ABOUT DJ AWARDS
Founded by renowned Ibiza organiser Jose Pascual and well know DJ, producer and record label owner, Lenny Krarup, DJ Awards is an independent non profit electronic music awards and has been the only one of its kind since 1998.
DJ Awards is a celebration of the electronic music scene and aims to recognise and honour DJs and individuals who have influenced electronic dance music worldwide.
Held annually in Ibiza at the end of the summer season, DJ Awards has retained the same ethos since its conception. The fundamental philosophy is not that of a competition, as we are dealing with an art form whose merits are purely subjective and therefore there is no best. Rather DJ Awards seeks to shine a light on key talents in the industry.
HOW ARE THE WINNERS CHOSEN
There are two ways. First, for the music categories these are voted for by the public they decide the winner. Winners are chosen by a public vote via the DJ Awards website.
Voting is launched on a selection on categories of nominees via social media networks and is supported by nominees through their social media networks and press. Voting remains open for a short period of time and attracts people from all around the globe who can vote for their chosen DJs from music genre categories as well as non musical categories such as Newcomer and Breakthrough.
There is also a number of Special Industry Awards that are chosen by the panel of electronic music professionals, these are presented to give recognition to those who make up the scene.Winners are invited to a ceremony which for the past 18 years has been the iconic Pacha Ibiza, where they are presented with their award. Past winners have included Armin Van Buuren, Black Coffee, Carl Cox, David Guetta, Diplo, Dixon, Frankie Knuckles, Hardwell, Jamie Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Luciano, Maceo Plex, Richie Hawtin, Skrillex, Solomun and Sven Väth while BPM, Crosstown Rebels, IMS, Native Instruments, Pioneer rekordbox, Tomorrowland and Soundcloud are among past recipients of Special Awards.
CATEGORIES & NOMINATIONS
One of the most asked question to the DJ Awards is “how do the categories and nominees take form each year”. Well, it´s a complicated process, and one that needs expert guidance. Our team works together with a panel of electronic dance music professionals, covering a diverse range of experience including people from key record labels, DJ management agencies, music media, promoters, venue owners, and DJs who all share our passion for electronic music. The panel is renewed each year to keep ideas fresh. There are 2 sets of categories; music and non music. The music categories reflect the vast spectre of electronic music. The non-music categories are groups that do not decide by which style of music e.g. Newcomer.
Compiling the list of nominees is a formidable task and it always hotly debated. With so many deserving artists it can be difficult to whittle down the selection and defining musical styles is never easy with blurred lines between genres. These days many DJs are now straddling multiple genres to an extent that most DJs can fit into at least 2 or 3 different categories.
A great deal of discussion and deliberation is involved in creating a list that we feel is representative of the scene at present. Not everyone will agree with our selection given the subjective nature of musical taste and if this sparks some healthy debate, then bring it on; this is after all the nature of the beast!
THE AWARD - KRYPTONITE
The DJ Awards, award is a piece of green kryptonite. The word kryptonite embodies Crypto (The code and mystery of life) and Nite (The nightlife and its culture).
This signifies the sense of adventure and the anticipation of what lies ahead as the sun begins to set and the children of the night spring to life. There is no better explanation for this than Hausman’s famous quote: “Life is not a riddle to be solved, but a mystery to be experienced”.
It is modelled on the famous rock in Ibiza “Es Vedra”.
