Quebec rap gets its biggest spotlight of the fall this November. The 48th edition of the ADISQ Galas, the week that celebrates music made in Quebec, puts five albums in the running for Rap Album of the Year, and the category alone tells the story of where the scene stands in 2026. Album category winners are announced Wednesday, November 4 at the Premier Gala at MTELUS in Montreal, ahead of the main Gala on Sunday, November 8 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts. This hub gathers everything English speaking readers need before the two nights: the nominees, the hosts, the dates, and why a French language rap category in Montreal matters to Canadian hip hop as a whole.
Five albums map five directions for Quebec rap
The Rap Album of the Year nominees are Berger by Aswell, Rétrograde by Calamine, Still Kankan by FouKi, À la prochaine fois by kinji00, and Douze sur douze by Loud. Two generations meet on the same ballot. Loud and FouKi have carried the scene for years and sell out rooms across the province. Aswell, Calamine and kinji00 represent a younger wave writing on its own terms, moving between introspection and songs built to stay in your head. A strong category has a simple tell: every record defends a different idea of what Quebec rap can become, and no winner feels obvious in advance.
FouKi shows the depth of the moment. On Still Kankan, released on Disques 7ième Ciel, the Plateau Mont-Royal rapper builds a record about time passing, produced with longtime collaborator QuietMike and performed on stages across Quebec for more than a year. Our full French coverage of his nomination is here: FouKi vise le Félix avec Still Kankan (in French). Across the ballot, Loud completes the most watched comeback of the season. Three years after Aucune promesse, his fourth solo album Douze sur douze, released on Joy Ride Records, samples Ariane Moffatt and Salomé Leclerc and proves the break cost him nothing. The full story of that return is in Loud confirme son retour avec Douze sur douze (in French).
The Premier Gala opens the week on November 4
The Premier Gala takes place Wednesday, November 4 at 8 p.m., live from MTELUS on Télé-Québec. The night hands out 23 Félix awards and covers most album categories, from rap to folk, jazz, global music and electronic music. That means the Rap Album of the Year winner is named on Wednesday, not during the Sunday broadcast. Performers underline the range of the night: Alicia Moffet, Alphonse Bisaillon, Cruzito, Dan Daraîche, Fredz, Ivan Boivin-Flamand, Laurence St-Martin, Léa Jarry and Marie Céleste all perform, and Vulgaires Machins make a first ever appearance at the ADISQ Galas. Télé-Québec rebroadcasts the show Saturday, November 7 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 8 at 10 p.m., with streaming catch up on the web and the channel app the day after the live show.
A rapper hosts the night for a fourth straight year. Sarahmée returns as Premier Gala host, a role ADISQ keeps trusting her with edition after edition. In the ADISQ announcement, in French, she describes what coming back means to her:
Une quatrième année à l’animation du Premier Gala de l’Adisq est une marque de confiance de la part de toute l’équipe. J’ai hâte et je suis enthousiaste à l’idée de souligner le talent de mes collègues.
Her path from Légitime to Pleure pas ma fille, sinon maman va pleurer is profiled in Sarahmée reprend l’animation du Premier Gala (in French). Earlier that same Wednesday, the Industry Gala, hosted by Claudine Prévost at the Piano Nobile at Place des Arts, honours the workers behind the scenes. Across the week, the 48th edition awards 56 Félix trophies, drawn from 247 albums, 67 shows and 27 videos released between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026.
The main Gala closes the week on November 8
On Sunday, November 8, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier hosts the 48th ADISQ Gala, broadcast live at 8 p.m. on ICI Télé and ICI TOU.TV. Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais hosts for a third straight year. The headline Sunday categories, including Female Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Group or Duo of the Year and Song of the Year, complete the picture of the Quebec music year. Angine de Poitrine and Lou-Adriane Cassidy lead the edition in nominations, followed closely by JF Pauzé, Fredz and Les Louanges. For rap fans, Sunday works as a celebration: the rap winner, known since Wednesday, returns to the centre of a week that belongs to all of Quebec music.
Why this category matters for Canadian hip hop
The rap Félix remains the most visible measuring stick for French language rap in Canada. It tracks the ability of a scene built independently to deliver complete albums, fill rooms in every region, and speak to the wider Quebec song tradition without losing its own accent. The 2026 list makes the case on its own: Loud samples two major Quebec voices, FouKi turns everyday Montreal life into song material, and a new generation pushes forward with personal records. Quebec rap no longer asks for a place inside ADISQ week. It holds one, with its own stars, its own classics and its own audience.
Award season for rap in Quebec then continues on the independent side. On November 29, the GAMIQ holds its 21st edition at Foufounes Électriques, where KNLO defends his EP Le cash vaut rien in the Hip Hop Album or EP category. Our coverage of that nomination is here: KNLO défend Le cash vaut rien au GAMIQ (in French). Until then, iimiTV follows both ADISQ nights live and publishes verified results as soon as the November 8 gala ends.
