les zapettes d or 2026 saw the public name Empathie the Grand prix ÇA M’ALLUME as the 18th edition of the gala handed out seven awards celebrating television moments, performances and characters.
Les Zapettes D Or 2026 — Winners and highlights
The 18th gala awarded seven prizes across categories recognizing comic impact, memorable characters, unexpected moments and culturally resonant work. Key winners and distinctions included:
- Grand prix ÇA M’ALLUME: Empathie
- Hero(ine) of the year: Suzanne Bien-Aimé (Florence Longpré) in Empathie
- Éclat de rire (Best comedic moment): the segment featuring “La souffrance pimentée de Mona de Grenoble” and her run in heels on Hot Ones Québec
- Détestable de l’année (Most detestable character): the father-son duo Laurent and Auguste Lamy (Emmanuel Bilodeau and Antoine Marchand-Gagnon) in STAT
- A noted silent moment: the silences of the Canadiens de Montréal players on Tout le monde en parle
- Performance of the year: Antoine Bertrand’s patriotic speech at the Fête nationale du Québec in Montréal
- Categories honoring a moving unplanned moment, a remarkable number that gave chills, and an episode or segment with demonstrable social usefulness were also presented among the seven awards
What happened on stage?
The gala opened with a Télépathie sketch that crossed the line between fiction and television reality, placing characters and personalities inside the psychiatric-hospital world of Empathie. Performers who appeared in that opening sketch included Guy Jodoin, Jean-Nicolas Verreault, Gabrielle Fontaine, Claude Poirier and Jean-Sébastien Girard. The sketch was cited as one of the evening’s standout moments.
Several presenters from different fields contributed to the ceremony: Olympic medallist Valérie Maltais presented the Performance of the Year trophy; Patrice Roy presented the Moment télé utile prize from his television studio; and chef Colombe St-Pierre presented the Moment croustillant award while on the set of a culinary program. The evening mixed scripted comedy, live presentation and recognition of both planned and spontaneous television moments.
Production notes and immediate aftermath
The gala was produced by the team behind C’est juste de la TV, with Anne-Marie Withenshaw as host alongside panelists Nathalie Petrowski, Alex Perron and Bryan Audet. Stéphane Rocheleau served as director. Mireille Blouin and Anne-Marie Withenshaw were credited as content producers, with Annie Bourdeau as producer; production was listed under URBANIA. Florence Longpré was singled out as a multiple-award recipient, taking home the Hero(ine) of the Year trophy for Suzanne Bien-Aimé and the evening’s Grand prix ÇA M’ALLUME for Empathie.
The ceremony included at least one surprise: the Détestable de l’année prize went to the STAT father-son duo Laurent and Auguste Lamy, a result that contrasted with expectations for another noted contender. The gala also served as the season finale for the presenting program; the show behind the gala is slated to return for another season.
Across all categories and onstage moments, les zapettes d or 2026 highlighted a mix of satire, high drama and culturally resonant television work that engaged the public and the creative teams honored at the ceremony.
