The Global Spin Awards (GSAs) are the only industry ceremony dedicated exclusively to honoring DJs for their contribution to music, entertainment, and culture. Founded in 2012 by entertainment executive Shawn Prez — the CEO of Power Moves Inc. and a longtime senior vice president at Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment — the GSAs filled a gap that the Grammys, AMAs, and BET Awards never addressed: a formal, peer-recognized award for the people behind the decks.
Six annual ceremonies. Broadcast on REVOLT TV. Hosted by Swizz Beatz, T.I., and other A-listers. Presenters and guests including Dave Chappelle, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Usher, Pharrell, 2 Chainz, Fabolous, Master P, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. The Global Spin Awards became the standard of DJ recognition in the music industry.
Origins: How the Global Spin Awards Started
Shawn Prez conceived the idea in the late 1990s during his years at Bad Boy Records. The DJs were always the litmus test for whether a record would break — but the artists and the industry never recognized them for it.
The first ceremony took place on November 19, 2012, at the New York Times Building in Manhattan. Independent voters selected winners across dozens of categories — from DJ of the Year and Turntablist of the Year to regional club and mixshow awards spanning the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West.
Prez built the GSAs through Power Moves Inc., his urban lifestyle marketing firm. The awards expanded quickly — from a single New York event to a nationally broadcast ceremony with venue rotations across New York and Los Angeles, and a one-year appearance in New Orleans during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Year-by-Year Ceremony History
2012 — The Inaugural Ceremony
Venue: New York Times Building, New York City
Legendary Achievement Award: Grandmaster Flash
DJ of the Year: DJ Drama
DJ Producer of the Year: DJ Khaled
DJ Entrepreneur of the Year: Funkmaster Flex
Turntablist of the Year: DJ Scratch
International DJ of the Year: Tim Westwood
Latin DJ of the Year: Alex Sensation
The inaugural show set the template: a Legendary Achievement or Lifetime Achievement headliner, a deep slate of regional and format-specific categories, and a celebration that positioned the DJ — not the artist, not the label — at center stage.
2013 — Year Two
Legendary DJ Award: DJ Marley Marl
Lifetime Achievement Award: Kid Capri
DJ of the Year: DJ Envy
DJ Producer of the Year: DJ Mustard
Celebrity DJ of the Year: Swizz Beatz
Female DJ of the Year: DJ Dimepiece
National Mixshow DJ of the Year: Funkmaster Flex
The second ceremony expanded the category slate and introduced the Celebrity DJ of the Year award. Kid Capri's Lifetime Achievement honor marked the beginning of a tradition of recognizing DJ pioneers alongside the current generation.
2014 — Third Annual
Venue: New World Stages, New York City
Broadcast: REVOLT TV
Lifetime Achievement Award: Funkmaster Flex
Legendary Achievement Award: DJ Premier
DJ of the Year: DJ Mustard
EDM DJ of the Year: Diplo
Celebrity DJ of the Year: Jermaine Dupri
International DJ of the Year: Tim Westwood
The 2014 show marked the formal partnership with REVOLT TV for broadcast distribution. DJ Premier and Funkmaster Flex — two of the most important figures in hip-hop DJ history — were honored in the same ceremony. DJ Mustard dominated with multiple wins, including DJ of the Year and DJ Producer of the Year.
2015 — Fourth Annual
Venue: PlayStation Theater (now Best Buy Theater), Times Square, New York City
Host: Swizz Beatz
Lifetime Achievement Award: Afrika Bambaataa
Breaking Barriers Award: Mark Ronson
DJ of the Year: DJ Envy
EDM DJ of the Year: DJ Snake
DJ Album of the Year: Skrillex & Diplo — Jack Ü
DJ Producer of the Year: DJ Mustard
The fourth ceremony brought the biggest production yet. Swizz Beatz hosted and was surprised with three plaques presented by the Lox, while Alicia Keys, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., 2 Chainz, T-Pain, and Jonathan Cheban were among the guests. Afrika Bambaataa received the Lifetime Achievement Award from fellow hip-hop legends Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Caz, and Busy Bee. The 2015 show also introduced the Red Award for adult contemporary DJs, with the inaugural honor going to Kool DJ Red Alert.
2017 — Fifth Annual (NBA All-Star Weekend)
Venue: New Orleans (during NBA All-Star Weekend)
Host: T.I.
