John O’Callaghan won the two most prestigious categories in the Irish Dance Music Awards for the second year running earlier this month.

The trance phenomenon scooped Best DJ and Best Producer at the well-attended ceremony at the Tivoli Theatre. The Navan native also remixed the winner in the Best Single category, ‘Full Tiltin’’ by Donegal duo Timmy & Tommy.
The two north west DJs were also double winners, deservedly receiving Best Record Label for their consistently brilliant Full Tilt stamp. John Reynolds’ PoD empire was the third double winner, walking away with the trophies for Best Club under 600 (for PoD) and Best Promoter (for 515).
The fourth double winners were Japanese Popstars. The Northern trio – who’ve just remixed the new single from one of the most influential bands of the ’80s – nabbed Best Live Act for the second year in succession and romped home with Best Album for We Just Are.
Sixteen-year-old sensation Reuben Keeney was the toast of the ceremony. The Donegal techno whiz, who has released tunes on Monu Digital and is championed by Fergie, won Best Newcomer. Keep an eye on Reuben’s Localized Records stamp in 2009.
RTÉ Radio 2FM dance guru Mr Spring was thrilled to win Best Radio Show, and joined this scribe for the world’s first ever Sound Crowd reunion towards the end of the IDMA ceremony.
We both took to the stage alongside Tara Murray to pay tribute to her father Billy Murray, who was the deserving winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Murray’s Abbey Discs closed last December after 25 years as the country’s number one record shop for DJs, a victim of the digital age and the economic downturn combined.
The legend’s honour got the biggest cheer of the night, and Sound Crowd’s hastily arranged presence onstage noted how much support he gave our Red Records label in the early ’90s, when we sold thousands of 12-inch singles through his legendary shop in the Abbey Mall on Liffey Street thanks to Murray’s tireless backing of our work.
The Abbey Dance label founder was away in Spain when the IDMA ceremony took place, but he phoned Hot Press to thank all of the clubbers and DJs who voted for him.
The recipient of the second biggest cheer of the night was techno DJ, record shop owner and clubland activist Sunil Sharpe, who was presented with a Best Contribution To The Scene award for his Give Us The Night campaign for more liberal late night licensing laws.
The winner of Best Club over 600 was Kelly’s in Portrush, County Derry, where Col Hamilton’s Lush! has been based for the past 13 years.
Hoping to emulate that sort of lengthy run will be the team behind Filth, which won Best New Club Night.
This columnist was chuffed to see one of the most unsung heroes of the scene, Darren Rice, win the hard-fought Best Resident DJ category. Darren’s Beat FM slot is the most listened to radio show on Saturday nights in the south east.
The Best Festival gong went to Planetlove, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last September at Shane’s Castle in County Antrim, making it the longest running music event on the island.
Its success at the IDMA was no doubt assisted by its sister festival in Fairyhouse Racecourse last June. Hot Press can confirm that Planetlove is returning to the Ratoath venue this year on June 6.
The seventeenth award was in the new Best VJ category. The first to take it away was Charlie Doran, a.k.a. Cool Hand Luke whose work at such clubs and festivals as Tripod and Electric Picnic is widely acclaimed in the industry.
The most pleasing aspect of the IDMA was the huge turnout by those within clubland, as remarked upon by the night’s big star, John O’Callaghan, whose eagerly anticipated 'Surreal' single is released on March 9.
“I was delighted to win the awards,” he told Hot Press. “Thanks very much to everybody who voted for me. It was a great night with a huge turnout of DJs, club owners and promoters. Congratulations to all of the other winners.” ...THE BEAT GOES ON!