The 31st Annual International Dance Music Awards just announced the winners, and the results are pretty shocking. While there are some well deserved wins, a handful of the names will make you scratch your head.
For starters, Justin Bieber’s name somehow ended up winning the Dubstep/Drum & Bass category with “Where Are Ü Now,” despite the fact that the track is neither dubstep nor drum & bass. Even more surprising is the fact that David Guetta won Best RAP/HIP-HOP/TRAP Dance Track with “Hey Mama” with Nicki Minaj and Afrojack. Infamous duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike snagged the top spot as Europe’s Best DJ’s, which I’m sure is a bit of a bold statement. Coming off his runner up position from DJ Mag’s polling is Hardwell, as the Best Global DJ. The Dutch superstar managed to take home 5 more awards this year, claiming spots for Best DJ Compilation, Best Progressive House/Electro DJ, Best Podcast/Radioshow DJ, Best Solo Artist, and Best Featured Vocalist Performance with his track “Mad World” with Jake Reese.
However, it’s not all bad, as Skrillex managed to make his way to the top as America’s Best DJ, an appropriate selection in my opinion as the man has been touring globally non-stop for quite some time now. Kygo’s “Stole The Show” won Best Lounge/Chillout Track and Major Lazer & DJ Snake’s “Lean On” won Best Commercial/Pop Dance Track, proper choices as both of these tracks individually racked up hundreds of millions of plays last year. And despite the fact that many seem disgruntled with Soundcloud, the company took home the award for Best Music App, proving there still is no substitute for the iconic platform.
Make of these awards what you will; the full list can be viewed HERE.