FEATURE: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike have been voted the World’s No.1 DJ for the second time

Amsterdam 19^th October 2019 – The results for 2019’s Top 100 DJs Poll are in and the winners have been announced. In a shakeup at the top, Belgian brothers and Tomorrowland residents, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike have been voted the World’s No.1 DJ for the second time, after previously winning the award back in 2015 and becoming the first duo to take the top spot.

 DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll provides a global perspective of the electronic music scene’s biggest names. During a three-year period of dominance by Dutch DJ/producer Martin Garrix, brothers Dimitri & Mike maintained constant pressure by holding down the #2 position before reclaiming their title as the World’s No.1 DJs in this year’s edition of the poll.

Year-on-year the global reach of the poll continues to grow. The voting tally for the 2019 campaign attracted more than 1.3 million votes from 179 countries, ensuring the Top 100 DJs poll continues to be the largest publicly voted music poll on the planet.

Receiving the award during Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike took to the stage at the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Awards ceremony in association with the Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF), an initiative of ALDA Events and ID&T, in front of 40,000 fans at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

Familiar with large-scale stadium shows and having traced these hallowed steps before, Dimitri & Mike marked this win as one of the sweetest victories in their esteemed careers: “Winning this award back in 2015 was incredible, truly mesmerizing, but this time around it means so much more because as artists, as a family, as a scene, we’ve grown so much and the journey since the last time we were here has taken us on to bigger and bolder projects. Having the fans with us every step of the way is amazing, so to once again be voted by them as their World No.1 DJs means everything to us!”

Over the last few years the award-winning brothers have left an historical mark on the electronic music scene at large. From their position as ambassadors of Tomorrowland, playing a part in the incredible rise of the Belgian event that saw 400,000 revellers celebrate Tomorrowland’s 15 anniversary, to their omnipresent position in music charts and streaming platforms. With an all-star line-up on one of the biggest songs of the summer, the platinum award-winning ‘Instagram’, with David Guetta and Afro Bros, saw the brothers work with two of the biggest reggaeton names in the world, Daddy Yankee and Natti Natasha and crushing charts worldwide. While previously working with artists like Wiz Khalifa, Gucci Mane, Diplo, Snoop Dogg Martin Garrix and even Hans Zimmer – the brothers collected 4 Billboard Dance #1s amongst countless gold and platinum awards.

Throw in setting up their own eSports organisation, doing the soundtrack and getting an own playable character in the latest instalment of the Mortal Kombat game franchise, a mammoth season at Ushuaïa Ibiza with their Garden of Madness night, as well as their run of end of year homecoming arena shows with ‘Garden of Madness’ in Belgium (that sees  80,000 people join every year), New York and the UK, plus one-off shows at the Italian Formula 1, UEFA Champions League Final and a gargantuan run of continent hopping tour dates, it’s not hard to see what may have encouraged their worldwide army of fans to back their favourite DJs this year.

“It’s a fascinating poll this year, with a new No.1, lots of movement in the top ten, and more house and techno DJs in the Top 100 than for many years. The poll itself demonstrates that the global scene is still in rude health, and the international feel of it is stronger than ever.” - Martin Carvell, Managing Director, DJ Magazine

Top 100 DJs Poll Analysis, from DJ Mag Deputy Editor Ben Hindle:

The DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll is back and not only bigger than ever, but more diverse than it’s been in years. In yet another record-breaking year, a whopping 1.3 million people cast their vote for their favourite DJs, that’s up 100,000 on last our 2018 poll. Once again Top 100 DJs partnered with UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation. Thanks to the kind donations of voters and DJs over the past three years, we have now raised over €112,000 for UNICEF. With this money UNICEF has been able to provide 150,000 lifesaving vaccinations to children in danger.

