2020 needs less commiserations and more celebrations: Round 1 voting in this year’s Drum&BassArena Awards is now OPEN until 6PM October 23!
We’ve introduced 3 new categories this year: Best Live-Streamed Set, Best Podcast and Best Artwork will be replacing Best Festival and Best Video, and Best Club Night has been changed to Best Event to reflect the changing landscape of events this year, which have extended beyond nightclubs due to the global pandemic.
It’s been such a difficult year for our industry – and indeed the world – in more ways than one. The resilience and creativity our scene continues to display in the face of adversity is nothing short of remarkable, and Round 1 of the Awards is your opportunity to shout far and wide about the artists and crews who have moved you this past year.
Now, more than ever, we’ve all realised that we should never take things for granted. That simple moment exchanging a bass face on the dance floor. Snapping a sweaty, wide-eyed pic with your favourite DJ, or hurling a passionate “F*&k off!” across the booth when they drop a certified banger. None of us are sure when things will get back to how they were. Only one thing is certain: Now more than ever we need to be shouting about our favourite artists, our favourite tunes, our favourite mixes. In a year full of darkness, music has elevated the mood and given us something positive to focus on. The best music comes in times of adversity, and this year has been a true testament to that.
We’ve seen one of the most creative years in recent times. Artists taking the opportunity to try new sounds in the absence of regular club shows. Promoters doing their best to bring us events under strict restrictions, and artists taking their shows online, giving their global audiences exclusive access to sets more than ever before. At the heart of all of this is pure passion and love for the music and the scene as a whole, and it’s time to celebrate that.
With the UK government effectively turning their backs on creative industries and advising people to retrain, there’s never been a more poignant climate to celebrate our D&B heroes and let them know how much they mean to us.
You can vote for ANYONE in this round – votes in Round 1 will then determine the nominees in Round 2. We all know it’s fun to whinge about the results of the Awards, but it’s more fun to celebrate the artists and labels you love, and Round 1 is the perfect opportunity to do just that. Let them know what you’ve loved this past year – it means more to them than you realise.
If you’re sick of seeing the same names each year, this is your opportunity to highlight some new talent, and there’s been LOADS of it this year, so make some noise!!