THE 2016 DRUM & BASS AWARDS CELEBRATED ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN SPECTACULAR FASHION, MARKING A SHIFT IN LOCATION TO LONDON'S O2 BUILDING 6. THIS WAS A STANDOUT EDITION, FEATURING ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCES BY DJ HYPE, SASASAS, HAZARD, AND DILLINJA. FOR THE NINTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, ANDY C TOOK HOME THE BEST DJ AWARD, CEMENTING HIS LEGENDARY STATUS IN THE DRUM AND BASS COMMUNITY. S.P.Y. WAS AWARDED BEST PRODUCER, SHOWCASING THE EVER-EVOLVING TALENT WITHIN THE SCENE. THIS ANNIVERSARY EDITION SET A NEW BENCHMARK, BRINGING THE GENRE’S BIGGEST NAMES TOGETHER IN ONE OF THE UK'S MOST ICONIC VENUES.

IN 2017, THE AWARDS RETURNED TO THEIR TRADITIONAL HOME AT THE O2 ACADEMY IN BIRMINGHAM. THIS YEAR SAW ANDY C CONTINUE HIS STREAK AS BEST DJ, WHILE NOISIA WON THE COVETED BEST ALBUM AWARD FOR THEIR INNOVATIVE SOUNDSCAPES. THE EVENT ALSO RECOGNIZED DJ HAZARD FOR HIS ENDURING CONTRIBUTION TO THE GENRE. BY BLENDING LIVE PERFORMANCES WITH FAN-VOTED AWARDS, THE 2017 EDITION REINFORCED BIRMINGHAM’S REPUTATION AS THE SPIRITUAL HOME OF DRUM AND BASS, AND CONTINUED TO HIGHLIGHT THE GENRE’S GLOBAL IMPACT.

THE 2018 DRUM & BASS AWARDS, HELD AGAIN IN BIRMINGHAM, SPOTLIGHTED THE GENRE’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ACTS. CHASE & STATUS WERE AWARDED BEST PRODUCERS, WITH THEIR GENRE-DEFING PRODUCTION WORK LEADING THE CHARGE THAT YEAR. HYBRID MINDS TOOK HOME THE BEST NEWCOMER DJ AWARD, A NOD TO THEIR METEORIC RISE IN THE SCENE. MEANWHILE, ANDY C RETAINED HIS POSITION AS BEST DJ, ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATING HIS DOMINANCE. THE EVENT SHOWCASED BOTH THE FUTURE OF THE GENRE AND ITS WELL-ESTABLISHED LEADERS, PROVING THAT DRUM & BASS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE WHILE STAYING ROOTED IN ITS CORE SOUND​.

IN 2019, THE DRUM & BASS AWARDS CONTINUED ITS RUN IN BIRMINGHAM, WITH THE EVENT FEATURING PERFORMANCES FROM HIGH-PROFILE ARTISTS LIKE FRICTION, MOLLIE COLLINS, AND SASASAS. THE ENERGY IN THE VENUE WAS PALPABLE, AS ANDY C PICKED UP HIS BEST DJ AWARD FOR THE ELEVENTH TIME. THE NIGHT ALSO SAW DJ HYPE HONORED WITH THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, RECOGNIZING HIS DECADES-LONG CONTRIBUTION TO THE DRUM AND BASS GENRE. THE 2019 EDITION WAS A TESTAMENT TO THE GENRE’S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, BRINGING TOGETHER FANS AND ARTISTS TO CELEBRATE THE BEST IN DRUM AND BASS MUSIC​.

THE 2020 DRUM & BASS AWARDS FACED AN UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE AS THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED THE EVENT TO GO VIRTUAL. DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF A LIVE AUDIENCE, THE EVENT WAS A SUCCESS, ATTRACTING VIEWERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. A.M.C. TOOK HOME THE BEST DJ AWARD, WHILE HYBRID MINDS WON BEST TRACK FOR THEIR EMOTIONALLY CHARGED ANTHEM, "TOUCH." THE SHIFT TO AN ONLINE FORMAT EXPANDED THE EVENT’S REACH AND DEMONSTRATED THE RESILIENCE OF THE DRUM AND BASS COMMUNITY IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES​.

