Drum&BassArena Awards 2016

Why Your Vote Matters…

FACT: Not everyone has the same opinion as you.

Often the internet bubble in which you frequent will suggest they do. But they don’t. They never have. They never will.

Our tastes may overlap in places – we might even share a wry screwfaced grin when a particular tune comes on. But besides the occasional shared favourite, always remember that everyone has their own specific tastes and things they’re passionate about. Your favourite tunes, remixes, albums, MCs, DJs, club night, music video, producers or festivals – they comprise a unique list that is yours and yours alone.

It’s what’s great about music. The amount of variety and propensity for personal views and interpretation means every single one of us has a unique musical signature. This is a beautiful thing. Until people with such a different view and understanding of music to you end up voting for things that aren’t even a thing…

Noisia winning Best Live Act when they didn’t even have a live show. Coppa winning Best Newcomer MC when he’s been a soldier for years on years. Maduk winning Best Newcomer DJ when he’s been spearheading the beast that is Liquicity since the early 2010s…

These are just a handful of prizes people (quite rightly) moaned about after last year’s Drum&BassArena Awards. Yet they were all voted for by the public. People who like music just like you do. This is why it’s crucial you vote in the Drum&BassArena Awards this year. On a wider picture, this is why it’s crucial you vote full stop.

Brexit: Whichever way you voted, half the nation voted opposite.

Trump: Enough said.

People vote for weird things. People vote for wrong things (hello Islington Council!). People have an opinion and it’s likely to be different to yours. And unless you vote yourself then they will always win. We can’t guarantee the people you vote for WILL win but it’s technically accurate to say that they will definitely have a better chance of winning with your support.

Don’t sit back and assume your favourites will win because they deserve to. Don’t par off the awards because your favourite never wins anyway. And don’t come anywhere near us moaning about the results if you didn’t even vote.

2016 has been an amazing year for drum & bass – there are more reasons to vote this year than ever before. We’ve even added a few new categories to reflect this.

Your taste in music is the best – so make sure we know all about it. Check out the full list of categories and VOTE NOW – voting closes on midnight Monday October 24.