Other entries in this year's Top 100 DJs Poll include David Guetta, who jumps up two places to claim the bronze medal, and Armin van Buuren, who holds steady in fourth place, making this his 18th consecutive year inside the top five and claiming the Highest Trance award again in the process. Right behind him comes masked DJ Marshmello, climbing all the way from No.10 to make his first appearance in the top five, and Don Diablo — once again the Highest Future House DJ — is up one more spot into sixth. Dutchmen Tiësto and Afrojack both drop places but remain in the top 10, and Steve Aoki rounds off the list by climbing back up one place. The biggest change is Hardwell, who drops nine places down to No.12; however, he’s currently on sabbatical taking some time for himself so this isn’t that surprising, and given all the talk of around mental health and the pressures of stardom this year, we wish him all the best.

Moving down the poll and Brazilian favourite Alok is up two to No.11 — will he finally break the top 10 next year? R3HAB, W&W and Lost Frequencies each drop places, while KSHMR and Eric Prydz both climb three spots. The rest of the teenies is formed of three new additions in the form of Timmy Trumpet (up a whopping 20 spots to No.13, his highest placement yet), DJ Snake (up eight to 16) and Scotsman Calvin Harris (up 21 to 19th place).

Skrillex is unmoving at No.21, scooping the Highest Bass award once again in a year that’s seen him open his already teeming net of collaborators even further. Brit trance trio Above & Beyond are right behind him, hauling themselves up a huge 29 places, while NERVO remain the highest placing women in the chart at No.24. At the tail-end of the twenties, Headhunterz holds on to his Highest Hard trophy despite dropping one spot — his nearest competitor, Angerfist, this year down to 34th place.

In 35th comes the mighty Carl Cox, taking the Highest Techno gong again. Coxy is up 18 places, leading the charge for a new influx of house and techno artists. In fact, 2019 sees more house and techno artists in the Top 100 than there has been in almost a decade. Elsewhere, Drumcode boss Adam Beyer is up 31 places, just pushing into the top 50, while Claptone is up four and takes Highest House for the third year in a row. Nina Kraviz climbs a massive 37 places into 60th, while Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Paul Kalkbrenner and Solomun remain in the poll too. South Africa’s Black Coffee makes a welcome return after yet another successful season at Hï Ibiza, and there’s a host of new additions: rowdy tech-house lads FISHER — this year’s Highest New Entry — and Solardo join the poll, as do Belgian techno spinner Charlotte de Witte, South Korea’s Peggy Gou, and masked German Boris Brejcha.

The addition of de Witte and Gou shows another step in the right direction when it comes to gender diversity in the Top 100. Mariana BO and MATTN have both gained ground rapidly this year — climbing 19 and 21 places, respectively — and Aussie-born bass DJ, Alison Wonderland, claims this year’s Highest Climber award after scooting up a colossal 52 places.

Other artists making double-figure leaps up the poll include ATB, Mike Williams, Ferry Corsten, Breathe Carolina, Deorro, Carl Nunes, Cedric Gervais, Lucas & Steve, and Andy C, who takes home Highest Drum & Bass once again. Swedish House Mafia are up 21 places too, though Steve Angello has taken a hit and Axwell Λ Ingrosso have dropped out altogether. Overall, there are 11 new entries (one more than in 2018), six re-entries — the highest being Belgium’s Yves V, at No.56 — and five non-movers.

Votes came in from 179 different countries, with the most votes recorded from the USA once again, followed by mainland Europe — the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany leading the charge. Latin America is close behind, where fans from Mexico and Brazil, in particular, have been voting in droves. In addition to Facebook and Google, the SMS voting mechanism continued to open up voting to anyone with a mobile phone, with around 15% of all votes coming from this login in 2019. This is perhaps best reflected in the increase of voters from China, which is now second behind India in terms of Asian voting regions. Elsewhere votes came in from countries such as Monaco, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, and Iraq.  