AS THE WORLD BEGAN TO RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC, THE 2021 DRUM & BASS AWARDS EMBRACED A HYBRID FORMAT, WITH LIMITED IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE IN BIRMINGHAM AND A VIRTUAL AUDIENCE TUNING IN FROM HOME. THE NIGHT WAS A TRIUMPH, WITH KOVEN TAKING HOME THE AWARD FOR BEST LIVE ACT AND MOLLIE COLLINS WINNING BEST FEMALE DJ. THE HYBRID EVENT BROUGHT BACK THE EXCITEMENT OF LIVE PERFORMANCES WHILE MAINTAINING SAFETY MEASURES. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF ADAPTABILITY, ENSURING THAT THE DRUM AND BASS COMMUNITY COULD STILL CELEBRATE TOGETHER DESPITE THE ONGOING CHALLENGES.

BY 2022, THE DRUM & BASS AWARDS WERE FULLY BACK IN PERSON AT LAB11 IN BIRMINGHAM, WITH A MASSIVE TURNOUT. CHASE & STATUS DOMINATED THE NIGHT, WINNING BEST PRODUCER AND BEST ALBUM FOR THEIR CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED RELEASE, "WHAT CAME BEFORE." ANDY C RECLAIMED HIS BEST DJ TITLE, WHILE CHARLOTTE HAINING WON BEST VOCALIST, REPRESENTING THE GROWING RECOGNITION OF VOCALISTS WITHIN THE GENRE. THE 2022 EDITION WAS A CELEBRATION OF BOTH THE ESTABLISHED LEGENDS AND THE EMERGING STARS OF DRUM & BASS, SHOWCASING THE GENRE’S DEPTH AND CONTINUED EVOLUTION​.

THE 2023 DRUM & BASS AWARDS RETURNED TO LONDON, HOSTED AT THE LEGENDARY MINISTRY OF SOUND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS. THE EVENT SAW MOZEY TAKE HOME THE PRESTIGIOUS BEST DJ AWARD, WHILE A LITTLE SOUND MADE A HUGE IMPACT, WINNING BOTH BEST FEMALE DJ AND BEST VOCALIST. BROADCAST LIVE ON KISS FM, THE EVENT REACHED A WIDER AUDIENCE THAN EVER BEFORE, HIGHLIGHTING THE GENRE’S INCREASING MAINSTREAM APPEAL WHILE MAINTAINING ITS UNDERGROUND ROOTS. THE RETURN TO LONDON MARKED A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT FOR THE AWARDS, AS THE EVENT CONTINUES TO GROW IN SCALE AND INFLUENCE.

THE 2024 DRUM & BASS AWARDS ARE SET TO RETURN TO BIRMINGHAM, WITH THE EVENT BEING HELD AT THE MASSIVE ROLLER JAM VENUE IN DIGBETH. THIS EDITION PROMISES TO BE THE BIGGEST YET, FEATURING PERFORMANCES FROM DRUM & BASS HEAVYWEIGHTS LIKE FRICTION, NICKY BLACKMARKET, AND CHARLIE TEE. WITH THE LARGEST CAPACITY IN THE EVENT’S HISTORY, THE 2024 AWARDS WILL SHOWCASE THE VERY BEST IN THE SCENE, WITH CATEGORIES HONORING THE MOST TALENTED DJS, PRODUCERS, AND MCS. AS THE GENRE CONTINUES TO THRIVE, THE 2024 EDITION IS POISED TO BE A LANDMARK EVENT, CELEBRATING THE VIBRANT AND EVER-EVOLVING DRUM AND BASS CULTURE​.