Bruno Mars’ “Risk It All” launches at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. The song, from the star singer-songwriter’s new album, The Romantic — which likewise starts atop the U.S.-based Billboard 200 — is his third Global 200 leader, and first on his own (since the chart began in 2020), after “Die With a Smile,” with Lady Gaga, dominated for 18 weeks in September 2024 through last May and “APT.,” with ROSÉ, ruled for 12 weeks in November 2024-February 2025.

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Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” adds a fourth total and consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. The song has led following his Super Bowl LX halftime show performance Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif., where it was the closing cut in his set.

Plus, PinkPantheress’ “Stateside,” with Zara Larsson, flies 11-2 on the Global 200 and 15-2 on Global Excl. U.S. The song has heated up further since Alysa Liu skated to it in her exhibition performance at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Feb. 21, two days after she became the women’s figure skating champion, winning the first gold medal in the event for the U.S. in 24 years.

The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

“Risk It All” leads the Global 200 with 51.7 million streams and 9,000 sold worldwide in its first week of release (Feb. 27-March 5).

“Stateside” soars to No. 2 on the Global 200 with 52.4 million streams (up 60%) and 2,000 sold (up 14%) worldwide. PinkPantheress and Larsson each earn a second top 10 on the chart, and a new career-high rank, after “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” with Ice Spice (No. 3, 2023), and the revived “Lush Life” (No. 8, this January), respectively.

“DtMF” falls to No. 3 on the Global 200, after five weeks at No. 1 between January 2025 and last week; Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” drops to No. 4 from its No. 2 best; and Mars’ “I Just Might,” the lead single from The Romantic, rebounds 15-5 after it debuted at its No. 4 high.

“DtMF” tops Global Excl. U.S. with 35.2 million streams (down 14%) and 1,000 sold (down 13%) outside the U.S.

“Stateside” pirouettes to No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S., becoming, as on the Global 200, PinkPantheress and Larsson’s second top 10 and highest-charting song each.

Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” falls 2-3 after eight weeks leading Global Excl. U.S. between October and February and “Man I Need” keeps at No. 4 after reaching No. 3.

Plus, “Risk It All” opens at No. 5 on Global Excl. U.S., where it’s Mars’ fifth top 10 (he boasts six on the Global 200) and “I Just Might” dances 18-7, after it debuted at its No. 4 peak.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated March 14) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 10. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.


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Wasserman Group has officially rebranded to THE·TEAM as the agency continues to hammer out the details after parting ways with now-controversial founder Casey Wasserman.

The name change, announced Monday (March 9), is a nod to the agency’s former moniker “Team Wass.” This follows the release of emails between Wasserman and convicted Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, leading to a mass exodus of music clients. Though nothing in the documents implicates Wasserman in a crime, he agreed earlier this month to sell his namesake agency to get past the “distraction.”

“For 24 years, this company has been shaped by our work, our people and our unifying belief in the power of Sports, Music and Entertainment,” THE·TEAM says in a statement announcing the new name. “That philosophy remains the foundation of who we are — and where we are going. We go forward as we always have: Together.”

Negotiations are still underway for the sale of Wasserman’s stake in the agency, which includes valuable sports, music and brand divisions. Forbes estimates that the entertainment mogul owns roughly 40% of the business, with the rest held by private investment firm Providence Equity Partners.

Wasserman’s name became controversial after it popped up in the millions of pages released on Jan. 30 by the Department of Justice as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. These files included risqué emails from 2003 between Wasserman, who was then married, and Maxwell, who is now serving prison time following her conviction for trafficking underage girls on Epstein’s behalf.

The exchanges between Wasserman and Maxwell occurred years before her crimes came to light, and nothing in the documents suggests that Wasserman engaged in any wrongdoing. But numerous artists departed the agency in the fallout, including Chappell Roan, Orville Peck and Sylvan Esso.

Wasserman announced his exit in a Feb. 13 company-wide memo, writing, “I’m deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort. It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about.”

“Our clients expect — and deserve — world-class representation. And that’s exactly what they get because of all of you,” wrote Wasserman at the time. “At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”

It’s not yet clear whether the newly-renamed THE·TEAM will be sold as a single entity or in parts, and the buyer (or buyers) have not yet been publicly identified. The sale could reshape the concert booking market, especially if a competitor like CAA, WME or UTA were to acquire the agency’s music division, which boasts clients including superstars Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, plus a heavy slate of dance acts like Skrillex, Rüfüs Du Sol and Swedish House Mafia. 

Additional reporting by Eric Renner Brown.

Tommy DeCarlo — lead vocalist for Boston — died on Monday (March 9) from brain cancer in Charlotte, N.C. He was 60.