Lifetime Achievement Award: DJ Clark Kent
Breaking Barriers Award: Spindarella (Salt-N-Pepa)
DJ of the Year: DJ Khaled
EDM DJ of the Year: Steve Aoki
Celebrity DJ of the Year: Questlove
DJ Producer of the Year: Metro Boomin
International DJ of the Year: DJ Snake
The New Orleans ceremony — timed to NBA All-Star Weekend — featured Dave Chappelle, DJ Khaled, Master P, and B.o.B. as performers and presenters. T.I. hosted. Spindarella's Breaking Barriers Award recognized her role as one of hip-hop's first prominent female DJs. DJ Khaled swept multiple categories including DJ of the Year, Hip Hop DJ of the Year, and DJ Entrepreneur of the Year.
2018 — Sixth Annual
Venue: The NOVO Theater, Los Angeles
Broadcast: REVOLT TV (aired February 22, 2018)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Timbaland (presented by Pharrell)
Breaking Barriers Award: Jermaine Dupri (presented by Usher)
DJ of the Year: DJ Khaled
The sixth ceremony moved to Los Angeles and delivered the biggest surprise performance in GSA history: Ludacris joined Jermaine Dupri, Snoop Dogg, Usher, and Diddy to perform the "Welcome to Atlanta" remix for the first time ever live. Nicole Scherzinger, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Vanessa Simmons, Angela Simmons, and MC Lyte were among the guests. Pharrell presented Timbaland with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Creative director Farnaz Taher designed a 25-foot DJ booth centerpiece that doubled as an LCD screen for the broadcast.
Key Award Categories
The Global Spin Awards maintained one of the deepest category slates in the music-awards landscape:
- Lifetime Achievement Award / Legendary Achievement Award — the flagship honors, reserved for DJ pioneers
- Breaking Barriers Award — for DJs who expanded the culture beyond its traditional boundaries
- DJ of the Year — the top overall honor
- DJ Producer of the Year — recognizing production work
- EDM DJ of the Year — introduced as electronic dance music surged into mainstream culture
- Celebrity DJ of the Year — for entertainers who crossed into DJing
- Female DJ of the Year
- International DJ of the Year
- Regional categories — Club DJ, Mixshow DJ, and Open Format DJ awards for the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West
- Turntablist of the Year — honoring the competitive and technical side of DJing
- DJ Album of the Year
- DJ Entrepreneur of the Year
- Latin DJ of the Year
- Reggae DJ of the Year
- Online Record Breakers — platforms and digital outlets driving DJ culture online
Notable Honorees Across All Years
The GSA honor roll reads as a who's who of DJ culture:
- Grandmaster Flash — 2012 Legendary Achievement Award (the first-ever GSA honoree)
- Kid Capri — 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award
- DJ Premier — 2014 Legendary Achievement Award
- Funkmaster Flex — 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award
- Afrika Bambaataa — 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award
- Mark Ronson — 2015 Breaking Barriers Award
- Kool DJ Red Alert — 2015 inaugural Red Award
- DJ Clark Kent — 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award
- Spindarella — 2017 Breaking Barriers Award
- Timbaland — 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award
- Jermaine Dupri — 2018 Breaking Barriers Award
Multi-year winners include DJ Khaled (DJ of the Year 2017 and 2018, DJ Producer of the Year 2012), DJ Envy (DJ of the Year 2013 and 2015), DJ Mustard (DJ of the Year 2014, DJ Producer of the Year 2013 and 2014), and DJ Drama (DJ of the Year 2012, multiple regional and mixtape honors).
Broadcast and Cultural Impact
The Global Spin Awards aired on REVOLT TV — the cable network founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs — beginning with the 2014 ceremony. The broadcast partnership gave the awards national visibility and positioned the GSAs alongside REVOLT's broader music-culture programming.
The ceremony also spawned "Respect the DJ," a companion television series on REVOLT featuring in-depth profiles of top DJs, including a Steve Aoki episode.
Beyond the ceremony itself, the Global Spin Awards helped formalize what had been an informal hierarchy. Before the GSAs, DJ recognition came through mixtape sales, club bookings, radio ratings, and word of mouth. The awards gave the culture a public, peer-voted institution — and gave brands, venues, and labels a shorthand for identifying top talent.
The DJ Bureau and NY DJ Con
Shawn Prez extended the Global Spin Awards brand into adjacent properties. The DJ Bureau — housed under the GSA umbrella — served as an industry resource and directory. NY DJ Con, a conference for working DJs, brought educational programming, networking, and panel discussions to the community.
Where the Global Spin Awards Stand Today
The most recent Global Spin Awards ceremony took place in February 2018. The official website (theglobalspinawards.com) and social channels remain active, with the Instagram account (@globalspinawards) maintaining over 12,000 followers.
Whether the GSAs return for a seventh ceremony or not, their legacy is established: the Global Spin Awards were the first and only major awards ceremony to treat the DJ as the primary honoree — not a supporting player, not a category inside someone else's show, but the main event.
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