DJ Mag Reveals Top 100 Djs Poll 2016 Results

DJ Mag has revealed the results of the Top 100 DJs Poll 2016… and the world’s biggest publicly voted music poll has a new winner, Martin Garrix. The 20-year-old Dutch superstar is the youngest ever No.1 DJ, and takes the coveted top spot from 2015 winners, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.

Martin Garrix was awarded the No.1 trophy by his mentor, Tiesto, on stage at the Top 100 DJs Poll Awards Party at the famous Heineken Music Hall. The event was the opening party in this year’s AMF, the largest festival of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). The award caps a meteoric rise for Garrix over the past few years — ever since ‘Animals’ shot to No.1 in many countries around the world in 2013. He was odds-on favourite to win in 2016, after coming in at No.3 in 2015. Now one of the world’s biggest young music stars, he’s just as at home producing more underground styles of electronic dance music — and has set up some aliases in order to do so.

On receiving the award, Martin Garrix said: “It feels unreal to have won. I 100% did not expect it at all. I’ve had an amazing year, with awesome shows and amazing fans — I’m so thankful for their support. I didn’t even do a campaign, and it just shows how dope the fan-base is.”

As part of the extended awards ceremony at the Heineken Music Hall, thousands of dance music fans also witnessed performances from the Highest Live Act (KSHMR), Highest Ranked Female DJ (Nervo), Highest House DJ (Oliver Heldens), Highest Climber (Swanky Tunes), and the Highest Hard DJ (Angerfist).

This year, votes in the Top 100 DJs Poll exceeded 1 million for the first time ever, with dance music fans taking part from almost every country on the planet. The most votes came from the US, followed by India, Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Russia, China, Japan and beyond.

For 2016, the voting platform was opened up to more territories, reflecting the new frontiers of international club culture. The app was translated into Russian, Chinese (simplified) and Japanese, in addition to seven other global languages. Voters in China were able to use Weibo – one of China’s biggest social media platforms.

There are 13 new entries and 6 re-entries. Last year’s winners, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, slip down to No.2. Hardwell also drops one place, to No.3, while the Top 10 remains largely unchanged — Armin van Buuren (No.4), Tiesto (5) and David Guetta (6) all keep the same positions as 2015. Avicii drops down to No.11, with Oliver Heldens jumping into the Top 10 from last year’s No.12  — making him the Highest House DJ. Skrillex stays at No.9 for the third year in a row, and Afrojack stays in the Top 10.

In the next ten, last year’s highest new entry KSHMR is up 11 to No.12 and Don Diablo is up 15 places to No.15 — his continued rise earning him the new Audi #Untaggable Award. Ummet Ozcan is up 17 to No.19, while just outside at No.22 — up 10 places — is DJ Snake. Calvin Harris, despite still being one of the highest earners, falls three places to No.14, while DVBBS, Diplo and Blasterjaxx slide out of the Top 20.

The highest ‘new’ name in this year’s chart is The Chainsmokers, who’ve re-entered the Poll. After breaking into it due to the success of their ‘#Selfie’ track a couple of years ago, they slid out into the next 50 last year but wham back in — into the top twenty — this time around, largely thanks to a repositioning of their sound.

The Highest New Entry is Marshmello. One place above him is Swanky Tunes — this year’s Highest Climbers. Other acts who’ve notably climbed many, many places up the chart include Quintino (up 48), Galantis (up 59), MaRLo (up 42) and Robin Schulz (up 30). The only other new entry in the top 50 is Florian Picasso, a relative of the famous artist Pablo, although Brazil’s Vintage Culture and Lost Stories from India are just outside. The latter join DJ Chetas, up 26 places to No.33, as representatives from India, one of electronic dance music’s most exciting new frontiers.

Re-entries into the Top 100 DJs Poll include Russian trance DJs, Bobina and DJ Feel; psy-trance Israelis, Infected Mushroom; Brazilian electro duo Felguk; and French house veteran Martin Solveig. In the world of hard dance, Angerfist is down eight places, but at No.46 is still the Highest Hard DJ. Armin van Buuren is still the Highest Trance DJ.

