The best female DJs in the world
In an industry plagued by gender disparities, these DJs still stand out from the crowd. Here are the best female DJs in the world.
Date published: 8th Mar 2024
Let’s face it; the electronic music landscape is a very male-dominated one. The first image that pops into some people's heads when they picture a DJ might be Calvin Harris or Ben Hemsley fronting an Ibiza residency, or even the more anonymous types like a Marshmello manning the decks. If you thought of a female DJ, good for you, but it’s undeniable how testosterone-tinged the scene really is.
In reality, despite the gender disparities present in the industry, many of the most innovative and talented DJs out and about right now are women, so what better time than now to celebrate that? Here are our picks for the best female DJs in the world.
Image: Peggy Gou / Facebook.com
Undoubtedly one of the coolest DJs around, Peggy Gou has drawn plaudits for her kinetic, eclectic sound and vibrant, atmospheric sets. The Berlin-based South Korean artist has a sound that sits between Detroit, London and Germany while bouncing around a deep house sound with flecks of techno and broken beats.
Her rapid rise has seen her be the first Korean DJ to play at Berlin’s Berghain while also becoming a regular at some of the most renowned festivals on the circuit, like Glastonbury, Creamfields and Primavera. Add in her record label, clothing line and Pleasure Gardens Festival, and you’ve got Gou having the entire industry fall at her feet, us included.
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Image: Charlotte De Witte / Facebook.com
In the distant past, a Belgian wunderkind called Raving George was gathering hype in the underground electro scene, releasing acclaimed EPs and performing at Tomorrowland. After seven years, however, Charlotte De Witt abandoned the alias and began releasing music under her own name, and hasn’t looked back since.
For an artist who admitted that production didn’t come to her naturally, De Witt has amassed an incredible discography and is safely considered one of the most in-demand and beloved techno DJs in the world right now. Her achievements include being the first female and techno act to close Tomorrowland’s main stage while her beloved sound, a fusion of dark, stripped-back acid techno with minimal touches, keeps fans coming back for more.
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Image: Honey Dijon / Facebook.com
Born and raised in Chicago, the home of house itself, Honey took inspiration from soul and R&B music, which her parents showered her with in her youth. Thanks to her friendship with future mentor Derrick Carter, Honey began to cut her teeth in the underground scene, sending her on a path to New York to develop her craft.
Since then, she hasn’t looked back. Sold-out events and immaculate vibes are her specialty, while her infectious house and disco-fused sound has made her a must-see at any event that bears her name. Honey has continued to smash it well into the 2020s, amassing remix collabs with the likes of Beyonce, Christine and the Queens and Lady Gaga. What can’t she do?
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Image: Amelie Lens / Facebook.com
Typically spotted on the main stage at some of the biggest techno events in the world, the Belgian is one of the top female DJs thanks to her highly regarded sets and colossal Exhale events.
Lens began her DJ career working free time during her modelling days, and dedicated herself to the craft fully in 2014. Having been raised on a steady diet of industrial rock and electronic, the bass-heavy, minimal techno of her early career has shifted in recent times to more high-energy mixes of acid house, tribal influences and contemporary techno.
She’s only in her early thirties, but Lens has achieved what most DJs could only dream of thanks to her Exhale events, which have blown up across various European venues and events. Who knows what else she’s got in store?
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Image: Deborah De Luca / Facebook.com
Before taking on a full-fledged DJ career, Deborah De Luca led many lives. Hailing from the northern Neapolitan suburb of Scampia, De Luca’s career pursuits in the music industry were supported by stints as a waitress and a dancer, along with an initial desire to enter the world of fashion design. Luckily for us though, she returned to her true passion.
Now the most coveted DJ in Italy, De Luca’s music is a masterful blend of hard and minimal techno, and her talents have led to her playing in clubs across the world. France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Morocco, Malaysia, Indonesia and more have all been graced by her presence. If you spun a globe and picked a place at random, chances are Deborah De Luca’s played there.
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Image: Alison Wonderland / Facebook.com
When Annie Mac describes someone’s set as “the best party set I’ve heard in a long time”, you’d better sit up and take notice. With two consecutive Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart to her name, Alison Wonderland has been killing it for well over a decade now. Did we mention she’s also the highest female DJ billing in history at Coachella?
Born in Sydney and raised as a classical musician with a cello in hand, Alexandra Sholler took her encyclopaedic music knowledge to the decks, blending several electronic styles including EDM, electropop, future bass and trap.
Since her breakthrough in the early 2010s, Americans and Aussies have come to know her as a frequent guest at some of their biggest electronic festivals like EDC and Southbound Festival, where she always brings a massive crowd. You’d think Alison wouldn’t need to improve anymore, but she finds a way somehow!
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Image: The Blessed Madonna / Facebook.com
She’s rubbed shoulders with Madonna, Dua Lipa and Fred Again, has occasionally hopped onto a slot on BBC Radio 6 Music and is considered one of the most exciting turntablists on the map. Of course we’re on about The Blessed Madonna!
After dropping out of high school in 1990s Kentucky, Marea Stamper started selling mixtapes by underground DJs at raves. Two decades, a stint in college radio and many singles and EPs later, The Blessed Madonna (as Stamper was now known as) is a woman with plenty of milestones to her name.
In 2013, she became the first ever woman to helm the curation of the club Smartbar, the oldest independent dance music venue in the world, while in 2016 she was the first woman to be named DJ Mag’s ‘DJ of the Year’. Still to this day, she’s rampant on the festival circuit. Talk about iconic.