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The singer’s family confirmed the news in a Facebook post. “After being diagnosed with brain cancer last September, he fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end,” they wrote.

DeCarlo was born on April 23, 1965, in Utica, N.Y. He discovered and became a fan of Boston in 1977, when he was 12. The band had debuted in 1976 with the Epic album Boston, which rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 138 weeks. The band’s next two albums, Don’t Look Back (1978), also on Epic, and Third Stage (1986), on MCA, both reached No. 1.

In the 1990s, DeCarlo began recording cover versions of his favorite Boston songs. In March 2007, original Boston lead singer Brad Delp died by suicide at age 55. DeCarlo wrote and recorded an original song about Delp and recorded a couple of Boston covers. His daughter suggested he post the songs on a MySpace page. DeCarlo sent a link to his MySpace page to Boston management. Not long after, he was contacted by Boston founding member Tom Scholz, who invited him to audition for the band. DeCarlo was the lead vocalist (or colead vocalist) for every subsequent touring lineup of Boston.

In 2013, Boston’s album Life Love & Hope reached No. 37 on the Billboard 200. DeCarlo sang lead vocals on the title track, “Someday,” “You Gave Up on Love (2.0)” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”

DeCarlo formed the band DECARLO with his son Tommy DeCarlo Jr. in 2012. The band signed a deal with Frontier Records Srl and released an album, Lightning Strikes Twice, in January 2020.

In November 2021, DeCarlo recorded and released the audiobook, Unlikely Rockstar – The Tommy DeCarlo Story.

In 2022, DeCarlo signed a solo record deal with Frontier Records for Dancing in the Moonlight, which was released in December 2022.)


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In the live music industry, gatherings are often built around networking, showcases and deal-making. But increasingly, a different kind of event is emerging — one in which culture, community and creativity are being mobilized in the service of social impact.

One recent example is Shukr, a London event that brought together artists, executives, founders and creatives during Ramadan at Royal Albert Hall (March 3). Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London since 2016, was also in attendance and spoke to the attendees. The evening centred on an iftar gathering – the meal that breaks the daily fast during the holy month – while also raising awareness and supporting organisations including Pillars Fund, a Muslim community foundation, and Road to Freedom, an anti-human trafficking charity.

While the music and entertainment industries have long hosted events that bring together culture and networking, Shukr positions itself slightly differently: as a space where community and creativity can also become a vehicle for philanthropy.

“The idea behind Shukr was to create a space during Ramadan where people from across our industry could come together, break bread and reconnect through shared values of gratitude, generosity, and community,” says Mohammad Qazalbash, vice president of business development at Live Nation Arabia.

“There are many industry events centered around networking, but very few rooted in culture and purpose for Muslims,” he adds. “Shukr was created to bring artists, founders and leaders around one table — not just to celebrate creativity, but to strengthen the community that sits behind it.”

The gathering first debuted in 2025 at London’s 180 House, before expanding to the Royal Albert Hall for its second edition this year. Hosting the event at one of the world’s most recognizable performance venues added symbolic weight to the evening.

“Ramadan is fundamentally about community and reflection, so hosting an iftar felt like the most natural way to bring people together,” Qazalbash says. “Holding it at the Royal Albert Hall made it even more meaningful. It’s one of the world’s most iconic cultural venues, and bringing a Ramadan gathering into that space felt symbolic — a reminder that our cultures and traditions belong in these rooms too.”

Beyond its setting, Shukr also reflects a broader cultural shift. Across the U.K. and globally, music-adjacent spaces are increasingly being used to mobilise communities and raise funds for humanitarian causes.

In the U.K., initiatives like BRITs Week regularly bring major artists into intimate venues across the country to raise funds for children affected by conflict through the charity War Child. Activist movements such as Love Music Hate Racism have similarly used concerts and cultural gatherings to promote anti-racism and social solidarity.

Meanwhile, large-scale events such as the Concert for Ukraine in 2022 with Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, and others on the line up demonstrated how music-led programming can mobilise audiences and fundraising efforts at a national scale. Shukr sits within this growing ecosystem of cultural initiatives — though its focus remains rooted in community-building within the creative industries.

In a moment when the global political climate often feels increasingly polarised, Qazalbash believes cultural gatherings have an important role to play.

“Moments like this matter, because culture has always been one of the few spaces where people can come together beyond politics,” he says. “Music, art and storytelling create shared experiences that remind us of our common humanity.”

Qazalbash says, “When people sit at the same table, share food, listen to music and hear each other’s stories, it becomes much harder to see one another through the lens of division. Shukr isn’t about politics, it’s about people. It’s about building bridges and strengthening communities at a time when the world often feels fragmented.”