Female DJs are under-represented again this year. Only two female acts are in the chart — Aussie sisters Nervo are down 21 places, but Miss K8 from the Ukraine is up six to No.88. There’s only one drum & bass act in the Top 100 now — Netsky at No.85.

During the voting process, DJ Mag asked all voters their reasons for voting for the DJs they chose. The top answer was Music Style (36%), with 28% opting for DJ Skill and 24% for Production Ability. Only 3% suggested they voted for a DJ because of their popularity, and only 6% due to showmanship. This suggests that it’s not about who is famous or who performs various ‘antics’ behind the decks, but it’s the music and the way sets are put together, and shows the importance of production in helping a DJ/producer to break into the big-time.

In DJ Mag’s special Top 100 DJs Poll issue, the DJ Mag team has set out the 2016 chart in full and profile all of the DJs who appear. In terms of the set questions DJ Mag put to all the Top 100 DJs, there were responses about reducing drugs deaths at festivals, with many DJs suggesting that pill-testing stations should be introduced.

For the first time, DJ Mag has extrapolated data from the full Poll results to create a more ‘underground’ chart from the data — the Top 50 tech-leaning DJs (see below). All but Carl Cox aren’t in the Top 100 itself, and most didn’t campaign for the Poll, but it makes for fascinating reading. The magazine will be rolling out more of these genre polls as the Top 100 develops over the coming years.

The UK’s Top 100 DJs party returns to the O2 Academy Brixton on Saturday 22nd October, presenting the biggest indoor showcase of electronic music in the British capital. Some of the biggest artists in the world will hit the stage at one of London’s premiere venues for a night of explosive dance music. This is one of the most highly anticipated events in the UK’s clubbing calendar and this year is no exception.

The line-up for 2016 includes international Top 100 DJ superstars Armin van Buuren, Gouryella, Markus Schulz, W&W, Marlo, Tenishia, Tom Swoon, and Gavyn Mytchel. They’ll be joined by 4500 clubbers in the Academy’s glorious main room from 9pm until late.