DJ MAG TOP 100 DJS POLL 2019 – FULL LIST // 

1	Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike	The World's No.1 DJs	Up 1
2	Martin Garrix		Down 1
3	David Guetta		Up 2
4	Armin van Buuren	Highest Trance	Non-mover
5	Marshmello		Up 5
6	Don Diablo	Highest Future House	Up 1
7	Oliver Heldens		Up 2
8	Tiësto		Down 2
9	Afrojack		Down 1
10	Steve Aoki		Up 1
11	Alok		Up 2
12	Hardwell		Down 9
13	Timmy Trumpet		Up 20
14	R3HAB		Down 2
15	KSHMR		Up 3
16	DJ Snake		Up 8
17	Eric Prydz		Up 3
18	W&W		Down 4
19	Calvin Harris		Up 21
20	Lost Frequencies		Down 3
21	Skrillex	Highest Bass	Non-mover
22	Above & Beyond		Up 29
23	DVBBS		Down 7
24	Nervo		Up 3
25	Quintino		Non-mover
26	The Chainsmokers		Up 5
27	Alan Walker		Up 9
28	Vinai		Down 2
29	Headhunterz	Highest Hard	Down 1
30	Fedde Le Grand		Down 8
31	Vini Vici		Up 3
32	Ummet Ozcan		Down 9
33	Angerfist		Down 4
34	Bassjackers		Down 4
35	Carl Cox	Highest Techno	Up 18
36	Blasterjaxx		Up 1
37	Nicky Romero		Up 6
38	Wolfpack		Down 3
39	ATB		Up 10
40	KURA		Down 1
41	Danny Avila		Down 3
42	Swedish House Mafia		Up 21
43	Tujamo		Up 3
44	Alison Wonderland	Highest Climber	Up 52
45	Martin Jensen		Up 9
46	Cat Dealers		Up 2
47	Vintage Culture		Down 28
48	Adam Beyer		Up 31
49	Mariana BO		Up 19
50	Zedd		Down 6
51	MATTN		Up 21
52	Kygo		Down 20
53	Claptone	Highest House	Up 4
54	Mike Williams		Up 12
55	Diego Miranda		Down 5
56	Yves V		Re-entry
57	Will Sparks		Down 1
58	Steve Angello		Non-mover
59	Ferry Corsten		Up 16
60	Nina Kraviz		Up 37
61	Alesso		Down 16
62	Breathe Carolina		Up 15
63	FISHER	Highest New Entry	New Entry
64	Illenium		New Entry
65	Deorro		Up 24
66	Richie Hawtin		Down 5
67	Diplo		Down 25
68	Da Tweekaz		Up 8
69	Miss K8		Down 4
70	3 Are Legend		New Entry
71	deadmau5		Down 12
72	Carta		Up 1
73	Carl Nunes		Up 26
74	Charlotte de Witte		New Entry
75	Warface		Re-entry
76	Cedric Gervais		Up 11
77	Yellow Claw		Down 30
78	Lucas & Steve		Up 14
79	Andy C	Highest Drum & Bass	Up 11
80	Peggy Gou		New Entry
81	Deniz Koyu		Down 3
82	Robin Schulz		Down 22
83	Vicetone		Re-entry
84	Tom & Collins		New Entry
85	Boris Brejcha		New Entry
86	Marco Carola		Non-mover
87	Paul van Dyk		Down 32
88	Solardo		New Entry
89	Thomas Gold		Re-entry
90	Black Coffee		Re-entry
91	Paul Kalkbrenner		Up 4
92	Daddy's Groove		Down 12
93	Julian Jordan		Re-entry
94	Rave Republic		Up 4
95	Sub Zero Project		New Entry
96	D.O.D		New Entry
97	Henri PFR		New Entry
98	Florian Picasso		Down 36
99	Swanky Tunes		Down 28
100	Solomun		Down 9

Additional info:
djmag.com
facebook.com/djmagazine
twitter.com/djmag
instagram.com/djmagofficial
youtube.com/djmagtv