MTV EMAs

London hosted this year's edition of the MTV European Music Awards at the weekend, one of the biggest budget music award ceremonies on the continent.

The focus, being MTV, was firmly on the north American and UK music world, with three awards going to Canada's Shawn Mendes - Best Artist, Best Song and Best Fans. Kendrick Lamar  took best video award for Humble, and Dua Lipa the best breakthrough act.

Coldplay, 30 Seconds to Mars and Eminen picked up the best rock act, best alternative and best rap act awards.

However, the Best Electro award went to France's David Guetta, who performed a set in London's Trafalgar Square after U2, recipients of this year's  MTV EMA Global Icon Award,  played there.

Elsewhere the Best French Act award went to Amir, who picked up the award for the second year in a row.

French-born Amir originally competed in the Israeli version of the TV show Pop Idol in 2006, before eventually signing to a French label. He competed in The Voice: la plus belle voix in 2014/15, finishing third.

He went on to represent France in Eurovision in 2016, releasing his second album Au cœur de moi, a double platinum seller in France. This year his single États d'Amour was released in September, his new album Addictions released at the end of October.

Eurovision 2016: Amir - J'ai Cherché

The video for France's 2016 Eurovision Song Contest entry J'ai Cherché by Amir has emerged, in the run-up to this year's final in Stockholm in Sweden in May.

Amir Haddad was a finalist in season three of the French version of The Voice in  2014, part of team Jenifer. Previously he had taken part in an Israeli TV music competition, and released an album of work in Hebrew in 2011.

The song is an upbeat and positive number without resorting to the kind of novelty that Eurovision has become notorious for. It has of course an appropriately inoffensively uplifting video.

The song was co-written by Amir, and features some English lyrics, quite unusual for a French Eurovision entry.

France has of course had a mixed run of entries in Eurovision in recent years. Their last win was in 1977.

Last year France recieved only four points for the song N'Oubliez Pas by Lisa Angell, while in 2014 they finished last for the first time in France's Eurovision history with the track Moustache by Twin Twin, a song that picked up only two points.

2013's Amandine Bourgoise performance of L'enfer et Moi came in a 23rd,  while in 2012 Anggun's Echo (You and I) came 22nd.

France last reached the top ten in the final results with patricia Kaas in 2009 performing Et s'il fallait le faire.

Forty three contries are taking part this year, equalling the previous record number. A number of countries return after an absence, and Australia takes part again. France qualify straight to the final as the country is one of the five major contributors to the European Broadcasting Union.

The Eurovision Song Contest final takes place on May 14.