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Image: NERVO / Facebook.com
Aussie twins Olivia and Miriam Nervo have been a consistent presence in EDM since they first popped up in the late 2000s. Their songwriting discography is as impressive as it dense, having penned tracks for David Guetta, Avicii and Armin van Buuren to name a few, but it’s their DJ sets that keep people coming back for more.
The festivals the twins have got under their belts are a DJ’s bucket list. Whether that be Creamfields, Tomorrowland, EDC or Lollapalooza, they’ve already crossed it off the list. Add to that a constant spot on DJ Magazine’s Top 100 since 2012 and you have two of the top women DJs around.
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Image: Nina Kraviz / Facebook.com
Hailing from Siberia, Nina Kraviz moved to Moscow with the intent to study dentistry, before falling back under the spell of house music. A brief stint as part of the MySpaceRocket trio subsided when she went solo in 2009, and she’s been having a stellar career ever since.
After discovering the magic of house in the late 90’s, Nina’s work includes juggling genres like techno, tech house and electronica, while giving way to a litany of lauded tracks, labels and mixes. Her career has been long and varied and her influence still looms, thanks to her 2011 single ‘Ghetto Kraviz’ remaining an enduring club track, while her improvisational, off-the-cuff sets have made her an endearing presence at most major festivals.
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Image: Nora En Pure / Facebook.com
If back-to-back Best Female House Artist wins at the 2019 & 2020 International Dance Music Awards were any indication, Nora En Pure is the real deal.
Born in South Africa and raised in Switzerland, Daniela Di Lillo began to make waves under her pseudonym in the 2010s thanks to a skilful weaving together of her South African roots with some classical, dance and indie influences. Like many of the women on this list, Nora’s musical palette is wide-reaching, owing to her musical upbringing, and has used her know-how to master the art of deep house.
The lucky ones will be able to catch Nora En Pure at most major festivals, but failing that make sure you Sirius XM Chill satellite radio every Saturday at 10pm, where she plays a quality deep house radio show.
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Image: MATTN / Facebook.com
Belgium is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to women DJs, as hailing from Antwerp we have MATTN. Having been hailed throughout her career as one of the most exciting young female artists in the electronic music scene, MATTN’s arena-worthy beats and exciting melodies have helped draw audiences from all over the world.
Thanks to a blend of underground and mainstage appeal, MATTN has always risen through the ranks with an air of mystery. All we can say for sure is that she’s driven by a relentless hunger for dance music.
Her kinetic stage presence has helped MATTN travel far and wide, from Ibiza superclubs to joining dance legends at Tomorrowland, culminating in her becoming the first female artist to appear on Smash The House. She isn’t one to let her gender define her, but it still wouldn’t feel right to leave her out when discussing the top female DJs.
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Image: Hannah Laing / Facebook.com
The devil works hard but Hannah Laing works harder. Aside from having the glorious accolade of being Skiddle’s artist of the year in 2023, the Dundee DJ and producer has been hitting career highs over the last twelve months and is still on the up.
As a former dental nurse, Hannah had one of the more difficult jobs to juggle while pursuing music on the side, but she made it work. A calendar year touring on weekends, working at her dental practice, and studio sessions after work until the early hours may sound like fun to some, but such a schedule proved to be unsustainable after a while. She took the plunge, quit her job and focused on music full-time. It definitely paid off.
Hannah’s game is high-energy trance and techno, and it’s safe to say that she’s a master at both genres. Her dizzying rise has included slots at some of the best clubs in Ibiza, The Warehouse Project, Creamfields, FLY Open Air and more. Her ascension is far from over, so make sure you watch this space to see what she does next.
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Image: Lilly Palmer / Facebook.com
Originally based in Zurich and now tearing it up in Amsterdam, Lilly Palmer has used her extensive knowledge and time spent with the blooming underground scene to become one of electronic music’s most hyped artists.
As another top woman DJ that Germany can proudly claim as one of their own. Palmer gained traction in Switzerland, where at just 17 she began to learn the ways after discovering minimal techno. Like most of the women on this list her schedule is rarely clear, as she runs her own label and still tours regularly, and even made her New York debut in 2023.
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Image: Nicole Moudaber / Facebook.com
Nicole Moudaber is a difficult artist to define in few words. Born in Nigeria, raised in Lebanon and based in London, she has made her name amongst techno fanatics for her award-winning radio show In The Mood as well as her work as a promoter, record label founder and of course when she’s behind the decks.
Worn down by Lebanon’s ultra-conservative politics, Moudaber wound up in London and caught the attention of house legend Carl Cox, who signed her to his record label in 2009. Once she established her own label MOOD Records in 2013, followed by her radio show the following year, Moudaber really hit the big time and shows no signs of slowing down. She’s also noted for her rampant charity and philanthropy work, if she couldn’t get any better.
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Image: Anja Schneider / Facebook.com
A tireless creative tour-de-force, Anja Schneider is a captivating presence in electronic music thanks to her Sous Music record label, DJing and production work.
The German turntablist got her start as a producer for Kiss FM and Fritz Radio, and firmly established herself with her Dance of the Blue Moon show at the turn of the millennium, introducing a generation of Berliners to electronic music. Her debut tracks trickled out in 2004 and she’s hardly had time to look back since.
With her Sous Music record label - which she founded in 2017 and described as a personal career highlight- her acclaimed releases which have been busier than ever and a constantly active tour schedule, Schneider has been rampant. We just don’t know how she fits it all in.
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And there we have it, the best female DJs in the world right now! If you liked this, check out our picks for the best DJ sets along with Skiddle's picks for the best DJs of all time.
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