The name of the event reflects that ethos. Derived from Arabic, Shukr translates to thankfulness and gratitude: values that shape both the spirit of the gathering and the philanthropic dimension behind it.

Looking ahead, Qazalbash hopes the platform will continue to grow beyond a single evening. Through his work across the live sector, he sees an opportunity for initiatives like this one to help create more supportive spaces for underrepresented communities within the creative industries.

“I’ve been fortunate to work across two regions, and one thing that’s clear to me is that in the U.K. we still have work to do when it comes to creating supported spaces where minority communities in the creative industries can come together,” he says.

He points to organizations like the Black Music Coalition as examples of how community-led platforms can provide mentorship, visibility and opportunity for professionals who might otherwise lack access to industry networks.

“My hope is that in the years to come, Shukr can play a similar role,” he adds. “Bringing Muslims and non-Muslims together through cultural exchange, mentorship and support for emerging talent.”

Like many initiatives that blend culture with community impact, the event also relies heavily on collaboration. This year’s gathering was made possible with support from the Royal Albert Hall alongside partners including Huda Beauty and Enchanted by Syma, who helped bring the evening to life.

For Qazalbash, that collaborative spirit is central to Shukr’s future. “The event wouldn’t be possible without partners who believed in the idea from the beginning,” he says.

At a time when the world often feels fragmented, gatherings like Shukr offer a reminder of what cultural spaces can achieve. When music, community, and purpose intersect, even a single evening can spark conversations, support charitable causes, and strengthen the networks that shape the creative industries.


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Doja Cat has come to the defense of ballet and opera. The Grammy-winning artist took a shot at Timothée Chalamet in a since-deleted TikTok on Sunday (March 8), following the Marty Supreme actor’s polarizing comments in February about both performance art disciplines.

Rocking a towel outside of the shower, Doja clapped at Chalamet in the viral clip while appearing to butcher his name with her pronunciation on purpose.

“Hey, by the way, opera is 400 years old, ballet is 500 years old. Somebody named Tim-ohtay Chalamet had the nerve — big guy, by the way — had the nerve to say, on camera, that nobody cares about it,” Doja began.

Essentially, Doja wants to see Chalamet put some respect on ballet and opera after he said “no one cares” about either right now.

“I’m sure you can walk into an opera theater right now, seats will be filled out and nobody’s saying a word as the performance is going because everybody has that much respect for it,” she continued. “There is an etiquette around opera. There is etiquette around ballet. It is amazing. It’s an amazing theater medium. It’s f–king beautiful and people go there every day to the dance studio.” 

Chalamet made the controversial comments during a Variety and CNN town hall panel with Matthew McConaughey in February.

“I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though, like, no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” he said, which drew applause in the venue and criticism on social media. “I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.”

Doja explained that although some performance art industries may be currently struggling, it doesn’t mean that a ton of people don’t care about it. “It doesn’t matter if the industry is having a tough time at any time, which a lot of industries have a tough time,” she said. “Your industry has a tough time, my industry has a tough time. Doesn’t mean people don’t care about it. People care. The dancers care, the singers care, the audience cares.”

Doja concluded: “There’s still an audience. People give a f–k. You show up in a nice outfit. You sit the f–k down and shut the f–k up. That’s the usual etiquette around those things. Maybe learn something from that.”

Billboard has reached out to Chalamet for comment.

Various opera houses have turned Chalamet’s criticism into a positive by using his name for ticketing promo codes and extending personal invites to the actor to come check out a show.

Saturday Night Live even took a shot at the actor during the Weekend Update segment. Quipped Colin Jost: “Chalamet made the comment on a press tour for his movie about … ping-pong.”


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Snow Man‘s “Odorouze!” bows at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, on the chart released March 4.

The track serves as the theme song for the film Specials starring member Daisuke Sakuma. Released digitally on Feb. 23, the song launches with 96,042 downloads to rule the metric, while also coming in at No. 2 for video views and No. 28 for streaming. The song is set to be included in the nine-man band’s 13th single, “BANG!! / SAVE YOUR HEART / Odorouze!,” due for physical release on Apr. 29. With this chart-topper, Snow Man now count 13 No. 1 hits on the Japan Hot 100.

Snow Man’s No. 1 Singles on Japan Hot 100 

“KISSIN’ MY LIPS”
“Grandeur”
“HELLO HELLO”
“Secret Touch”
“Brother Beat”
“Orange Kiss”
“Tapestry”
“Dangerholic”
“BREAKOUT”
“SERIOUS”
“CHARISMAX”
“STARS”
“Odoroze!”

Last week’s No. 1, M!LK’s “Bakuretsu Aishiteru,” slips a notch to No. 2. Though CD sales dipped from its debut frame, numbers for streaming and video declined only slightly, keeping the track firmly in the runner-up slot. AKB48’s 67th single “Nagori Zakura” debuts at No. 3, driven by 622,607 CDs sold to top the sales metric. Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” and M!LK’s “Sukisugite Metsu!” retain their positions at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

In other chart moves, HANA’s self-titled debut album arrived this week, sending multiple tracks onto the song chart. Led by “ALL IN” at No. 13, a total of 12 songs from the project land inside the top 100. Motoki Omori’s “0.2mm” makes its debut at No. 12. The lead single from the Mrs. GREEN APPLE frontman’s solo debut mini-album OITOMA was written expressly as the theme song for the film 90 Meters.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Feb. 23 to Mar. 1, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.

Long-distance love can do a number on the heart. That’s the central message of Charlie Puth‘s new single, “Home.” The singer dropped the third single from his upcoming fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!, on Monday morning (March 9) and it finds him teaming up with Japanese pop star Hikaru Utada for a story about distance making the heart grow sadder.

“Through the rose colored lenses/ And the white picket fences/ No matter how good this is/ It could never satisfy,” Puth sings in a near-whisper over a spare beat on the midtempo ballad about missing the part of your life that makes your house feel more like a home.

He says exactly that, in fact, on the chorus, which comes right after a couplet about feeling most alone when his other half leaves. “Ooo, don’t you know?/ That you’re the one who makes this house a home/ And so, when you go, It feels so cold without the soul,/ You’re the one who makes this house a home,” he sings forlornly in the video directed by Hunter Moreno (MGK, JXDN).

“Home was written for my best friend, wife and soon-to-be mother of our first child,” said Puth — who is expecting his first child with wife Brooke Sansone — in a statement. “Brooke has changed my life for the better and given me a whole new perspective on why and where I belong in this world. Everything makes sense with her … and to have the honor of one of my favorite artists, Hikaru Utada featuring on this song with me, is a true gift. She gives the song a depth and beauty that I’m so grateful for. She is incredible! I hope you all enjoy is as much as I did making it.”

The visual features Puth walking around his cavernous house looking lost, sitting in an empty room singing about his loneliness as we get glimpses of Utada in an equally minimalist, upscale home crooning in Japanese about how precious her time alone is. “Not compromising to anyone/ I built my very own castle/ But it’s you I was missing/ Please let me say ‘I’m Home’ to you every day,” she sings in translated lyrics.

“As s a fellow songwriter and music listener, it was obvious to me when I first heard the demo of ‘Home’ that this is a deeply personal song for Charlie that comes straight from his heart,” added Utada. “It was a joy to collaborate with such a gifted musician who wears his love of music on his sleeve … and a very fun challenge to contribute Japanese lyrics to an English song, from creating rhyme in languages that have such different phonetics, to being surprised by Charlie’s beautiful Japanese chorus work. I hope everyone enjoys this bilingual song and its universal message.”

Though their voices join in perfect harmony on the dreamy chorus, both singers spend the video singing about each other alone, never reconnecting to make a single house their home.

So far, Puth has released the songs “Changes,” “Beat Yourself Up” and “Cry” (featuring Kenny G) from the album that also features collaborations with Ravyn Lenae (“New Jersey”), Coco Jones (“Sideways”), Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (“Love in Exile”) and Jeff Goldblum (“Until It Happens to You.”

Puth is also gearing up to launch the Whatever’s Clever! world tour, which is slated to kick off at San Diego’s Viejas Arena on April 22.

Watch the “Home” video and check out Puth’s 2026 North American tour dates below.

2026 North American tour dates:

  • April 22: San Diego, Calif. @ Viejas Arena

  • April 24: Phoenix, Ariz. @ Arizona Financial Theatre

  • April 25: Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Santa Barbara Bowl

  • April 28: Anaheim, Calif. @ Honda Center

  • April 29: Los Angeles, Calif. @ Kia Forum

  • May 1: San Francisco, Calif. @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

  • May 3: Seattle, Wash. @ WAMU Theater @ Lumen Field

  • May 5: Vancouver, B.C.
@ Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
  • May 7: Portland, Ore. @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum

  • May 9: Salt Lake City, Utah @ Maverik Center
  • May 10: Denver, Colo. @ Bellco Theatre

  • May 13: Kansas City, Mo. @ Starlight Theatre
  • May 15: Rosemont, Ill. @ Rosemont Theatre

  • May 16: Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Armory

  • May 19: Detroit, Mich. @ Fox Theatre

  • May 20: Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
  • May 22: Boston, Mass. @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
  • May 23: Uncasville, Conn. @ Mohegan Sun Arena

  • May 26: Fairfax, Va. @ EagleBank Arena

  • May 29: New York, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden
  • May 30: Atlantic City, N.J.
@ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
  • June 1: Charlotte, N.C.
@ Spectrum Center
  • June 3: Atlanta, Ga. @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater At Chastain Park
  • June 5: Hollywood, Fla. @ Hard Rock Live
  • June 6: Orlando, Fla. @ Addition Financial Arena
  • June 9: Nashville, Tenn. @ Ascend Amphitheater
  • June 11: Austin, Texas @ Moody Center
  • June 12: Irving, Texas @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
  • June 13: Houston, Texas @ 713 Music Hall


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Only days after announcing her departure from WME, Lucy Dickins has been named a managing director at Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Dickins, who had been global head of contemporary music and touring at WME, will begin at CAA in mid-April with more details on her new role forthcoming, as well as the artists she will be representing. She will be based in the Los Angeles office.

“I’m really excited to be joining CAA,” Dickins said in a statement. “I’ve long admired the vision and leadership of the company and the incredible team behind it. What matters most to me is the opportunity to continue building deep creative partnerships with artists and helping them realize their ambitions on a global stage.” 

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“Lucy is a tremendous business leader and exceptional agent, with a deep understanding of talent and what it takes to help them realize their most ambitious goals,” added CAA co-chairman and CEO Bryan Lourd. “She’s a dynamic, thoughtful and hands-on leader with invaluable global management experience, creativity, and strategic insight. We look forward to working with her across all divisions of our company.” 

Dickins’ arrival does not affect the current leadership of Darryl Eaton, Emma Banks and Rick Roskin as co-heads of global touring. They assumed those roles in June 2024, overseeing more than 300 staffers.

Dickins, who is on Billboard’s Global Power Players list, grew up in the industry in London, joining her father Barry Dickins’ International Talent Booking agency in 1999.She started with WME in 2019 and moved to the U.S. in 2022.

In her departure memo, WME co‑chairman Christian Muirhead praised Dickins’ impact across two continents, crediting her with revitalizing WME’s London office before stepping into the top music role in Los Angeles during “one of the most disruptive periods in the live music business.” Muirhead credited Dickins with “re‑energiz[ing] our presence in London, built a strong team, and solidified WME’s leadership in the region.”

In January, WME’s head of international touring Tony Goldring joined CAA as an agent in the global touring division, while in February, WME co-head of its pop division David Bradley joined CAA.

Harry Styles let the light in with his new album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, but to do that, he first had to undo his impulse to close himself off, which he explained in a new interview came from his early days in One Direction.

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While speaking with Tom Power in an interview posted Monday (March 9), the British pop star shared that much of his new LP was inspired by his recent experiences of saying “yes” to more public outings, which he’d previously avoided due to his celebrity status. “My experience of being in the public domain is something that, obviously you learn a lot about what you’re comfortable with and what you’re not comfortable with,” he began.

“When I started in the band, we were encouraged to give a lot of ourselves away, let people get to know you,” he continued, referencing his time with 1D from 2010 to 2016. “Finishing that, and then when I started working on my own stuff, there were parts of that where I was learning what I was comfortable with and trying to have parts of my personal life be more private and juggling a little bit with that.”

After moving to Italy for a period of time, however, Styles says he realized, “If I keep saying no to everything, I’m just going to shut myself off to the world.”

The Grammy winner has been open about how Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally — which dropped March 6 — was born from a need to open himself up to new people and experiences, but the new interview shines a light on how the pressure to be overly accessible to fans during his boy band days previously affected his mindset on the matter. On a similar note, he recently spoke to Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1 about how, even now, he feels the weight of people’s expectations to discuss his personal life, especially following the death of ex-bandmate Liam Payne in 2024.

“I think there was a period when he passed away where I really struggled with acknowledging how strange it is to have people kind of like own part of your grief in a way,” he told Lowe. “I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away. And then suddenly being aware of there’s maybe a desire from other people of you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?”

But while it can still be complicated, Styles has been open about how he learned to let go of his fears and step out into the world more while living in both Rome and Berlin, inspiring songs such as Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Aperture.” During his time in Italy, one of those momentous outings was joining the hordes of people in Vatican City who gathered to celebrate the naming of Pope Leo XIV, which he shared more about in his talk with Power.

“It’s something about people gathering on behalf of something that is so much greater than what we can understand,” Styles mused. “There is this inherent vulnerability in people where we are all coming together, and there’s this admittance of, like, we’re gathering to something we can’t see and we can’t feel all the time and isn’t necessarily as tangible as the things that are always around us. There is vulnerability in admitting that we all believe in something, whether that is music, whether that is religion, whatever that is.”

Watch Styles’ full interview on Q With Tom Power above.


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For decades, the United States has dominated the global music business, both as its largest market by revenue and as a singular source of talent and repertoire.

But during Bad Bunny’s historic and joyous 13-minute-long Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on Feb. 8, the Puerto Rican superstar redefined “America.”

“God bless America,” he shouted. “Sea [Be it] Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, República Dominicana, Jamaica … United States, Canada and my motherland, mi barrio, Puerto Rico — seguimo aquí [we’re still here].”

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It was a profound moment, a recognition of the true reach of “American” culture, and just one example of the global forces reshaping the music business today.

Here’s another.

Consider two singers — one born in Hawaii, whose ancestry, according to a genealogist, includes Puerto Rico, Hungary, Ukraine and the Philippines; the other born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, of Korean descent.

Those artists, Bruno Mars and Rosé, teamed up for the hit single “APT.” and, in February, the song was named IFPI’s biggest selling global single of 2025.

“Rosé and Bruno Mars topping the IFPI Global Single chart with ‘APT.’ is a landmark moment,” IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley said. “This year’s results also underline the global reach of today’s music market, with songs connecting across languages and borders.”

Billboard’s Global Power Players celebrates the executives from key industry sectors — nominated by their firms and peers and chosen by our editors — who have primary responsibility for markets outside the United States.

These are markets that account for some 60% of the world’s recorded-music revenue, led by Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, France, South Korea, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, according to IFPI’s 2025 Global Music Report. (IFPI will release its 2026 report with updated rankings on March 18.)

Amid the scores of high-achieving individuals listed here, we highlight a dozen who work in music capitals from Tokyo to London, Miami to Melbourne, Australia.

We’ve asked them what they view as the greatest challenge now facing the global music industry.

Avex CEO Katsumi Kuroiwa emphasizes the need for the music industry to balance “global scale with local cultural expertise.” Companies, he says, must “operate with deep understanding across multiple regions, cultures and markets simultaneously.”

Phil Rodríguez, whose Move Concerts presented Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico, highlights the need for improved touring infrastructure — new venues — in emerging markets.

Tunde Balogun, founder and CEO of Love Renaissance (LVRN), cites “the reluctance to learn and grow with new technology such as AI.”

But Jon Ollier, who founded his booking, management and digital marketing company, One Fiinix Live, during the pandemic, takes a broader view.

“Honestly, I am not being flippant here,” he says, “but the threats to democracy and global peace are the biggest challenges we face. I can’t say this strongly enough: Live music needs the world to maintain peace to survive and thrive and we should all be doing what we can to defend this.”

Music Groups: Global

Johannes von Schwarzkopf
Chief strategy officer, BMG
Alberto Chullen
Executive vp of investments, BMG
Nitsa Kalispera
Executive vp of global supply chain, BMG

Rebecca Berman
Senior vp of international, Concord Label Group

“I continue to be proud of how forward-thinking Concord is as a company,” Berman says. “Having been here for 18 years, I’ve seen us grow from a small independent label to a force that can compete with the biggest music companies on the planet. This year our strategic acquisitions/investments in companies like Stem and Giant Records show our ambition to remain at the forefront of the recorded-music space.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “​I was honored to take part in several events this year for We Are Moving the Needle, including their Resonator Awards. The foundation works to expand education and career opportunities for women and nonbinary people in recording and engineering — fields where they remain severely underrepresented. These events were truly empowering and inspiring to be part of. One highlight was seeing Joni Mitchell present Chaka Khan with an award for her cultural impact at the Resonator Awards.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “We are a force that should not be underestimated.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “The challenges presented by the intersection of technology and humanity. A simple response to a much more complicated issue.”

Chaka Khan at Resonator Awards presented by We Are Moving The Needle on January 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

In January, Khan was presented the Luminary Award by Mitchell at the annual Resonator Awards.

Christopher Polk

Melissa Thomas
Executive vp of international marketing for U.S. repertoire, Sony Music Entertainment
Naoise Ryan
Senior vp of U.S. international marketing, Epic Records/RCA Records
Georgina Hilton
Senior director of U.S. international marketing, Arista Records/Columbia Records

Adam Granite
CEO of Africa, Middle East and Asia, Universal Music Group
Natasha Baldwin
President of global classics, jazz and screen, Universal Music Group/Universal Music Group Publishing
Michelle Teh
Senior vp of global classics and jazz, Universal Music Group

Eric Wong
Executive vp of recorded music, Warner Music Group; president, East West Records; president, Warner Music Canada
Jessica Keeley-Carter
President of marketing and business analytics, Warner Music Group
Phebe Hunnicutt
Senior vp of integrated marketing services and ­strategy, Warner Music Group
Samira Leitmannstetter
Senior vp of Europe, Middle East and Africa, regional marketing, Warner Music Group

Music Groups: Canada

Shane Carter
President, Sony Music Canada

Julie Adam
President/CEO, Universal Music Canada

Julia Hummel
Madelaine Napoleone

Co-GMs, Warner Music Canada

Music Groups: Europe, Middle East, Africa

Alistair Norbury
President of U.K., Europe and Asia-Pacific, BMG

Daniel Lieberberg
President of continental Europe and Africa, Sony Music Entertainment
Christoph Behm
CEO, Sony Music Entertainment Germany, Switzerland, Austria
Marie-Anne Robert
Managing director, Sony Music Entertainment France

Jason Iley
Chairman/CEO, Sony Music U.K. and Ireland

Frank Briegmann
Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Central Europe/Deutsche Grammophon
Olivier Nusse
CEO, Universal Music France/Universal Music Africa (French-speaking)
Patrick Boulos
CEO of Middle East and North Africa, Universal Music Group
Joakim Johansson
President of Universal Music Nordics, Universal Music Central Europe

Dickon Stainer
Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland
Rebecca Allen
Chief artist and strategy officer, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland
Nickie Owen
President of international marketing, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland

Simon Robson
President of Europe, Middle East and Africa recorded music, Warner Music Group
Alain Veille
President of Warner Music France
Pico Cibelli
President of Warner Music Italy
Mark Fry
President of Warner Music Nordics
Niels Walboomers
President of Warner Music Central Europe, Benelux/Spinnin’ Records/Warner Chappell Music Benelux

Ed Howard
Briony Turner

Co-presidents, Atlantic Records U.K.
Joe Kentish
President, Warner Records U.K./Parlophone Label Group

Music Groups: Latin

Afo Verde
Chairman/CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia
Maria Fernández
Executive vp/COO, Sony Music Latin Iberia
Fernando Cabral
CEO, Sony Music Entertainment Brazil
Jose María Barbat
President, Sony Music Iberia
Roberto López
President, Sony Music Mexico
Damian Amato
President, Sony Music Hispanic South America
Herb Payán
Executive vp of digital strategy and ancillary revenue, Sony Music Latin Iberia
Cristiane Simões
Senior vp/label head, Sony Music Brazil
Tatiana Cantinho
Senior vp/label head, Som Livre

Jesús López
Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula
Paulo Lima
President, Universal Music Brazil
Alfredo Delgadillo
President/CEO, Universal Music Mexico
Ana Clara Ortiz
President/CEO, Universal Music Southern Cone
Luis Fernández Sanz
President, Universal Music Spain

Alejandro Duque
President, Warner Music Latin America; president, ADA
Guillermo González Arévalo
President, Warner Music Iberia
Leila Oliveira
President, Warner Music Brazil
Tomás RodrÍguez
President, Warner Music Mexico and Mexican Music

Music Groups: Australasia

Katsumi Kuroiwa
CEO, Avex
Brandon Silverstein
CEO, Avex Music Group

“Avex has made visible progress on its long-term global strategy, Avex Vision 2027, which focuses on building a sustainable global platform spanning music, [intellectual property] creation and artist development beyond Japan,” says Kuroiwa, who named Brandon Silverstein the CEO of the U.S-based Avex Music Group in March 2025.

“A key milestone was a Grammy Award win,” Kuroiwa adds. “In February, songwriter Kamal Wilson, signed to our North American hub, Avex Music Group, won best R&B song at the 68th Grammy Awards for Kehlani’s ‘Folded.’ Having a song — for which Avex holds the publishing rights — receive this level of global recognition reflects the continued strengthening of our global publishing and creative infrastructure.

“Avex Music Group has also expanded its global publishing footprint through work with leading international artists. Recent credits include Drake’s ‘Nokia,’ Rihanna’s ‘Friend of Mine,’ Justin Bieber’s ‘Swag,’ Shenseea’s ‘Shake It to the Max,’ ‘Lose My Mind’ by Don Toliver featuring Doja Cat from the F1 film soundtrack and [the] Tate McRae hits ‘Sports Car,’ ‘Revolving Door’ and ‘Tit for Tat.’ These works highlight the depth of Avex’s songwriting and creative network across genres and markets.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “Seeing XG perform at Coachella on one of the world’s most influential global stages. Their reception reflected not only musical success but also genuine cultural connection, showing how Japanese artists can resonate authentically with audiences around the world.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Avex is building a global, 360-degree platform that integrates the creation, development and long-term expansion of intellectual property across music, publishing, management and creative industries.

