Chris Martin: "my French is like a broken car"

Picking up a gong at a foreign award ceremony when you can't speak the native tongue is a risky business. You have absolutely no idea why everyone keeps laughing and a high chance of saying something stupid during your acceptance speech.

While collecting Coldplay's 'd'honneur' at the NRJ Awards in Cannes, frontman Chris Martin, however, decided to risk more than most: he addressed the crowds in French.

According to the BBC, this is what he said:

"Ma Francais est comme voiture cassee."
Which could mean: "My French is like a broken car."

"Je voudrais dire a vous un grand merci."
Which means: "I want to say to you a big thanks."

And: "Desole je suis seul - mes amis sont sur la plage et mange la glace"
Meaning: "Sorry I'm on my own - my friends are at the beach and eat ice cream."

It's a typically English attempt at French, but in MusicRadar's opinion it's a bloody good effort: Très bien.

2009 NRJ Awards winners

Francophone revelation of the year: Zaho
International revelation of the year: Jonas Brothers
Francophone female artist of the year: Jenifer Bartoli
International female artist of the year: Britney Spears
Francophone male artist of the year: Christophe Maé
International male artist of the year: Enrique Iglesias
Francophone group/duo of the year: Cléopâtre
International group/duo of the year: The Pussycat Dolls
International song of the year: Rihanna - Disturbia
Francophone album of the year: Mylène Farmer - Point De Suture
International album of the year: Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
Francophone song of the year: Christophe Maé - Belle Demoiselle
Music video of the year: Britney Spears - Womanizer
NRJ award of honor: Coldplay

More Disturbia

Other show highlights included giving the award for single of the year to Katy Perry by mistake. It should have gone to Rihanna for Disturbia, so they made Miss Perry give it back. She probably didn't mind too much, though, because she won international album of the year for One Of The Boys a few minutes later. Phew.