DJ Awards
Team

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DJA 2026 Team
Hutchison, ROAR, The Media Nanny

Marketing

The campaign, the website phases, PR, social and the vote. One target above all others: a million votes by 15 September.

The targets
1MVotes by 15 September
250kRegistrations
40Press pieces, 10 mainstream
£5kPaid media budget
The maths

A million votes is not a million people

Twenty-five categories, one vote each. 125,000 people voting in eight categories each is the million.

That means two levers, not one: how many people register, and how many categories each of them completes. Getting somebody from three categories to ten is far cheaper than finding another person, and nobody ever builds a campaign around it.

"You have voted in 4 of 25" is the single best message in the campaign. Build it into email, stories and retargeting from day one.

The phases

Campaign shape

Now to 18 AugustCountdown

Nothing public. Assets built, nominees prepared, site finished.

19 to 25 AugustRegistration window

Announced but nothing to vote on. Every pound of attention converts to a registration instead of a vote. This is the most valuable week of the campaign and we do not get it back.

25 Aug to 15 SeptThe vote

Nominee content, category spotlights, daily vote drive, completion campaign.

15 to 21 SeptemberWinners

Voting closes, industry winners, the sales push on final tiers.

22 Sept to 6 OctBuild-up

Countdown, line-up, after-party tickets, travel and arrivals.

7 to 24 OctoberThe night and after

Winners online within minutes. After-movie, winner reels, YouTube long-form.

The prize

The hook — use it everywhere

Everyone who registers enters the draw.

One winner and a guest. A suite at MiM Ibiza, a chauffeured car to and from the event, a table of ten at the awards — and they present an award on stage, live to ninety countries.

"Register to vote" is a weak ask on its own. "Register and you could be presenting an award at the DJ Awards" is not. Lead every piece of creative with it.

One registration, one entry, one entry per verified email. Never imply better odds for sharing, tagging or following. Terms on the site before the first post goes out.

The websites

What is live and what is next

SiteWhat it isStatus
phase1.djawards.comThe announcement site — date, venue, line-up, registration, tables on saleLive 19 August
djawardsibiza.comThe voting platform — 25 categories, email verification, nominee deep linksDraft
core.djawards.comCore Events sales pageRebuilding to the five-tier ladder
sponsor.djawards.comGeneric sponsorship pitchLive
jet2.djawards.comJet2 campaign pitchLive
drinks.djawards.comDrinks partner pitchLive

Stack: Claude writes the files, GitHub versions them, Netlify hosts, Supabase holds the votes, 123reg points the domains, Airtable is the team's view, Stripe takes the money. Under £200 for the whole campaign.

ROAR — social

The vote drive

ItemDetail
Retainer£3,000 a month plus VAT, 15 August to 15 October
Paid media£5,000 across the campaign, funded directly by Andrew
Crowdfunding extensionThree months, 15 October to 15 December, £5,000 a month — only if we hit a million votes
KPIRegistrations and verified votes. Not reach
CadenceMeta 2 feed posts and 5 stories daily. TikTok 4 a week. YouTube
Ibiza shootTwo people, three days, dates agreed at the kick-off. Amnesia empty in daylight is the shot we do not get twice
Owed by 22 AugustAround 150 nominee photos and bios. The single biggest risk to voting opening on time

Artists do the heavy lifting. 538 million combined follower reach across our winners, and they post because they want to. Give every nominee a toolkit they can post in thirty seconds — name, category, link, story frame. It is the biggest multiplier in the campaign.

The Media Nanny — PR

Out of the dance press

ItemDetail
Fee€8,000, no VAT
Target40 pieces, 10 outside the music press
Priority oneIdris Elba as presenter. His charity wins Play It Back. Run to a written agreement — until signed he appears nowhere
Priority twoThe Royal Marines and the BBC. Ibiza Prom Classics at the Albert Hall. A special award, recipients flown to Ibiza, and Prince William invited to present on behalf of the King
Releases19 August, 25 August, 21 September, 7 October
Press tripSix journalists. Rooms and flights covered. Flights need booking now

A royal approach goes through the Royal Household's private secretary, in writing, with a long lead time. It cannot be chased and it cannot be leaked. Build the campaign so it works without a yes.

Angles

What works and what does not

Works

Two anniversaries in one room. The award that cannot be bought. The Royal Marines at the Albert Hall. A million votes as a data story. Back-to-backs that exist for one night only. Emerging artists on Apple Music.

Does not

Anything against DJ Mag or any other awards — we have no competitors. Luxury and VIP framing. The corporate story, funding or valuations. Any partner who has not signed.