Last Saturday, we attended the fourth edition of the Independent Music Journalists’ Award Elector, at Tvornica Kulture in Zagreb. The award was presented to artists in 12 different categories, with the winner of the DJ of the Year category selected by the audience, while the remaining categories were judged by a panel of 38 jury members, including journalists from our portal – Barbara Martinović, Ena Gašparac, and Gracija Pleština.

The evening featured numerous performances by the nominees, with the entire program hosted by Ida Prester. Many well-known DJs, industry colleagues, jury members, and various guests attended the event, as the entire ceremony was open to the public.
The energy of the evening was exceptional, as was the production and organization of the entire event – just as befits an occasion that celebrates the ever-growing electronic music scene in Croatia. The night began and ended with performances by the nominees in the New (S)elector of the Year category: Arya P, Einfakinn, Ela, Karlita, and Marcela, who took home the award as a major encouragement for the successful start of her career.



Marcela is a young and promising DJ from Zagreb who won over the audience with her combination of deep house, deep tech, minimal, and soulful house. She has performed in clubs in Zagreb, Rijeka, and neighboring Slovenia and is also a member of the UMC Events collective.

She shared her first impressions with Glazba.hr after receiving the award: “Incredible, unexpected – this is my second award so far, and I really didn’t expect it. I’m truly overjoyed.” She also shared her experience of performing after the ceremony and announced her next gig: “A little nervous, but really, really nice – I can see people vibing to the music. My next performance is at Depo on February 8.”
The jury, consisting of 38 journalists from prominent domestic media, nominated and then selected the winners of the prestigious statues in two rounds. Egoless and Ivan Komlinović each went home with two Elector statues, and here is the full list of winners.
In the category of Electro Pop Single/EP of the Year, the winners were Nipplepeople and Filip Mitrović with the single “Ti i ja“. The Electronica (Alternative) genre was full of surprises, with Plazmatick and the single “Južina“ taking the win. Plazmatick is the pseudonym of Marko Mihalinec, a longtime electronic music producer based in Zagreb.

Croatian multi-instrumentalist and producer Ognjen Zečević, who has been musically active under the pseudonym Egoless since 2009, released an outstanding record that earned him the award for Bass Single/EP of the Year. “Vitae Eterna“ is reminiscent of his earlier work under the alias Afro Dub System and was featured on the album “DUBTERNAL”. Tom Bug and Grooveline have been collaborating since 2002, and with their EP “Treat Me Right“, they announced their first joint album “Copy Machine“. It was “Treat Me Right“ that won the award for House Single/EP of the Year.

In the Techno Single/EP of the Year category, the award went to Ivan Komlinović for his EP “Trigger’s Broom“, which, in addition to the original, includes remixes by Luka Tralić Shot from the group Elemental, sessiondigger, and Jan Kinčl. Komlinović was also named Producer of the Year for the Elector award, chosen by his fellow producers.

Here’s what Komlinović told Glazba.hr: “I didn’t even know there was an award for Producer of the Year, it feels great – it’s always nice when someone notices your work. This is especially meaningful because my colleagues are looking at a niche that the audience might not always see in the same way. It’s nice when your colleagues appreciate what you do.“
The Event of the Year (2024) was the MO:DEM Festival, held in Donje Primišlje, while DJ of the Year, as decided by the public for the second year in a row, was DJ Jock. The Digital Bestseller award went to Matroda.

DJ Jock also shared his impressions with Glazba.hr: “Amazing, beautiful, I’m happy and grateful to everyone. It’s been a great year, lots of partiesv – I played almost every weekend, and every set was special in its own way. I plan to continue just like before, playing more and releasing the music I’ve been working on, always the same approach.“
The Remix of the Year award went to Ilija Rudman for his remix of “Palmižana“ from Antonia Zuza’s EP “Paloma“. Multi-instrumentalist and producer Ognjen Zečević, known as Egoless, released a new album last year, “Dubternal“, under the British record label Deep Medi Musik. The album “Dubternal” won in the prestigious Album of the Year category.
The stage featured some of the most exciting names from the domestic music scene, including Banana Zvuk, Chui, Ivan Komlinović, Ivan Grobenski, Ki Klop, and Plazmatick, whose performances further elevated the atmosphere and got the audience dancing. A special surprise at the beginning and end of the ceremony were the Voguing dancers, who received well-deserved applause from the audience. The Elector afterparty, featuring the young talents from the New (S)elector category, lasted long into the night.

“The local electronic scene has once again showcased its brilliance, and we congratulate all the winners! The fourth edition of Elector is behind us, celebrating the best of 2024, and we believe that 2025 will bring even more surprises and new music to the scene,” the organizers stated.

The Elector Award was initiated by the DJ Section of the Croatian Music Union and the Croatian Composers’ Society. The co-producer is Tvornica Kulture, and the organizer is Unison – the Croatian Music Alliance. The award is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb.