www.djmag.com

TOP 100 DJS POLL 2016 – THE FULL RESULTS

1. MARTIN GARRIX – UP 2
2. DIMITRI VEGAS & LIKE MIKE – DOWN 1
3. HARDWELL – DOWN 1
4. ARMIN VAN BUUREN – NON-MOVER
5. TIESTO – NON-MOVER
6. DAVID GUETTA – NON-MOVER
7. STEVE AOKI – UP 3
8. OLIVER HELDENS – UP 4
9. SKRILLEX – NON-MOVER
10. AFROJACK – DOWN 2
11. AVICII – DOWN 4
12. KSHMR – UP 11
13. W&W – UP 1
14. CALVIN HARRIS – DOWN 3
15. DON DIABLO – UP 15
16. AXWELL INGROSSO – UP 1
17. DASH BERLIN – DOWN 2
18. THE CHAINSMOKERS – RE-ENTRY
19. UMMET OZEAN – UP 17
20. ALESSO – DOWN 7
21. R3HAB – NON-MOVER
22. DJ SNAKE – UP 10
23. DIPLO – DOWN 3
24. DVBBS – DOWN 8
25. ALOK – UP 19
26. KYGO – UP 7
27. SWANKY TUNES – UP 70 – HIGHEST CLIMBER
28. MARSHMELLO  – HIGHEST NEW ENTRY
29. NICKY ROMERO – DOWN 11
30. STEVE ANGELLO – UP 1
31. DEADMAU5 – DOWN 6
32. QUINTINO – UP 48
33. DJ CHETAS – UP 26
34. BASSJACKERS – UP 5
35. ZEDD – DOWN 13
36. HEADHUNTERZ – UP 12
37. VINAI – UP 6
38. FLORIAN PICASSO – NEW ENTRY
39. GALANTIS – UP 59
40. JACK U – UP 5
41. ALY & FILA – UP 1
42. SHOGUN – UP 5
43. BLASTERJAXX – DOWN 27
44. MAJOR LAZER –  UP 10
45. NERVO – DOWN 21
46. ANGERFIST – DOWN 8
47. ABOVE & BEYOND – DOWN 18
48. YELLOW CLAW – UP 26
49. MARLO – UP 42
50. FEDDE LE GRAND – DOWN 15
51. DJ KURA – UP 10
52. LOST STORIES – NEW ENTRY
53. DEORRO – DOWN 25
54. VINTAGE CULTURE – NEW ENTRY
55. ALAN WALKER – NEW ENTRY
56. TOM SWOON – DOWN 10
57. COONE – DOWN 8
58. DIEGO MIRANDA – NON-MOVER
59. BRENNAN HEART – DOWN 6
60. PAUL VAN DYK – DOWN 19
61. ATB – UP 21
62. YVES V – DOWN 28
63. WOLFPACK – DOWN 11
64. DILLON FRANCIS  – UP 3
65. ANDREW RAYEL  – DOWN 25
66. ERIC PRYDZ – DOWN 9
67. FELGUK – RE-ENTRY
68. RADICAL REDEMPTION  – UP 4
69. ROBIN SCHULZ – UP 30
70. DANNIC – DOWN 44
71. DA TWEEKAZ – UP 8
72. DAFT PUNK – DOWN 3
73. WILL SPARKS – UP 5
74. CARL COX – DOWN 11
75. TIMMY TRUMPET – NEW ENTRY
76. BORGORE – DOWN 8
77. FIREBEATZ – DOWN 11
78. TUJAMO – UP 17
79. LAIDBACK LUKE – DOWN 15
80. MARKUS SCHULZ – DOWN 24
81. VICETONE – DOWN 31
82. MARTIN JENSEN – NEW ENTRY
83. JAUZ – NEW ENTRY
84. CARNAGE – UP 4
85. NETSKY – DOWN 10
86. CARL NUNES – NEW ENTRY
87. SAM FELDT – NEW ENTRY
88. MISS K8 – UP 6
89. JAY HARDWAY – NEW ENTRY
90. PORTER ROBINSON – DOWN 35
91. BOBINA – RE-ENTRY
92. ZATOX – DOWN 5
93. DYRO – DOWN 66
94. FLUME – NEW ENTRY
95. INFECTED MUSHROOM – RE-ENTRY
96. SHOWTEK – DOWN 59
97. DADDY’S GROOVE – NEW ENTRY
98. MARTIN SOLVEIG – RE-ENTRY
99. FERRY CORSTEN – DOWN 14
100. DJ FEEL – RE-ENTRY

TOP 50 TECH-LEANING DJs

1. CARL COX
2. RICHIE HAWTIN
3. UMEK
4. PAUL KALKBRENNER
5. SOLOMUN
6. MACEO PLEX
7. SASHA
8. SVEN VATH
9. JEFF MILLS
10. JAMIE JONES
11. JORIS VOORN
12. CARL CRAIG
13. GUY J
14. DANNY HOWELLS
15. MARCO CAROLA
16. SEBO K
17. ADAM BEYER
18. GUI BORATTO
19. HANNAH WANTS
20. JOHN DIGWEED
21. HERNAN CATTANEO
22. DUBFIRE
23. NINA KRAVIZ
24. JOSEPH CAPRIATI
25. STEVE LAWLER
26. CHRIS LIEBING
27. RICARDO VILLALOBOS
28. BEN KLOCK
29. PETE TONG
30. JAMES HOLDEN
31. KOLSCH
32. MARTINEZ BROTHERS
33. SETH TROXLER
34. LOCO DICE
35. NICOLE MOUDABER
36. LEN FAKI
37. TALE OF US
38. PAN POT
39. GREEN VELVET
40. JAMES ZABIELA
41. STEPHAN BODZIN
42. GESAFFELSTEIN
43. MAYA JANE COLES
44. DAVE CLARKE
45. SKREAM
46. PACO OSUNA
47. JAMIE XX
48. LAURENT GARNIER
49. SAM PAGANINI
50. ILARIO ALICANTE