen Assault Association
• AÜTFEST
• Charitable Metal Fest
• The Screechers
• Savage Lands

Also this year, the Thunderbolt of the backstage trades and the Thunderbolt Prize, along with two new categories: the Thunderbolt for French performance at Hellfest and the Thunderbolt for the international artist of the year. So, who will be among the winners? The answer arrives on December 10, 2026!

Les Foudres 2026: Igorrr, Ashen, Sun... the lineup for the second ceremony celebrating French metal
After a first edition held in 2025, Les Foudres return this autumn with a new installment to be unveiled on Thursday, December 10, 2026. To be experienced live and also broadcast on television, this new ceremony will feature four bands from the French metal scene on the Bataclan stage, including Igorrr, Ashen, Sun and Alta Rossa. Note that tickets go on sale this Monday, September 21 at 11 a.m. [Read more]