Originally announced in January of 2016, as the Electronic Music Awards and Foundation Show, and set for broadcast on FOX, this seemed as large and legitimate as anyone could possibly hope. However in the following months the event was postponed for more than a year, renamed and relegated to a Twitter broadcast. The previously 7 categories have grown to 11, and the winners will be announced live September 21st starting at 7:47 PM PDT. So now let's take a look at those categories and their nominees. Note that I won't be making predictions today, but merely digging into the categories and nominations themselves. See the image below or find the direct link to the noms here.
As you can plainly see, the list of names here is absolutely packed with powerhouse producers, deserving DJs, and awesome artists. The organizers have done a good job of separating categories from Producer of the Year to DJ of the Year, and Live Act of the Year. However I wonder about the New Artist of the Year category, as arguably every act has been big since early 2016, if not before then. But since this is the first edition, I'll give them a little leeway in what new means.
Looking through this list it's clear that the same people who would argue that award shows are mainstream, could easily make that argument again here. There are no names that I'm unfamiliar with. It's absolutely jam packed with big names, but at least to their credit those big names come from all over the place. It's not just top 40 radio wannabes or techno titans. There's deep house, hip hop, electro and of course, what continues to be the style of the moment, future bass.
As always I wonder about how these names were chosen, and further how the winners will be decided. The official statement is that "nominees and winners are voted on by sixty-seven members who were selected to represent all aspects of the electronic music community, in a two-round voting process." But who selected these members? And how well are they balanced? Now, I don't mean to claim that there's collusion or foul play, I just always advocate for more transparency. And no matter what people will bitch and moan about this or that. The positive (and value of any award show) is to showcase worthy talent. Sure you can claim that some of these artists need no more showcasing, but their impact is undeniable, and ought to be recognized as such. Now back to those categories.
Album Of The Year
I could add a couple names (First Opus or Feel Infinite), but I've got no problem with any of these.
Single Of The Year
I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between a single and a record, but if I were to guess it'd be that singles are more radio friendly, whereas records are more for club play. Personally, I wouldn't purposefully press play on any of these tracks, but there's no denying their popularity.
Record Of The Year
I'm not sure why there's six nominees in the category above and only five here. Surely we could add one here, or subtract above. Like above, the names here are powerhouses, but more club focused.
Remix Of The Year
There's no doubt Ed Sheeran was made for remixing, but was "Shape Of You" really the best track for remixing this year? Also how does DJ Koze qualify for both this and Record Of The Year?
Festival Of The Year
How did no Toronto festivals make this list? (He wrote flippantly). But seriously, no nod for HARD? And how about Glastonbury or Bestival? Truthfully, this is a good list, but most categories have 6 or more nominees, so adding another one here wouldn't be that much of a stretch.
Producer Of The Year
Go on, try to make an argument for someone else, I'm listening... Oh, how about Diplo, Mura Masa or Calvin Harris (who I just noticed doesn't occur anywhere here). Sure, there could be more.
Club Of The Year
Sadly, I've never been to any of these venues so I can't really comment. Not a bad bucket list though...
Radio Show Of The Year
Among this list of trusted tastemakers I notice one glaring omission, "The World's Favourite Mixshow" BBC Radio One's The Essential Mix. Also surprised there's no nod for Zane Lowe or any of Beats 1.
New Artist Of The Year
I've got no qualms with this list, although I might add Ramzoid who is set to perform at the show. But he may be too new for their particular definition of new. Maybe you have to release an album first...
DJ Of The Year
Talk about a list of heavy hitters. Maybe you could add Mija (a judge of The Goldies), but with A-Trak on the list, it seems to me everyone else is an also ran, so why complicate things...
Live Act Of The Year
In my mind there are four acts that should've garnered a nomination. Surely Autograf, Keys N Krates, Lido and Mura Masa ought to be represented... Prydz is potent, but does he deserve both categories?
Okay, so now that you've seen my thoughts, I wonder what yours are. Let me know here, or via Twitter @OggieJames. I'll also be posting my predictions in the coming weeks, as the hype machine churns ahead towards the 21st and the live broadcast, which includes performances from the following:
