'Slow Clap for DJ Mag’: the Top 100 list that’s stuck in the past

Back in 2011, The Guardian published an article titled ‘Why are there no female DJs on DJ Mag’s top 100 list?’; jump forward 8 years, and now a whopping great total of only 7 female DJs have found themselves deserving of a space in the 2019 top 100 list. Somehow, Your EDM takes a positive outlook in their article dissecting the list, stating that ‘women continue to rise’... but really, in 8 years, can we truly call a jump from zero to seven female artists progress?

It is undeniable that, for many years, the DJ scene has been somewhat of a boy’s club, with the presence of women severely lacking. But, honestly, this isn’t the case anymore, and several of the scene’s prominent figures have taken to social media to express their discontent, with HAAi stating in a tweet: “Congratulations to @DJmag on including a shocking 7 women in your top hundred DJ polls… majority were straight white males.” She then went on to call the system ‘redundant’, a sentiment echoed by DJ Yoda who responded that ‘this poll is respected by literally no one with any integrity anyway.’ Notable champion of up-and-coming female DJs and rising stars Annie Mac also chimed in, tweeting ‘Slow clap for DJ mag.’

HAAi(Above) is one of many DJ's to dispute the validity of the Dj Mag Top 100

Not everyone, however, is frustrated by the results, with many taking to social media to argue against those discontented with the disproportionate representation, suggesting that it is merely the result of the polls- it wasn't, they infer, the fault of Dj Mag that their voters chose a line up with a majority of men. Some also argue that this list is proportional: that, in a scene that is predominately male, these results shouldn't be a surprise. Others suggest that the vote is rigged, and merely a reflection of who buys out the most adverts or bribes the most voters.

Either way, it is clear from these results that DJ Mag has failed to represent the scene as it currently stands. Regardless of the results of a poll, surely a platform with influence must realise it has a responsibility to represent proportionally: surely it is their responsibility to champion those artists who are a minority in a male-dominated scene, to uplift new talent that is, plainly, still overlooked? Because with ‘known sex offenders and outright misogynists… still being employed and celebrated’ (@haaidj), this list is somewhat of a smack in the face. It is, I would argue, more of a reflection of what is wrong within the industry, rather than what is right.