Scene
cover photo: Ana Pavlović
The ninth Ambasador Electronic Music Awards brought together many familiar faces from the social, cultural, and music scene in Zagreb.
Zagreb, 20 November 2025 – Last night, the ninth edition of the Ambasador Awards, a significant annual gathering of the Croatian and regional electronic music industry, was held at the award-winning Boogaloo club in Zagreb. This year’s edition attracted over 300 industry professionals, as well as guests from various cultural, artistic, and social spheres.
“Back to the roots” was the motto of the ninth edition, which awarded the best achievements in 2025 across 29 categories in electronic music in Croatia and the region. Awards were presented by well-known figures, and the ceremony was hosted by Dorijan Klarić and Nina Trumbić.
The Ambasador Awards ceremony traditionally began with a few words from its founder, Goran Tomašević, who said from the stage: “Tonight we celebrate achievements in electronic music and the very essence of Ambasador: connections that build community, networking that strengthens our industry, and cultural exchange that enriches us all. Although we haven’t had significant institutional support over these nine years, we have been driven by love and enthusiasm. We’re also looking ahead. Next year, Ambasador celebrates a decade, and Klubska Scena – the portal where it all began -celebrates a full quarter-century! We’re preparing something truly special.”
One of the most anticipated categories is always DJ of the Year, and DJ Jock successfully defended his title at this year’s ceremony. Upon receiving the award, he said: “Every award means a lot, especially one that comes from the audience. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. They are the heart of everything, and their opinion matters the most to me.”
While the audience chose the DJ of the year, the industry selected the Resident DJ of the Year, and the award went to Tom Bug, who said: “Ambasador means a great deal. It’s an award that has brought us together in one place for many years. It’s important for us to connect across different scenes, because electronic music brings us all together, even though we come from various subgenres. We meet, socialise, and create collaborations. And of course, in the end, we reward each other—that’s what motivates us to keep going.”
Internationally acclaimed artist Egoless added another Ambasador to his already extensive collection, this time for Remix of the Year. Although scene pioneer Petar Dundov has won many Ambasador awards over the years, last night he took home the debut category Vinyl Release of the Year and once again emphasized: “Thanks to Ambasador, which year after year strives to maintain unity in the scene and reminds us of what truly connects us all – our love for electronic music. What Ambasador represents is what all of us should strive for.”
In addition to awarding this year’s laureates, the evening was enriched with music and artistic performances. The program opened with a glamorous dance performance by Waacking Croatia, while the musical interludes featured the award-winning Amplifyah Music Crew, the versatile young artist SVEBOR who blends violin with electronic music, and marine biologist and musician Inner Child, who composes electronic music using whale songs. A trailer for the short film Indigo by director Josipa Burić premiered as well.
The program of Croatia’s only independent music award also included a warm-up set by young DJ Aryja P, scenography by the Dark Lights collective, and two exhibitions – “D3LUSION” featuring abstract canvases by multimedia artist Zoran Kutuzović, and “Dance of Colors” by the Vortex collective, created live at parties by the audience and DJs. The gathering continued after the ceremony with an afterparty featuring young DJ Anja D and seasoned Split-based DJ Malesh.
The complete list of awarded projects and artists in Croatia and the region can be found below:
CROATIAN PUBLIC AWARDS
BEST NEW PROJECT
Glue Collective
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Damira Kalajžić
RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR
Fader (Radio Roža)
COLLECTIVE OF THE YEAR
Selected Croatia
CLUB NIGHT OF THE YEAR
Hush!
UNDERGROUND VENUE OF THE YEAR
T.C. Ro&Do (Zagreb)
BEST NIGHTCLUB
Boogaloo (Zagreb)
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Fair Fest pres. Scooter
(Zagreb Fair)
CONCEPT OF THE YEAR
Gates of Agartha
(Cave Romane, Vinkuran)
BOUTIQUE FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Foresterra Festival (Fužine)
FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Balance Croatia (Tisno)
DJ OF THE YEAR
DJ Jock
CROATIAN INDUSTRY AWARDS
NEXT GEN
Alan Krevo
BEST ALTERNATIVE VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Natali Dizdar (x nipplepeople – Utjeha)
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Andrea Ljekaj & Sven Nalis – Prashina EP (Atje)
VINYL RELEASE OF THE YEAR
Gregor Tresher & Petar Dundov – Dimensional Fold EP (GTO Rec.)
REMIX OF THE YEAR
The Prodigy – Breathe (Egoless versions)
ALBUM / COMPILATION OF THE YEAR
KaliKamo – Jedinstvo (PDV Rec.)
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCENE AWARD
Pozitivan Ritam
RESIDENT DJ OF THE YEAR
Tom Bug (Dobar House)
SOUND SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
Vibration Addict Sound System
REGIONAL PUBLIC AWARDS
REGIONAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
HardBeats: 3rd Anniversary (Ljubljana)
REGIONAL CLUB OF THE YEAR
Kult (Belgrade)
BEST REGIONAL FESTIVAL
Pyramid Festival (Rtanj Mountain)
REGIONAL DJ OF THE YEAR
Uran B
REGIONAL INDUSTRY AWARDS
SINGLE OF THE YEAR IN THE REGION
Benjamin Milic – One Day
REMIX OF THE YEAR IN THE REGION
After Affair – Fusion (Buba Rmx)
ALBUM / COMPILATION OF THE YEAR IN THE REGION
Fokus – Horizons LP
BAND / LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR IN CROATIA AND THE REGION
Zoster
