1. Nolwenn Leroy was appointed an Officer of the Order of the Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture in 2021.
26 Facts About Nolwenn Leroy
1. 2.
Nolwenn Leroy's parents left Saint-Renan when she was four years old.
3.
Nolwenn Leroy's mother divorced from her father, professional footballer Jean-Luc Le Magueresse, in 1993.
4.
When Nolwenn Leroy was eleven, her music teacher noticed her musical talents and encouraged her to learn the violin.
5.
In July 1998, Nolwenn Leroy was awarded a scholarship by the Vichy Rotary Club to travel to Hamilton, Ohio, United States, as an exchange student.
6.
Nolwenn Leroy subsequently joined Altai's singing classes in Paris for over six months.
7.
In 2002, Nolwenn Leroy was selected for the second season of Star Academy, but she was given the part of Scarlett O'Hara in the French stage musical Autant en emporte le vent by Gerard Presgurvic.
8.
Nolwenn Leroy went on her first solo tour in France, Belgium and Switzerland in late 2003 to promote songs from the album.
9.
Music videos were made for both songs; the video for "Histoire Naturelle" expressed the main theme of the album with Nolwenn Leroy being portrayed as natural history museum exhibits.
10.
Nolwenn Leroy released a fourth studio album, Bretonne, on 6 December 2010.
11.
The American version of the album, retitled Nolwenn Leroy, was released on 8 January 2013 with a different track listing.
12.
In 2013, Nolwenn Leroy toured France, Belgium and Switzerland in support of the album.
13.
On 3 May 2014, Nolwenn Leroy performed the Breton anthem "Bro Gozh ma Zadou" at the Stade de France before 80,000 spectators, for the 2014 Coupe de France Final opposing two Breton clubs, the Stade Rennais to EA Guingamp.
14.
In November 2015, Nolwenn Leroy announced that she would perform at Celtic Connections in Glasgow's City Halls on 30 January 2016, along with Karen Matheson.
15.
On 13 May 2017, Nolwenn Leroy released "Gemme", the eponymous lead single from her sixth studio album Gemme produced in London by Jamie Ellis.
16.
In March 2018, Nolwenn Leroy embarked on the 55-date Gemme Tour through France, Belgium and Switzerland.
17.
On 2 November 2018, Nolwenn Leroy released a seventh album titled Folk, produced by Clement Ducol.
18.
In March 2019, Nolwenn Leroy embarked on the Folk Tour through France and Belgium.
19.
On 2 July 2021, Nolwenn Leroy released the lead single "Bresil, Finistere" from her eighth studio album La Cavale.
20.
In January 2022, it was announced that Nolwenn Leroy would join The Voice France as a surprise comeback stage coach for its eleventh season.
21.
Nolwenn Leroy's music was studied for its neurological impact in geriatric populations.
22.
Researchers found that Leroy's recordings might have a more beneficial effect than other music, noting that: "the music of Nolwenn Leroy was found to be significantly superior to other music tested".
23.
Mozart and Dutch and French singers were tested; only Mozart and Nolwenn Leroy's music were specified.
24.
In 2011, Nolwenn Leroy appeared in two television commercials for the Nintendo 3DS and she became the face of Pantene for France and Belgium.
25.
Nolwenn Leroy showed her horse riding and jumping skills on unfamiliar horses a couple of times for French TV shows broadcast on France 2, including the 50th Gala de l'Union des Artistes charity in 2011, alongside Alexis Gruss.
26.
The main belt asteroid 353232 Nolwenn was named after Leroy.