LP Giobbi presented this new award by first sharing its backstory, with the prize named for Carolyn Horn, who was LP’s piano teacher from childhood through high school and who passed away in 2023.
“The mirror Carolyn held up to me was one of my favorite ones,” LP told the audience. “In her eyes I was joy, I was infinite love, I was completely unstoppable. The older I get, the more I realize how rare and how lucky I was to be seen with that kind of belief that early on.” LP went on to say that when Horn was 50, she want back to school to study electronic music at the University of Oregon, entering a program where she was the only woman, and the only person over the age of 21. “Looking back I can see how deeply that shaped me,” LP said. “If Carolyn were still alive, she would’ve loved this room.”
LP then called award recipient Mary Droppinz to the stage, calling out the bass producer’s style, persistence, fearlessness and commitment to joy and connection through music as some of the reasons she won.
In turn, Droppinz acknowledged LP in her acceptance speech, saying that “You didn’t just support me, but you were one of the first people to give me a chance in this industry… From the beginning we aligned on something deep, and it’s about energy and sisterhood. This is about spreading love through music, and that has stayed with me ever since.”
She also dedicated her award “To the artist community, it is really everything, and to my parents. Being from Nebraska, when I first told them I was going to be a DJ, they were worried, and now seeing them at Red Rocks with their hands in the air dancing their a–es off proud of me, you can’t put a price on that… This award inspires me to continue pushing forward as a woman in electronic dance music, bringing unapologetic radical self-expression through music, style, dance, joy, acceptance and connection through all communities across the globe.”
At this, the crowd exploded in cheers.