US rapper French Montana and English singer Jorja Smith will perform at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, organisers announced on Saturday, as they seek to attract a wider audience to football’s prestigious awards event.
At last year’s ceremony in Paris, Canadian singer Charlotte Cardin attempted to energise the atmosphere with a performance of her hit song “Feel Good” before a largely motionless audience of footballers and VIP guests dressed in suits.
The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London next Monday, marking the first time the event will be hosted in Britain.
Among the leading contenders for this year’s top individual football honour are Kylian Mbappe, Spanish duo Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, Paris Saint-Germain teammates Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as well as England captain Harry Kane.
French Montana, who boasts more than 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify, is known for blending Moroccan influences, trap, Afrobeat and New York hip-hop in his music.
The rapper has collaborated with several major artists, including Drake, Cardi B and Swae Lee. His 2017 collaboration with Swae Lee, “Unforgettable”, has amassed 1.9 billion views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, British singer-songwriter Jorja Smith combines R&B, soul and jazz influences, drawing inspiration from her Jamaican heritage and classical music training.
Her career gained momentum a decade ago following the release of “Blue Lights”, after which she released several tracks ranging from soulful, intimate records to more dance-oriented songs.
Announcing the performances, Groupe L’Equipe, the organisation behind the ceremony, said in a statement sent to AFP that the evening would feature the singers’ “exclusive performances”, alongside other surprises.
The group owns France Football magazine, which has presented the Ballon d’Or award since 1956.
The winners are determined through votes cast by a panel of journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings.
At the 2025 edition, France international Ousmane Dembele won the men’s award, while Spain’s Aitana Bonmati claimed the women’s prize.
This year’s ceremony will be broadcast on sports streaming platform DAZN and France’s L’Equipe TV channel.
Former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry will co-host the event alongside sports journalist Kate Scott.
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli was among the performers at the 2022 ceremony.
Reflecting on last year’s event, Quebec-born Cardin disclosed that she had felt uncomfortable during her performance, describing the experience as a “moment of great solitude” as she sang alone with limited lighting and stage effects.