INVEST IN THE DJ AWARDS

INVEST IN THE LONGEST RUNNING
AWARDS IN DANCE MUSIC
VISION
Our vision is to own global dance music culture and create one of the most loved and respected brands in the industry. We’re building a powerful, engaged community of influencers, industry leaders, and youth culture tastemakers. Our goal is to grow a business of genuine value that generates profits every year while elevating everyone involved in dance music. We aim to make the scene more inclusive, champion female and diverse talent, and create safer, more representative spaces both on and off the dancefloor. Above all, we want to expand the global audience for dance music and use the power of music as a force for good.
PLANS
In 2024 we acquired the rights to the brand and successfully relaunched it with an event at Club Chinois in Ibiza (the re-boot). In 2025 we tried something new with a more traditional awards format at ROTO restaurant (the re-set). In 2026 (the re-launch) we’ll select a new venue by Christmas 2025 to become our home for the next three years and host a three-day celebration during closing party weekend to mark our 25th anniversary. In 2027 we’ll introduce the Legends Tour aboard the Orient Express in May to kick off the summer season, selling high-margin tickets for this exclusive event, followed by our annual Ibiza event during closing party weekend and the launch of DJ Awards USA at Art Basel Miami in December. Each year after that we’ll expand into a new destination.
USE OF FUNDS / CURRENT RAISE
DJ Awards (DJA SPV Ltd), registered in the UK, is raising £250,000 at a £2 million valuation to complete its Friends & Family Seed Round, with £140,000 SEIS allocation still available. This round closes on 20 December 2025 and will provide the capital needed to fund the business through to the signing of a three-year partnership with a new Ibiza venue (Pacha, Amnesia, or Hi Ibiza) by the end of 2025. Funds will also be used to retain our Commercial Director on a monthly contract to secure all 2026 venue and sponsorship deals, retain our Chief Marketing Officer to lead the campaign and appoint agencies, hire a full-time Grand Jury Manager to expand the jury, refine categories, and build stronger industry partnerships, hire a full-time Head of Marketing and Social Media Manager, appoint an Events Director and contract with Secret Cinema to produce the 2026 show, and agree a three-year broadcast deal with YouTube and Apple Music.
NEXT PHASE / INVESTMENT OUTLOOK
The company has delivered two successful events, attracting some of the world’s biggest DJs who personally collected their awards. Consumer engagement has grown from 13,000 votes in year one to 250,000 in year two, driven organically thanks to the support of the artists. We’ve assembled a world-class management team and leadership board, and after 18 months of testing and refining every concept, we know exactly what works. We’re now ready to relaunch the brand with our high-profile 25th anniversary plans, laying the foundation for global expansion starting in 2027. This Friends & Family round gives UK investors the chance to benefit from the remaining 50% SEIS tax relief (see below), invest at a reduced valuation, and position themselves for a potential year-five exit to a major player such as AEG or Live Nation — companies seeking to own a global network of tastemakers and a respected brand with 30 years of heritage and an event footprint generating £3.5 million EBITDA annually.
24 YEARS OF HISTORY
Founded in 1998 by José Pascual and Lenny Krarup, the DJ Awards has been honouring excellence in dance music for over 24 years. Held annually during the closing week of the Ibiza summer season the DJ Awards is attended by the most famous and successful DJs on the planet including aft Daft Punk, Fernandisco, Pete Tong, Basement Jaxx, and Carl Cox For 19 years the iconic event was held at Ibiza super club Pacha before celebrating its 20th anniversary at the worlds no1 club HI Ibiza. On the back of this success of 2024 the team are returning to Chinois in October, launching DJ Awards USA in Miami December 2025 and producing the Legends Tour in February 2026 to celebrate the 25th anniversary, which will see the winners of the last 25 years (the greatest DJ’s the world has ever seen) all play for the greatest party the world has ever seen on board the Orient Express.
WINNERS 2025
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THE DJ AWARDS TEAM

Andrew Grant
CHAIRMAN
& CEO
Andrew Grant is a Scottish entrepreneur with a global portfolio of tech investments spanning healthcare, payments, and music. He is the founder of FonoTech, a next-generation record label; PridePulse, a global payment platform for Pride events; Y2Q, a POS and queue management system; HELMA, an AI-powered care scheduling and service-matching platform; NHS.FM, a music streaming app for the UK healthcare sector; and Bold Minds, a YouTube channel inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs to build better businesses. With over 25 years in senior leadership across multiple industries, Andrew is perfectly positioned to drive the DJ Awards forward and deliver the ambitious growth plans set out in the investor deck.

