The DJ Awards 2025 returned to Ibiza last night, transforming ROTO Club into a vibrant celebration of global electronic music talent, uniting artists, fans, and industry figures for one of the island’s most anticipated end-of-season events.
ROTO Club in Ibiza Town — The island’s late-season heat isn’t just meteorological — it’s musical. Last night the 24th edition of the DJ Awards returned to ROTO Club for an intimate, fiercely independent ceremony that felt equal parts homecoming and declaration: these prizes belong to the public, and the crowd made that clear. With partners including YouTube, Skiddle and Suntory On board, the event blended industry recognition with fan-powered wins and a tangible spirit of community.
What made 2025’s show stand out was its dual focus: established architects of dance music were honored alongside fresh voices pushing scenes forward. Kerri Chandler took home the House prize while Solomun was named International DJcareer-defining figures rubbing shoulders with breakthrough and newcomer winners — Franky Rizardo (Breakthrough) and Olive F (Newcomer) — who represents the next wave of global dancefloor influence. Garage/Bassline‘s winner Girls Don’t Sync signal how club culture’s newer, nimble collectives are commanding real attention.
The ceremony also reflected the DJ Awards‘ ongoing evolution. Newly introduced categories such as Balearic and Hard Dance/Bounce acknowledge emerging movements; MINE claimed the Balearic crown, and Hannah Laing won Hard Dance/Bounce. From Amelie Lens taking Hard Techno to Marco Faraone‘s Techno win, the roster read like a map of today’s most active scenes — from trance (KI/KI) to progressive/melodic house (Miss Monique) and Latin house (Hugel).
Industry recognition kept pace with the public vote. CEO and founder figures were celebrated — Yann Pissenem was named Industry Executive of the Year and Simon Dunmore received the Lifetime Achievement Award —while Boiler Room‘s Yousuke Yukimatsu won DJ Livestream of the Yearpointing to how digital platforms continue to expand electronic music’s reach. The night also paid tribute to Ibiza’s cultural stewards: Alfred was posthumously awarded Ibiza Iconand IbizaPreservation received the Play It Back — Social Impact Award.
Beyond trophies, the ceremony carried a philanthropic note. In response to the recent floods on the island, a portion of proceeds was pledged to the Spanish Red Cross (Creu Roja), underlining a commitment to the community that hosts the global club calendar each summer. Andy Grantowner of the DJ Awardscaptured the sentiment succinctly:
“These accolades come directly from the public’s independent votes, honoring the DJs who’ve genuinely moved the people and dance floors this year.”
Highlights at a glance included crowd-favored choices — RÜFÜS DU SOL for Live Act, Chase & Status for Drum & Bassand Joseph Capriati for Tech-House — alongside festival and local events: UNUM Festival (Global Festival Award), Soundstorm Festival (MENA spotlight), and Solid Grooves (Ibiza Party of the Summer). They take‘s “Summer in NY“was crowned Ibiza Track of the Summera seasonal earworm that clearly resonated.
What the DJ Awards 2025 showed is that credibility in dance music still hinges on two things: the crowd and the craft. This year’s ceremony felt less like an industry closed-room and more like a communal moment — a season’s send-off where artists, bookers and fans celebrated the sounds that defined months of nights across the globe. As the Ibiza season fades into memory, the awards captured who moved the floors, who inspired the playlists, and who will likely headline next year’s conversations.
After thousands of public votes across a range of genres, the winners of the 2025 publicly voted, genre-specific categories were:
Publicly Voted Genre Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| AFRO | Kitty Love |
| BALEARIC | MINE |
| BREAKTHROUGH | Franky Rizardo |
| DRUM & BASS | Chase & Status |
| GARAGE / BASSLINE | Girls Don’t Sync |
| HARD DANCE / BOUNCE | Hannah Laing |
| HARD TECHNO | Amelie Lens |
| HOUSE | Kerri Chandler |
| LATIN HOUSE | Hugel |
| LIVE ACT | RÜFÜS DU SOL |
| NEWCOMER | Olive F |
| PROGRESSIVE / MELODIC HOUSE | Miss Monique |
| TECH HOUSE | Joseph Capriati |
| TECHNO | Marco Faraone |
| TRANCE | KI/KI |
| INTERNATIONAL DJ | Solomun |
Grand Jury Industry Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Industry Executive of the Year | Yann Pissenem |
| DJ Livestream of the Year | Yousuke Yukimatsu – Boiler Room |
| Global Festival Award | UNUM Festival, Albania |
| Spotlight Region: MENA | Soundstorm Festival |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Simon Dunmore |
| Play It Back – Social Impact Award | IbizaPreservation |
| What’s Hot Global | [UNVRS] |
| Ibiza Icon | Alfredo (Posthumously Awarded) |
| Ibiza Party of the Summer | Solid Grooves |
| Ibiza Track of the Summer | Tom – Summer In NY |
DJ Awards
