HAAi wins BBC Essential Mix 2018 award

HAAi has won BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix of the Year 2018. 

The Australian-born, London-based player, who held a residency at Phonox for two years and runs the Coconut Beats label and party series, managed to emerge victorious from a shortlist including heavyweights such as Ricardo Villalobos, Avalon Emerson and Four Tet. 

The mix, which was originally broadcast in September, veers between off-kilter global house and curveball techno, and was aired for a second time on Friday 28th December. 

Last year, former DJ Mag cover star and associate of Hamburg's iconic Golden Pudel club, Helena Hauff, claimed the same accolade. As a result she joined faces such as Pete Tong, Monki and Danny Howard on the judging panel this time round. 

Head to the official Radio 1 Essential Mix page to hear the award-winning mix in full, and read what happened when we posed ten tough questions to HAAi last summer.