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Richard Squire
COMMERCAIL DIRECTOR
Richard Squire is a leading force in commercial partnerships and brand strategy within the global music and entertainment industry and was responsible for the successful delivery of the DJ Awards 2025 event at ROTO. With a career spanning major festivals, record labels, and media platforms, he has built a reputation for creating high-impact, revenue-driving partnerships that connect brands with culture in authentic and scalable ways. As Head of Commercial Partnerships for the DJ Awards and co-founder of Mainstage Agency, he has worked with some of the world’s biggest artists, venues, and events, crafting campaigns that resonate across both dancefloors and digital channels.
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Jacob Porpossian
MARKETING
DIRECTOR
Jacob Porpossian is a Canadian-born, New York-based, globally awarded creative leader in marketing and communications, recognised by PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 and Marketing Magazine’s 30 Under 30. As Global Executive Creative Director and Partner at FleishmanHillard, one of the world’s leading PR agencies, he leads brand storytelling for major health and lifestyle clients, blending creativity with cultural relevance. A Cannes Lions winner and DE&I advocate, Jacob has shaped global campaigns that connect purpose with performance, bridging creativity, community, and commerce across industries.
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Merrit Bayer
EVENTS
DIRECTOR
Merritt Baer is a seasoned executive and creative producer with a proven track record in delivering large-scale cultural events that blend entertainment, technology, and brand storytelling. Born in the USA and now based between New York, London, and Barcelona, he is an Emmy Award-winning Broadway producer and tech entrepreneur who founded TodayTix and grew it into one of the world’s leading theatre ticketing platforms. He recently acquired Secret Cinema, the immersive experience company that brings iconic films to life on a global stage. With experience across music festivals, live television, and high-profile brand activations, Merritt will lead the production of a made-for-TV show based on the DJ Awards event.
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Mark Netto
HEAD OF
AWARDS
Mark Netto is a powerhouse in the electronic music industry, with over two decades of experience in event management, artist representation, and music strategy. As co-founder of the International Music Summit (IMS) and former Events Manager at Pacha where he worked for 13 ytears, he helped launch legendary Ibiza residencies and book A-list artists like Swedish House Mafia, Calvin Harris, and David Guetta. Through Ibiza Collective and IBZ Entertainment, he has led groundbreaking festivals and events worldwide. With deep industry knowledge and a vast global network, Mark continues to push boundaries in music, entertainment, and brand collaborations.
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Mark Hutchison
MARMKETIG
MANGER
Mark has been at DJ Awards for 12 months not and is a seasoned digital strategist, project manager, and innovation lead with a career spanning top agencies and global brands for over 10 yeas. Starting at a tech start-up in Glasgow, he moved to London to work with FITCH and BD Network, leading digital project delivery for Diageo, Coca-Cola, Peugeot, Nintendo, Cadbury, and Corona. At Phantom, he managed high-profile projects for Google, Sony Music, and the Financial Times. With over a decade of experience, Mark has driven campaign management, digital innovation, content strategy, event execution, and app development, overseeing multi-agency collaborations for world-class clients.
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Jenn Cochrane
ARTISTS & JURY MANAGER
Jennifer Cochrane is a new additon to the team bringing over 25 years of experience in dance music, starting her career as a promoter for Renaissance, the Nottingham-based global superclub brand. As Senior Talent Booker at Exit Festival and Senior Programmer & Talent Booker for XP Music Futures (MDLBEAST Festival, Saudi Arabia), she oversees artist acquisition, contracting, and complex multi-stage scheduling from brief to showtime. A founder of Work Inspired and co-founder and CEO of Getahead, Jenn combines deep industry relationships with calm operational excellence, delivering high-pressure festivals, conferences, and brand activations with precision and impact.
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Martin Kidd
SOCIAL MEDIA
MANAGER
Martin Fernández Pola was responsible for delivering the highly successful DJ Awards social media campaign in 2025, which saw votes increase from 21,000 in 2024 to over 254,000 in 2025. He is a Barcelona-based booking agent and event producer with a strong background in logistics, artist relations, and creative strategy within the electronic music scene. With experience at Padlock Artists and Clap Music, he has managed artist bookings, tour logistics, and stage operations for major festivals such as Brunch Electronik and No Art Festival. He combines his studies in music production at Universidad de Palermo with marketing training from ISEC.
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Julie Pallsico
FINANCE
MANAGER
Julie Pallisco is an experienced finance and operations leader with over 20 years of expertise (15 of them spent working for Andrew Grant at his investment copmlany) managing the financial, administrative, and HR functions of fast-growing businesses. As Finance Manager for the DJ Awards and Virtual Finance Manager for TechAdVenture, she oversees all budgeting, reporting, and compliance while ensuring the smooth running of day-to-day operations across multiple international entities. Known for her precision, reliability, and problem-solving skills, Julie plays a vital role in maintaining the group’s financial discipline and supporting strategic growth.
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Niall Roxburgh
ADMIN
MANAGER
Niall Roxburgh is a project manager and entrepreneur with a background in business, wellness, and brand development. As founder of Wolfburgh, he built a health and wellness brand focused on accessible, mental health–driven fitness solutions for individuals and workforces. He then spent 12 months working with Andrew Grant as Special Projects Manager at TechAdVenture before joining the DJ Awards team this year in a supporting role across all departments. A graduate of Heriot-Watt University, Niall combines strategic management skills, marketing insight, and a passion for wellbeing to deliver meaningful, results-driven ventures.
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UK INVESTORS GET 50% OF INVESTMENT BACK FROM HMRC
The UK Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) is one of the most generous government-backed incentives for early-stage investors. It allows you to invest in innovative startups and claim up to 50% income tax relief on investments up to £200,000 per year, with any profits from successful exits completely free of capital gains tax after three years. Losses can also be offset against other income, reducing overall risk. In short, SEIS gives you a powerful combination of high-growth potential and exceptional tax efficiency — helping you back ambitious founders while protecting your downside.
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