DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2023: 1.3 million people vote from 237 territories in the world's biggest music poll
Analysing the key trends from the voting in this year's DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll, in aid of Unicef, as David Guetta takes the top spot
After 30 years of ups, downs, new entries, and re-entries, the Top 100 DJs list just keeps on moving. In 2023, French megastar David Guetta claims his fourth victory, taking the title back from Martin Garrix, who nabbed the crown last year. Following Guetta’s previous wins in 2011, 2020 and 2021, he and Garrix are now in joint second place for the most ever Top 100 DJs wins, with Armin van Buuren still just holding on to the record five wins he set back in 2012. Will either of them manage to equal or even surpass the Dutch trance master? We’ll have to wait a whole year to find out!
Much of the top 10 is unchanged, with non-movers Alok and Armin both holding on to their places in the top five (a group Armin hasn’t left since 2002). The biggest switch-up comes from South Korean DJ/producer Peggy Gou, who leaps 15 spots to ninth place, becoming the highest placing woman in the main poll since Lisa Lashes debuted at No.9 in the year 2000. Gou’s success also officially brings house music into the top 10, as she claims the Highest House DJ award from Vintage Culture — the Brazilian bass-turned-house head lands right behind her at No.10, continuing his steady ascent of the past few years.
A reflection of global trends, house and techno have performed well throughout the poll this year. Highest Techno award winner Charlotte de Witte remains in the top 20, while Aussie tech-house phenomenon FISHER jumps 28 places to land at No.20. GORDO — the tech-house alias of former trap DJ Carnage — is right behind him at 21. Black Coffee, the biggest name in Afro-house, is up 14 to No.25, followed closely by three giants of techno: DJ icon Carl Cox — who this year is being given the Lifetime Achievement award — and new kids on the block Renier Zonneveld — himself up 22 places — and Amelie Lens. UK sensation Fred again.. is this year’s Highest New Entry at 34, while NYC house dons The Martinez Brothers follow a huge summer in Ibiza with a rise of 40 places, earning them the Highest Climber gong. And other house and techno heads across the poll include Deborah De Luca, Nora En Pure, Adam Beyer, Jamie Jones, Solomun, Kölsch, James Hype and Spanish psy-trance/hard techno champion Indira Paganotto, who debuts at No.97.
DJ Mag’s dedicated China voting app saw a huge number of votes this year, and continues to do its bit to ensure Chinese fans can have their say. Since launching, there’s been a notable increase in polling artists from across the Asian nation, and this year Aryue and KAKA both gain places, while Lizzy Wang joins the poll. Other new entries include Dutchman Maddix, and Germany’s Le Shuuk, who’ve both been tipped by other Top 100 acts in recent years. And there are two re-entries this year: Mike Williams and Deorro.
After a tough year in the poll in 2021, hard dance takes another hit; masked menace Angerfist takes the Highest Hard award again, however, Miss K8 narrowly misses out on a placement this year. But with high-ranking DJs like Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Timmy Trumpet and Hardwell all taking influence from the harder styles, perhaps not all is lost. And with Calvin Harris edging towards the top 10 following a year of trance-flavoured chart smashes, perhaps the #trancefamily will be back in force in 2024.
Three decades deep and the Top 100 DJs is still the biggest global music poll, drawing 1.3 million votes this year. Votes were recorded from 237 different territories (up three on last year), from nations like electronic music hubs the USA, Brazil and the UK (this year’s top three voting nations), through the likes of Mexico, Germany, China, Sudan, Eritrea — right the way to the South Pacific Tuvalu islands and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. It’s an annual celebration of just how important electronic music is to people across the world.
The awards were announced during a broadcast event, hosted by BBC Radio One’s Arielle Free from The Standard, Ibiza. The show featured an iconic David Guetta performance from an Ibiza cliff top, alongside sets from four leading DJs from unique locations that spanned five continents.
The awards show and full sets are available to watch now on DJ Mag’s YouTube channel. Chinese viewers can also enjoy the show on NetEase Cloud Music, the exclusive Top 100 DJs results partner for the China market.
