Electronic Music Awards & Foundation Announces Candidates For Inaugural Edition

After five years of electronic music artists, events and venues edging their way into the mainstream spotlight, the electronic music community can finally boast an awards show of their own. The annual Electronic Music Awards & Foundation will debut on April 23rd and will be broadcasted exclusively on FOX.

Unlike DJ-specific competitions like Tiësto and 7up’s Your Shot USA or Red Bull Thre3style, Electronic Music Awards & Foundation (EMAF) will select winners of categories such as “Best Club of the Year,” “Festival of the Year,” and “Radio show of the year.” Among the artists to place in the more artist-relevant categories are Jauz and Kygo in “Best New Artist” and Disclosure’s Caracal in “Album of the Year.”

While no official statements make any mention of relationships which could lead to the EMAF organizers’ potential bias, subtle clues point to Insomniac Events tastemakers playing a substantial role in the selection process – such as Jason Bentley’s L.A.-based radio show being nominated alongside more globally recognized brands like Diplo and Friends. Until the awards ceremony itself takes place, though, it will be hard to determine how heavily such bias weighs on the final decisions.

No additional information regarding the exact time or place of the inaugural edition of the Electronic Music Awards & Foundation has been revealed, but as festival season approachesm the awards ceremony’s organizers are sure to make it available to the general public.

In the meantime, the categories and nominees are as follows:

Single of the Year

Calvin Harris & Disciples – How Deep is Your Love

The Chainsmokers – Roses (feat. ROZES)

Galantis – Runaway (U & I)

Kygo – Stole the Show (feat. Parson James)

Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On (feat. MØ)

Album of the Year  

Alina Baraz & Galimatias – Urban Flora

Calvin Harris – Motion

Disclosure – Caracal

Galantis – Pharmacy

Jamie xx – In Colour

Radio Show of the Year

BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix

BPM with Geronimo – Sirius XM

Danny Howard – BBC Radio 1’s Dance Anthems

Diplo and Friends – BBC Radio 1Xtra

Jason Bentley – Morning Becomes Eclectic – KCRW

Festival of the Year

Creamfields – Daresbury, England

Electric Daisy Carnival – Las Vegas, USA

Sonar – Barcelona, Spain

The BPM Festival – Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Ultra Music Festival – Miami, USA

DJ of the Year

Carl Cox

Diplo

Dixon

DJ Harvey

Skrillex

Best New Artist

Bob Moses

DJ Snake

Jauz

KSHMR

Kygo

Best Club of the Year

Amnesia

Fabric

Omnia

Sound LA

Zouk