The 2025 Technics DMC World DJ Championships made their first appearance in Asia this year, taking over Shibuya O-East in Tokyo. It was a notable shift in location for a competition that has usually been held in Europe or North America. Japan has produced several DMC world champions in the past, such as DJ Kentaro, DJ Rena, DJ Izoh, and DJ Matsunaga, and has a long-standing connection to the culture, so the choice of Tokyo felt less like a novelty stop and more like an overdue placement.
This year’s finals in Tokyo also carried extra ceremonial weight. The DMC World DJ Championships were founded in 1985, making the 2025 edition the 40th anniversary of the competition.
This year’s finals ran from October 10–12, 2025, with sessions scheduled across multiple venues. On Friday, October 10, an opening party kicked things off in Shibuya’s Studio Freedom. Saturday, October 11 centered on the main battles at Shibuya O-East with the Classic, Scratch, and Battle for Supremacy taking stage. The final day, Sunday, October 12, concluded the weekend at Harlem in Shibuya with the Open category and additional DJ showcases.
The Shibuya O-East venue was packed across both floors. The main hall stayed at full capacity from the first announcement through the final decision. A second bar and lounge provided an alternate space where DJs played while the live competition continued. An upstairs VIP level overlooked the floor and acted as a gathering point for judges, past champions, and invited guest. The lobby served as an archive and showroom for Technics, with various turntable models on display, the first DMC champion jacket, and a public set of turntables available for anyone to use. The room carried the sense that the event was not only a contest but also a meeting place for people connected to the scene across countries and generations.
Battle for Supremacy
The event opened with the Battle for Supremacy. Brazil’s DJ Raylan took first place and New Zealand’s K-Swizz finished second. Both DJs gave a good performance and showed they wanted it. While the crowd was generally supportive, the final decision drew disagreement from many observers in the room and on social platforms afterward. K-Swizz was widely named as the favorite in comments posted after the results, and several reactions claimed that he should have won not only Supremacy but later in the Classic as well. Honestly, I thought for sure it was going to be K-Swizz as well. The judges ruled in favor of Raylan, identifying a level of skill that I’m sure I missed. Other listed contenders in the Supremacy category included Japan’s DJ NOLLI and England’s Tommy P Nuts.
One recurring issue noted by attendees was the sound mix. The bass presence in several routines was dense enough to reduce the clarity of the scratches. Several people in the crowd nearby identified this as a pattern they have heard from some European DJs who favor full sub low-end beds beneath their routines. The masking effect was noticeable in a competition defined by precision.
Scratch Battle
France’s Aociz won the Scratch Battle, defending his title from the previous year. Throughout the rounds Aociz showed why he was a defending champion. Japan’s DJ Keita finished in second place but he didn’t make it easy for France’s representative. His performance not only displayed his skills on the wheels but a lot of entertaining personality as well. The contender list included Thailand’s DJ Slum, Czechoslovakia’s Tentato, the Middle East’s DJ Michelle at age thirteen, Germany’s NelsonX, France’s Aociz, and Russia’s DJ Chell. DJ Michelle was clearly a standout, not only for her age and skill, but also being the only female in the battle. She’s also the first-ever DMC Middle East Champion in the Scratch category. A later noted set of finalists in the category included NelsonX, DJ Michelle, DJ Kona of Japan, and DJ Slum. Aociz’s return to the top of the category reinforced his status, and Keita’s result earned a strong reception from the home audience.
Classic
Japan’s DJ FUMMY won the Classic category. K-Swizz of New Zealand placed second. The Kid RC3 of the United States finished third. The result for FUMMY carried additional weight given the location. Japan had some serious homegrown contenders and took home a dub. The Classic category is still treated as the core of the DMC format, and a win on home ground during the first Tokyo staging delivered a clear headline. The contender list spanned Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Thailand, Czechoslovakia, China, the Middle East, Germany, West Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, and Poland. The geographic range of the field reflected the reach of the culture.
That cultural diversity was evident in the building. Walking through the crowd, a variety of languages will being spoken. Everyone came together for this competition full of talent and dedication born out of the culture of Hip Hop. It was awe-inspiring.
Additional Program Elements
Former world champion DJ Kentaro was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He appeared with his family on stage and received a sustained response from the audience. The moment served as a recognition of Japan’s history within the DMC timeline and provided a link between the past and the present field of competitors.
In addition to the competition results, the 2025 event featured a major honor for Japanese turntablist DJ Honda. He was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the DMC World organization, marking his longstanding influence on hip-hop DJ culture both in Japan and abroad. The award presentation took place on Saturday of the finals weekend, timed to coincide with the broader celebration of the event’s 40th anniversary. The moment reinforced how the DMC platform acknowledges not only the emerging talent but also the pioneers who helped shape the scene.
The organizers also announced the creation of the VRDJ World Championships, a remote competition format using VR headsets that allows DJs to compete from any location. Darcy Kong was named the first VRDJ champion, with the announcement delivered by a rep for Tribexr.com. The introduction signaled an interest in extending the competition framework into alternative spaces beyond physical venues, while still staging the in-person finals in Tokyo.
The 2025 DMC World Championships in Tokyo delivered outcomes that will be debated, performances that will be rewatched, and a setting that marked a shift in the event’s geography. The presence of contenders from multiple regions on one stage, the return of a defending champion in the Scratch category, the home-country win in the Classic, the disputed judging in Supremacy, and the introduction of a virtual competition format all contributed to a finals year that will be referenced in future seasons. The event demonstrated continuity of form while expanding the map of where the championship can live and where the culture influences.
Read the full list of winners: DMC40 Official Results
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