Markus Shulz

Outside of the Ibiza season, the most important and anticipated period of the dance music calendar is Winter Music Conference week in Miami. It is the time of year where DJs roadtest tracks which will become the major players in the playlists of masses in the next six months.

One of the most important aspects of Conference Week is the awards ceremony reflecting the best in International Dance Music, the IDMAs. The categories are so competitive that even being shortlisted for nomination is quite an achievement. This year, our very own Markus Schulz has accomplished just that, being nominated in two categories, for the award of Best American DJ and Best Full Length DJ Mix.



Despite being born in Germany and living there until he was 13 years old, Markus has forever been considered an embassador for dance music in the United States, living in both Phoenix and Miami for many, many years. With his residences at famous clubs such as The Works and Club Space, Markus congregated a small but dedicated audience who believed in his dark, brooding Coldharbour sound.

Over the past five years however, his popularity has soared worldwide, playing at the biggest clubs, arenas and festivals on a regular basis, and entertaining millions each week through his Global DJ Broadcast radio show, syndicated globally to over 20 FM and online stations, and Evolution, exclusively airing every Thursday on Sirus XM Radio channel Area.

2008 will be remembered as an incredible year for Markus, beginning with the release of his Amsterdam '08 compilation. The CD won rave reviews among loyal followers and opened the doors for many new fans to embrace his unique vision of trance. The summer would be dominated with residencies at Amnesia in Ibiza and at Ministry of Sound in London, before leading into the fall with an extensive North American tour.

One of the highlights for fans of Markus has been the attempt to describe his musical experiences being delivered to countries and cultures worldwide by introducing the concept of the Global DJ Broadcast World Tour. With stops in cities such as Vancouver, New York, Mexico City, San Francisco, Toronto and Las Vegas, the emotions of an audience enthralled in the live Markus Schulz experience have been captivated to great acclaim.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Markus begins 2009 with the worldwide release of Transmission anthem, The New World. In March, he will return to the Future Music Festival in Australia, before heading home at the end of the month to Miami, and will play at the Ultra Music Festival as part of the Winter Music Conference celebrations. At the same time, the followup to the IDMA nominated Amsterdam '08 compilation will be released, entitled Toronto '09, with a special release party at The Guvernment nightclub already planned.

It would therefore be quite fitting for the Miami resident to be awarded for his dedicated efforts to dance music, during the city's biggest week of the year.

If you would like to vote for Markus, please click on the banner below, or go to https://www.wintermusicconference.com/idmaballot/finalballot.php