Scene
Last night, club Boogaloo hosted a celebration marking the tenth anniversary of the Ambasador Awards—the music awards dedicated entirely to electronic music. The milestone event brought together representatives from the Croatian and regional electronic music industry, alongside numerous well-known figures from the worlds of culture, art, and public life.
This tenth edition of the Ambasador Awards held special significance; beyond honoring the most successful artists, performers, clubs, festivals, organizers, and other key figures in the scene, the evening also celebrated the project’s first decade. A total of 28 awards were presented—26 determined by the public and industry professionals, plus two special awards from the organizers. The accolades were handed out by prominent personalities including Zdenka Kovačićek, Aklea Neon, Anna Moor, Luka Barbić, Toni Starešinić, Rea Hadžiosmanović, Edo Plovanić, and others, with the ceremony hosted by Dorijan Klarić and Nina Trumbić.
The ceremony opened with the premiere of a documentary film dedicated to the first ten years of the Ambasador project. Through archival footage, interviews, photographs, and highlights, the film revisits the project’s origins, its most pivotal moments, and the individuals who have contributed to its development over the years. A central theme of the film is the network of collaborations, ideas, and personal connections that the Ambasador project has fostered, bridging different generations and segments of the scene. Following the screening, the award’s founder, Goran Tomašević, addressed the audience and those present, noting from the stage: “No project can come into being without enthusiasm and love—especially when it comes to art. It was precisely on the wings of this energy that Klubska Scena was created 25 years ago, followed by Ambasador 10 years ago. However, for someone’s vision to truly come to life, one needs a community and a high-quality team. It is the people who share that same energy, believe in the idea, and are ready to build it together—that is what gives a project its strength and allows it to endure.”
A special highlight of the anniversary evening was the appearance of one of the greatest icons of the Croatian music scene. Zdenka Kovačićek—who, back in the late 1970s, released “Elektra,” the first electronic track in this region—was met with great enthusiasm from the audience. She presented the “Ambasador” award for Album of the Year, which went to Andrea Ljekaj for his album “Kajdanka.”
The title of DJ of the Year once again went to DJ Jock, who reaffirmed his position at the very top of the scene. Upon accepting the award, he said: “Thank you to the audience for this award and for supporting me all these years—without you, I wouldn’t be here.”
It is also worth highlighting a category that demonstrated how electronic music can connect with other areas of culture and society. The award for Best New Project went to “Natura Electronica,” an initiative launched by Panic Room Croatia and the Croatian Natural History Museum. This audiovisual project explores the intersections between electronic music, natural phenomena, art, and technology. Panic Room Croatia suggested that other institutions should follow the example set by the Croatian Natural History Museum, while the museum emphasized the importance of opening up spaces to new forms of cultural content, such as electronic music.
The award for Band/Live Act of the Year went to ABOP, following a major year marked by their highly acclaimed album, “Masters of Afters.” On behalf of the band, member Ivan Levačić Eleven accepted the Ambassador award, stating: “ABOP is much better than when it’s just me playing. Believe me! We’re going to keep on rocking—an exciting 2027 awaits us. But first, let’s celebrate all the awards and hang out—that’s my favorite part of the evening.”
Among the most prestigious awards—determined by public vote—are projects and venues that defined the past year. The “Event of the Year” title went to the appearance of the legendary Carl Cox at Cave Romane, organized by BSH Events, while Barbarella’s in Pirovac took home the award for “Major Club of the Year.” Zagreb’s Masters was named “Best Small Club,” and the “Club Night of the Year” award went to Future Scope, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The title of “Boutique Festival of the Year” was awarded to Flows Festival, which has been held on the island of Ugljan for several years.
This milestone edition also featured two special organizer awards for “Outstanding Contribution to the Scene.” DJ Max was recognized for 30 years of hosting the radio show “Welcome To The Club” on the Second Program of Croatian Radio, while Nick Colgan was honored to mark the 20th anniversary of the inception of The Garden Festival—the event that sparked a festival revolution in Croatia.
Over the course of ten years, the Ambasador awards have established a strong regional character, a fact further underscored by this year’s winners. The title of Regional DJ of the Year went to the Slovenian artist Dash, while the award for Regional Event of the Year was presented to the exclusive appearance by Charlotte de Witte beneath the Ada Bridge in Belgrade. The event was co-organized by Croatia’s BSH Events and Serbia’s Lovefest, once again demonstrating how collaboration between stakeholders from different countries can pave the way for major regional projects.
This milestone edition of the Ambasador awards also featured an extensive cultural and artistic program. The ceremony itself included performances by Eleven Live, Neon Lies, and Plazmatick, while the pre-ceremony program offered a warm-up set by the young DJ Dvornykova, an exhibition titled “Soup of the Night” by Alma Drnovac, a small record fair, and a presentation of Ableton—one of the leading software platforms for music production. Following the official portion of the evening, the tenth-anniversary celebration continued with an afterparty, featuring a closing DJ set by Split-based artist Malesh.
All of the award winners are listed below:
CROATIAN AUDIENCE AWARDS
BEST NEW PROJECT
Natura Electronica
(Panic Room Croatia x Croatian Natural History Museum)
RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR
Radioteka (HR 2nd Program)
PROMOTER / COLLECTIVE OF THE YEAR
Kućna Glazba
CLUB NIGHT OF THE YEAR
Future Scope
BEST SMALL CLUB
Masters (Zagreb)
BEST LARGE CLUB
Barbarella’s (Pirovac)
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Carl Cox @ Cave Romane (BSH Events)
BEST INDEPENDENT / DIY CULTURE FESTIVAL
DnB United Vol. 3
BOUTIQUE FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Flows Festival
DJ OF THE YEAR
DJ Jock
CROATIAN PROFESSION AWARDS
NEXT GEN
Anja D
GRAPHIC DESIGN OF THE YEAR
Arya Perišić – vinyl design for Jan Kinčl “Lights Out” Cycle 06
SOUND SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
Sound system Prevara
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Yakov – Okno (Atje)
REMIX OF THE YEAR
KiKlop – “Kao ja” (Music kitchen & Denz remix)
VINYL RELEASE OF THE YEAR
Jan Kinčl – Lights Out (Cycle)
ALBUM / COMPILATION OF THE YEAR
Andrea Ljekaj – Kajdanka (Atje)
ORGANIZER’S AWARDS
AWARD FOR SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCENE
The Garden Productions
– 20 years since the creation of The Garden festival and the beginning of the festival revolution in Croatia
Welcome to the Club
– 30 years on the air: DJ Max and the show on Croatian Radio’s Second Program
REGIONAL PUBLIC AWARDS
REGIONAL PROMOTER / TEAM OF THE YEAR
ØOMO
THE BEST REGIONAL CLUB
Silver and Smoke (Sarajevo)
REGIONAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Charlotte De Witte @ Bridge on Ada (Lovefest x BSH Events)
REGIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
Lovefest
REGIONAL DJ OF THE YEAR
Dash
REGIONAL PROFESSION AWARDS
NEXT GEN
Dakman
REGIONAL SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Pessto – That’s What My Life’s Like (Diynamic)
ALBUM / COMPILATION OF THE YEAR IN THE REGION
Haris Pilton & Balkan Voodoo Orchestra – Gipsy & Balkan Dub
BAND / LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR IN CROATIA AND THE REGION
ABOP
