The nominees for the third annual Global Spin Awards -- an awards show that honors and recognizes the world's most dynamic and talented DJ's for their contribution to the culture of music and entertainment -- were announced today. The official awards show will be held on November 18 at the New World Stages in New York and will also feature a weekend-long celebration complete with DJ clinics, panels, and DJ battles.
The 2014 nominees in nearly 30 categories were announced by a panel of industry insiders including Kid Capri, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Premier, REVOLT CEO Keith Clinkscales, and Rob Kenner of Boomshots/Editor at Large for Mass Appeal.
Nominees included DJ's and producers from all regions, spanning all genres. Some of this year's biggest names included DJ Envy, Funk Master Flex, DJ Vice and Diplo. The producer category featured DJ Khaled, Clinton Sparks and DJ Cassidy. Swizz Beats, Solange, Idris Elba, Lil Jon and Jermaine Dupri were nominated for top celebrity DJ's while Top Album nominees included DJ Khaled's Suffering from Success, Clinton Sparks' IconoClast and DJ Prince's Test My Sound, among others. Check out the full list of nominees here.
Besides announcing the nominees, Global Spin Award founder Shawn Prez and his panel spoke about the evolution of the DJ's on society and how the industry has grown.
"The Global Spin Awards for me has been something that's been looming in my conscience for so many years," said Clinkscales. "As we got records, the first thing we did was give it to the DJ and we pounded them and pounded them. But they were on the frontlines to say you either have a hit or this record is a dud. So we knew before we spent any dollars taking it to radio, it was the DJ's on the frontline, and they never got the recognition. They never got the full acceptance from the music industry at large, and the artists, and the people at the upper echelon of the record labels to say. 'Hey, we recognize and understand and appreciate what you guys do.' So the Global Spin Awards sought to fill that gap, and that's why we're here."
Kenner agreed with Clinkscale adding:
"We all know the party doesn't start until the DJ plugs in the turn tables, but what about the culture of hip-hop itself? It used to be the DJ in the forefront with some emcees in the camp; it was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. But the Furious Five have moved sort of into the forefront with the DJ maybe in some years has fallen back.
"Look, there is technology now where everybody can be a DJ. You can show up with your iPhone, plug in, press some buttons, and every beat is blended perfectly. So what do we need real DJs for? I think we all know the difference. We know when there's someone with an intuition for what the crowd needs to hear and not just what is in the playlist and knows how to make time stand still, bringing the beat back and forth just to the point where the dancers need to get lose to that break beat. It's an art form. It's magic, and we're here to honor that."
Kid Capri spoke about treating his career as a DJ like that of an artist.
"When I came out with the mixtapes, and I was on the street corners selling them, my whole idea was to be looked at as an artist, not just somebody playing records. Like the others have said, the DJ was always the background. ...I didn't want to be nobody's backdrop. Everybody has their attention that they get [at award shows], but they've never put anything together for the DJ, and we're the first one selling the music. Without us it wouldn't get heard on the radio or on the mixtapes or in the clubs."
Funkmaster Flex looked to the future during his comments on the panel.
"I hope everyone is paying attention to where the DJ game is going with people like DJ Mustard, DJ Khaled, and DJ Drama," he said. "The DJ is surfacing back to that forefront -- producing songs, getting with big artists. I think that [Global Spin Awards] is great because this is all being documented."
Finally, DJ Premier spoke about the ongoing role of DJ's today.
"It's my duty and privilege to make sure the culture doesn't ever die, which is why I do a radio show, which is why I still make records, and why I still scratch on records. There are a lot of DJs who still care about [scratching on records] and I do it for them. For me it's more than just a job. I'm 48 now, and I still plan to be doing this when I'm 80."
Previous winner of the 2013 Global Spin Awards include: Swizz Beats (Celebrity DJ of the Year); DJ Envy (DJ of the Year 2013); DJ Mustard (DJ Producer of the Year); and DJ Drama (DJ of the Year 2012).
Who do you think should win this year? Let us know in the comments section below!
