The first awards have been announced ahead of the DJ Awards 2024, the highly anticipated return of the once annual awards post-Covid.
Seven industry awards have been selected by the DJ Awards expert panel. Included are recognitions for Luciano, David Guetta and Keinemusik.
The 23rd edition of the DJ Awards will take place on 2 October at Chinois in Ibiza hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter Jaguar. Run consecutively after its founding in 1998, the DJ Awards have celebrated the top names and most exciting upcoming talent in the industry, and have been dubbed the “Oscars for electronic dance music.”
On hiatus since the 22nd edition in 2019, the first industry awards for the once-annual ceremony have now been released. The first is an Ibiza Icon award for Luciano.
Awarded to someone who has “over a long time, made a profound impact on the scene in Ibiza”, Luciano is a natural recipient. The 46-year-old Swiss and Chilean DJ is a five-time DJ Awards winner and has been a mainstay figure on the Ibiza scene for over a decade, DJing in prisons, public schools and using his parties at Ushuaïa and Pacha to platform on the roster of Cadenza, his label.
Ibiza Party of the Summer goes to David Guetta’s ‘F*** Me I’m Famous’ at Ushuaïa and ‘Future Rave’ at Hï Ibiza. Guetta is a legendary figure on the scene at this point, and using last season to run two parties that were both beloved as a throwback to old school Ibiza productions was a welcome addition.
‘Move feat. Malachiii’ by Adam Port and Stryv was crowned as the Ibiza Track of the Summer. No song has been as ubiquitous on the White Isle as the collaboration between the German DJ Adam Port and American producer Stryv released through the Keinemusik label. The Afrobeats infused track’s inveigled its way into dancefloors and bars through Malachiii’s sumptuous vocals and the relaxed melodic house beat.
Speaking of Keinemusik, the label wins What’s Hot Global. The new category for 2024 recognises the work taken to grow from its origins in 2009 to one of the major forces in electronic music, exemplified by artists Adam Port, &ME, Rampa, and the release of ‘Move’ this year.
Recognising the electronic scene outside of Ibiza, best Global Festival went to Defected Croatia. Tisno, Croatia’s three-day festival in 2024 featured a broad selection of DJs from Honey Dijon to Nightmares on Wax, to an audience “ diverse in terms of age, gender and sexuality”.
Michael Bibi’s One Life Campaign is the recipient of the Play It Back Award. The London DJ recovered from central nervous system lymphoma and used his battle with brain cancer as inspiration for fundraising events, such as a Finsbury Park takeover that raised £124,832 (€148,283) for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, as well as setting up a stem cell transplant charity at a gig.
Finally, the DJ Awards have a new annual award that selects a territory and then recognises a unique club. The Eye on… award has selected the USA for its incipient year as the birthplace of house music and highlighted Gospel New York, the club from James Huddleston and Juriel Zeligman that celebrates the origins and future of the house scene.
The final 13 awards will be announced a the DJ Awards ceremony on 2 October. Included in these 13 awards is Dance Floor Moment, an open award for the public to nominate their own clips of the best moment from the past year by tagging them @thedjawards with the hashtag #DANCEFLOORMEMORY. There is also planned to be a surprise award announced on the night.
The full list of nominees are as follows:
International DJ Of The Year 2024:
- Calvin Harris
- David Guetta
- Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
- Fisher
- Martin Garrix
- Peggy Gou
- Swedish House Mafia
House:
- Gorgon City
- Honey Dijon
- Kerri Chandler
- Sam Divine
- Seth Troxler
- SYREETA
- TSHA
Trance:
- Armin van Buuren
- Astrix
- Dash Berlin
- Infected Mushroom
- Paul Van Dyk
- Tiësto
- Vini Vici
Techno:
- Amelie Lens
- Charlotte de Witte
- Indira Paganotto
- Paco Osuna
- Nico Moreno
- Sara Landry
- Sven Väth
Progressive House:
- ARTBAT
- CamelPhat
- Cristoph
- Eli & Fur
- Eric Prydz
- Franky Wah
- Hernán Cattáneo
- Tale Of Us.
Organic House:
- Bedouin
- BLOND:ISH
- Jan Blomqvist
- Monolink
- Patrice Bäumel
- Robag Wruhme
- WhoMadeWho
Tech House:
- Jamie Jones
- Joseph Capriati
- Marco Carola
- The Martinez Brothers
- Michael Bibi
- Mochakk
- PAWSA
- Solomun
- Vintage Culture
Afro:
- Black Coffee
- Francis Mercier
- Kelvin Momo
- KILIMANJARO
- Kitty Amor
- Major League DJz
- Pablo Fierro
- Themba
Live Act:
- Barry Can’t Swim
- Ben Böhmer
- Bicep
- Fred Again..
- Mathew Jonson
- Róisín Murphy
- RÜFÜS DU SOL
Drum & Bass:
- Bou
- Chase & Status
- Hedex
- Nia Archives
- Sub Focus
- Wilkinson
The RIOT Noise Breakthrough Artist:
- Archie Hamilton
- Ben Sterling
- Desiree
- Fleur Shore
- James Hype
- Miss Monique
- Sammy Virji
- Wade
