DUBAI: XP Music Futures, the annual music conference born in Saudi Arabia, has announced the return of Storm Shaker, a DJ competition held every year and designed to unearth the region’s most exceptional talent. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle With a prize offering the opportunity to perform at MDLBEAST’s prestigious SOUNDSTORM festival, aspiring DJs are invited to showcase their skills, with submissions closing on Aug. 24. Last year’s winner, Joj, said: “Give your dreams all you’ve got, it’s not enough to be talented, you need to hustle to be the winner. It was a pleasurable experience to sway people to my sound, to many more dancefloors to come.” The competition welcomes DJs from throughout the Middle East and North Africa region to submit their mixes, showcasing their signature sound. A panel of judges, including industry veterans, top DJs, and producers, will evaluate each submission based on creativity, technical prowess, originality, and audience engagement. Matt Dicks, MDLBEAST’s executive director of music and talent, said: “The local scene is growing every day, and one of the biggest growth factors is that more talent is rising to the challenge of performing in public. “Storm Shaker is a way for us to tap into fresh talent, encourage future artists, and grow our scene year after year.” The grand prize for the ultimate Storm Shaker champion is the chance to perform live at SOUNDSTORM, playing to thousands of festivalgoers and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry. Last year’s festival saw artists such as Bruno Mars, DJ Khaled, and rapper Post Malone take center stage, with more than 600,000 fans attending the three-day event. In addition, the initiative will be supported by Berklee Abu Dhabi as well as DJ Corner and Pangaia, each adding prizes to the winner of the competition. XP Music Futures is an annual music conference dedicated to accelerating the development of the music scene in the MENA region through various initiatives while also creating mutual opportunities for the global music community. Past attendees have included high-profile names such as Mathew Knowles, Amy Thomson, David Guetta, and Elyanna. The 2023 flagship conference will take place in Riyadh from Dec. 7 to 9.