French metal giants Gojira and metalcore band Landmvrks were the top winners at the first-ever Les Foudres awards, a new ceremony created specifically to honor France’s heavy metal scene. The historic event, held on Thursday, October 9, at the legendary Bataclan in Paris, saw both bands walk away with two awards each.
The ceremony was created to highlight a scene that has long been overlooked by major French music awards. Arnaud Maillard, executive director of the Bataclan, stated that metal music had not been properly represented in official ceremonies, emphasizing that the time had come to honor this growing and influential scene in France.
Gojira, one of France’s biggest musical exports, received the award for Live Performance Of The Year for their 2025 show at the Carcassonne festival. The band was also presented with the prestigious Foudre d’honneur, a special achievement award recognizing their monumental impact.
Sharing the top honors for the night were Landmvrks, who were named Artist Of The Year and also won the coveted Album Of The Year award for their record, The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been. Other major winners included the world-renowned Hellfest, which was named Event Of The Year, and Revnoir, who took home the award for Revelation Of The Year.
The ceremony, hosted by French comedian Thomas VDB, featured performances by Carpenter Brut and Revnoir and was broadcast on national television, marking a significant moment of mainstream recognition for the French heavy metal community.
Les Foudres 2025 – Full List of Winners:
- Revelation Of The Year: REVNOIR
- Album Of The Year: LANDMVRKS – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
- Artist Of The Year: LANDMVRKS
- Event Of The Year: Hellfest
- Audiovisual Creation Of The Year: Hotu and Vithia – “Neo Paris” by RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR
- Live Performance Of The Year: GOJIRA at Carcassonne festival 2025
- Editorial Project Of The Year: “Children Of The Sabbath” book by Mathieu Yassef, Guillaume Fleury and Gabriel Redon
- Artwork Of The Year: Yoann Lossel – “Les Chants De L’aurore” by ALCEST
- Social And Environmental Commitment Of The Year: More Women On Stage campaign
- La Foudre Des Métiers De L’ombre: Frédéric Chouesne & Lorène Wienecke, Pascal Larre, Corentin Charbonnier
- Best-Selling Rock-Metal Album: ULTRA VOMIT‘s “La Puissance Du Pouvoir“
- La Foudre D’honneur: GOJIRA
