DJ Awards 2025 Ibiza Season Closes with a Fan-Driven Bang

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 honoured alongside fresh voices pushing scenes forward. Kerri Chandler took home the House prize while Solomun was named International DJ, career-defining figures rubbing shoulders with breakthrough and newcomer winners — Franky Rizardo (Breakthrough) and Olive F (Newcomer) — who represent 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; MINA 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 Year, pointing to how digital platforms continue to expand electronic music’s reach. The night also paid tribute to Ibiza’s cultural stewards: Alfredo was posthumously awarded Ibiza Icon, and 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 Grant, owner of the DJ Awards, captured the sentiment succinctly:

“These accolades come directly from the public’s independent votes, honouring the DJs who’ve genuinely moved the people and dance floors this year.”

Highlights at a glance included crowd-favoured choices — RÜFÜS DU SOL for Live Act, Chase & Status for Drum & Bass, and Joseph Capriati for Tech-House — alongside festival and local accolades: UNUM Festival (Global Festival Award), Soundstorm Festival (MENA spotlight), and Solid Grooves (Ibiza Party of the Summer). Toman’s “Verano En NY” was crowned Ibiza Track of the Summer, a 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.

 

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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

Grand Jury Industry Awards

DJ Awards

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