NRJ Music Awards 2026 held in Cannes

The 28th edition of the NRJ Music Awards took place on Friday, October 23, 2026, live from the Palais des Festivals de Cannes on TF1, a major French television channel.

Angèle cancels award show attendance

Angèle, a 30-year-old Belgian singer, canceled her attendance at the last minute, citing health reasons in a post on her Instagram account. In her message, she expressed disappointment at not being able to participate and apologized to the public, stating that she was confined to her home due to illness.

Speculation about album reception

However, reports from backstage suggest that Angèle's absence may be linked to the disappointing reception of her third studio album, Instinct, released on October 16, 2026. According to Le Parisien, the cancellation was primarily due to her strong disappointment at the critical and commercial reception of the album.

Album sales fall short of expectations

The commercial launch of Instinct recorded figures significantly lower than Angèle's historical performances. With about 16,000 copies sold in the first week, the album topped the charts but achieved a score twice lower than that of her previous album, Nonante-Cinq. Additionally, the streaming rankings on platforms such as Deezer revealed a weak retention of the tracks in the weekly top 100.

NRJ stops playing Angèle’s music

As a direct consequence of this last-minute refusal to participate in the NRJ Music Awards, the radio station NRJ reportedly stopped the broadcast of Angèle's songs on its airwaves. Despite this difficult period and the significant production costs invested by her label, Sony Music, Angèle will be able to rely on her upcoming tour Instinct Tour, scheduled for 2027 with ten dates planned at the Accor Arena in Paris, to regain direct contact with her audience.

Recent cancellations by Angèle

This cancellation is part of a series of recent withdrawals, with Angèle also canceling the opening of her pop-up at Printemps Haussmann in Paris and all her promotional meetings scheduled on Belgian radio stations.