As the dust settles on our 10th annual Awards one thing is clear: Our scene is home to some of the most talented, passionate and dedicated individuals in the music industry. Fact.
From the fans, to the beat makers crafting away in their studios, to the promoters, videographers, designers, label managers and those running things behind the scenes and going grey prematurely… Each year we’re reminded of this when we get together to raise a toast to the scene and reflect on another huge year in music, and last night was certainly no exception…
We unveiled a new-look Awards for our 10th year, focussed primarily on providing the vibiest live stream possible and giving the global D&B community the best seat in the house; all made possible by the lovely folks at YouTube Space London, who let us raid the building along with the top 5 nominees in each category and their guests. Hosted by Jenna G and our resident Dave in the jungle cave, we got to see some background info around the awards, post-win interviews, some straight-up schooling and facts about the year in D&B, a live performance from the incredibly talented Becca Jane Grey, and even some real-time comments from those tuning in around the world.
As for the results, we saw a healthy cross-section of tastes represented from all around the world. Biggest winners of the night were Inja, who won Best MC and Vocalist, Mefjus who took home the Best Producer and Best Album accolade, and Hospital who claimed the title of Best Label once again, as well as Hospitality for Best Club Night.
We also saw Benny L crowned Best Newcomer, clearly moved as he thanked the likes of Shimon, Randall and more for their support and urged others to never give up on their dreams; Souped Up took the Best New Label title, with Serum and label manager Benny V in attendance, and Unglued claimed the title of Best Remix for his re-work of High Contrast’s If We Ever, one of the summer’s biggest tunes.
Always a bittersweet affair, we also paid tribute to the souls we lost this year; OG Virus MC Basim, Billy Denial, and original rave pioneer Tango. Stormin’ MC’s wife Kat joined us on stage for a few words, and we welcomed the legendary Spirit to our Hall Of Fame with a moving tribute onscreen featuring some touching quotes from the likes of Digital, Total Science, Paradox and more.
This year was all about switching things up, so we opened the Hall of Fame award to another foundation OG; a man who’s been the pinnacle of MC culture for over 20 years – the iconic MC GQ.
Critics’ Choice was awarded to half-time pioneer Amit for his contribution to the scene throughout his career, which spans over 20 years! Salute to a true foundation hero!
The Awards wouldn’t be complete without some good old-fashioned backlash online from people unhappy with some of the results, but this year truly saw a healthy cross-section of sub-genres repped, established names as well as fresh talent coupled with some certified OGs in the mix. As Mefjus aptly said in his acceptance speech (aimed at those getting nasty about the recent Spotify debate), stop bitching and make some better snares…
Love and respect to all who voted, and of course to all those talented, passionate and dedicated individuals who drive our scene forward every year and keep giving us goosebumps on the regs with their music, their words, their labels, their events, their videos and their art. Thank you for inspiring us and for keeping us on a positive flex all year-round!
Awards aren’t to everyone’s taste, but as we say every year it’s about reflecting on another big year in music, respecting the figures keeping this scene thriving, and patting each other on the back, as this music game ain’t always easy.
Well done guys, it’s been a special year all-round.
Here’s the top 5 from each category, as voted by you…
BEST PRODUCER
Mefjus
Hybrid Minds
Alix Perez
Dimension
Serum
BEST DJ
Andy C
A.M.C
S.P.Y
Kings Of The Rollers
Randall
BEST MC
Inja
DRS
SP:MC
Eksman
Harry Shotta
BEST NEW LABEL
Souped Up Records
The North Quarter
High Tea Music
Sofa Sound
Drum Army
BEST NEWCOMER
Benny L
Unglued
Monty
Degs
K-Motionz
BEST VOCALIST
Inja
DRS
Charlotte Haining
Degs
Charli Brix
BEST CLUB NIGHT
Hospitality
Rampage
FABRICLIVE
Liquicity
Critical Sound
BEST ALBUM
Manifest – Mefjus
Shelflife 5 – Calibre
Connections – Friction
The Evolution – K-Motionz
Enjoy This Trip – Skeptical
BEST FESTIVAL
Let It Roll
Boomtown
Sun & Bass
Liquicity Festival
Hospitality In The Park
BEST LABEL
Hospital Records
Critical Music
RAM Records
Eatbrain
Low Down Deep Recordings
BEST TRACK
Desire – Sub Focus & Dimension
The Sirens – Mefjus
Bunker – Culture Shock
Untitled Horn – SpectraSoul
Retreat2018 – Chase & Status Feat. Cutty Ranks
BEST REMIX
If We Ever (Unglued Remix) – High Contrast
Hold Your Colour (Noisia Remix) – Pendulum
Burst (Calibre Remix) – SpectraSoul Feat. Dan Moss
Right Here, Right Now (Friction & Killer Hertz Remix) – Fatboy Slim
Black Or White (Signal Remix) – Camo & Krooked Feat. Tasha Baxter
BEST VIDEO
Retreat2018 – Chase & Status Feat. Cutty Ranks
She Just Wanna Dance – Inja & Whiney
Intravenous – Calyx & TeeBee
Paint By Numbers – Hybrid Minds Feat. Charlotte Haining
The Hurt – Redeyes Feat. DRS
Drum&BassArena:
Join the family
Spotify
YouTube
SoundCloud
Mixcloud
Facebook
Twitter
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter