KERRI MASON: BORN UNDER A DISCO BALL

But as we started to establish the program we realized we were filling a need. There's no other space in which nightlife excellence gets honored, at least in the U.S. Now, owners and promoters are flat-out obsessed with winning these things! We give out disco globes for everything from Best Superclub to Best Resident VJ and Best Sound System. The ceremony takes place in Miami during Winter Music Conference."

Dance music events got bigger and bigger over the years. How about the role of clubs today?
"Clubs are as important as they ever were, and will continue to be, because most dance/electronic acts could not have careers without them. Clubs need to book DJs week by week: That consistency is what fires the industry's engine. They're also our conversion grounds; where most people get their first dose of dance music. I'm constantly shocked at how much other industry entities - record labels, artist managers and booking agencies - take nightclubs for granted. These guys are usually fighting city hall, just to stay open."

You joined Billboard in 2005 as their dance music columnist. That must have been a dream come true! Were you ever nervous interviewing someone?
"Totally a dream, and an honor. I cover dance music for them, plus whatever other stories and ideas float my way, about all genres. I was most nervous about a giant, multi-page Swizz Beatz assignment in 2007: I know my hip-hop but I'm no expert, and a writer not having an informed perspective on their subject is the cardinal sin. Plus, I had to interview Diddy and Alicia Keys about their feelings on Swizz. Diddy was a trip: A thinker and a total gentleman. Alicia was as lovely and gracious as she seems. Sometimes stars surprise you in good ways. I also review a new album every week: About to write my Jonas Brothers review right now, if you can believe it. As a critic, you can't ever lose your respect for pop music."

Talking about that. It seems only positive things are written about dance music artists. It's almost surreal...
"Martin Luther King once said, "I judge people by their principles – not my own." That's how writers should undertake criticism, I think. Too much about dance music is written by either fans or haters. Lambasting a commercial remix because you like minimal, or panning drum 'n' bass because you like soulful house, is just self-defeating for the genre as a whole. The same works in reverse: Praising everything that the DJ who blew your mind at a rave in 1997 ever puts out is just silly. You have to look at a project based on its own merits, and independently of your own taste. I think a lot of people who review music, especially in this blogorama period we're in, forget that. If I were a DJ or a celebrity, people would listen to me because they shared or were interested in my taste. But I'm a staff writer for a single magazine, not a personality, so I try to be more measured."

Don't underestimate yourself. You could easily make or break a record. Are you always honest?
"I'm always honest: There is no reason not to be. But it's all in how

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