“Through the creative capabilities of Avex Music Group and its partnership with S10 Entertainment, Avex has strengthened its ability to operate across key global markets while maintaining cultural authenticity and a long-term view on artist development.

“At the same time, Avex continues to invest in talent cultivation through initiatives, which provides structured training and development programs for emerging artists, creators and producers. By combining global infrastructure with local cultural understanding, Avex aims to support artists in building durable international careers rather than short-lived success.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Balancing global scale with local cultural expertise. Streaming has removed many geographic barriers, creating unprecedented opportunities for artists worldwide. At the same time, it has raised expectations for music companies to operate with deep understanding across multiple regions, cultures and markets simultaneously.

“For Avex, this reinforces the importance of building an integrated global ecosystem that connects creative development, publishing, management and marketing while respecting cultural nuance. Our continued investment in global partnerships and infrastructure reflects our belief that long-term international growth requires both global reach and local insight.”

Dawit Kamal Wilson, winner of the Best R&B Song for “Folded”, poses in the press room during the 68th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

Wilson, signed to Avex Music Group, won best R&B song at the Grammys in February for Kehlani’s “Folded.”

Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Matt Gudinski
Chief executive, Mushroom Group

It has been five years since Matt Gudinski took the reins of Mushroom Group, following the death in March 2021 of his father, Australian music industry pioneer Michael Gudinski.

In 2023, Matt Gudinski oversaw the 50th anniversary of Mushroom, with an operation that spans recording, publishing, touring and booking agencies, merchandise and marketing services, venues, exhibition and events production, neighboring rights, branding, talent management and more. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the company has a global reach.

Multiple Mushroom Group artists landed nominations at the 2025 Australian Recording Industry Association Awards, including Confidence Man, Gordi, Mia Wray, The Teskey Brothers, Tobiahs, Bliss n Eso and Kylie Minogue, whose 2025 Tension tour was produced by Frontier Touring on its Australian leg. A companion live album, released through Mushroom Music, reached No. 14 on the ARIA Chart (as of Feb. 20) for Minogue’s 23rd top 20 album, a career tally that includes nine No. 1s.

Asked for one recent company milestone, Gudinski replies: “With so many parts to the Mushroom Group, it’s always hard to pick just one. But in 2025, our annual event Fridayz Live selling out with 160,000 tickets across four shows was a clear highlight.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “I might be biased, given he was one of the artists on our Fridayz Live 2025 event, but seeing the huge organic fan-led movement for Pitbull was inspiring, especially with the way he and his team leaned into it. We saw tens of thousands dressed up in full Pitbull cosplay across our Fridayz shows, which was a pretty memorable sight.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “The Mushroom Group is stronger than ever across all our divisions and continues to be the market leader in Australia after 53 years. We continue to expand our footprint globally across all areas, live events, merchandise, talent and rights management, artist development and content creation.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Our greatest challenge is also our greatest opportunity, and that is with the amount of amazing talent worldwide, it is making it harder to cut through and build long-term success for artists. Our challenge is helping build career artists and ensuring all the amazing artists have the success they deserve in a saturated market.”

Kylie Minogue performs at The BRIT Awards 2024 at The O2 Arena on March 2, 2024 in London, England.

Minogue, whose 2025 Tension tour was produced by Frontier Touring on its Australian leg, released a companion live album through Mushroom Music.

Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Shunsuke Muramatsu
President, Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Andrew Chan
CEO, Sony Music Entertainment Greater China
Shridhar Subramaniam
President of Asia and Middle East, Sony Music Entertainment
Vinnit Thakkar
Managing director, India, Sony Music Entertainment

Cussion Pang
Executive chairman, Tencent Music Entertainment Group
Zhu “Ross” Liang
CEO/director, Tencent Music Entertainment Group

Naoshi Fujikura
President/CEO, Universal Music Japan
Timothy Xu
Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Greater China
Calvin Wong
CEO, Universal Music Southeast Asia; senior vp of Asia, Universal Music Group
Devraj Sanyal
Chairman/CEO, Universal Music India and South Asia; senior vp of strategy for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Universal Music Group
Sean Warner
President, Universal Music Australia and New Zealand

Dan Rosen
President of Warner Music Australasia and Southeast Asia
Takeshi Okada
President/CEO of Warner Music Japan
Jay Mehta
Managing director of Warner Music India/South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Lofai Lo
President of Asian Pacific recorded music, Warner Music Group

Streaming

Paul Firth
Director of global music industry, Amazon Music
Rocío Guerrero
Director of music for Latin-Iberia, Amazon Music
Laura Lukanz
Head of music for U.K., Amazon Music

Rachel Newman
Ole Obermann

Co-heads, Apple Music
Anjali Malhotra
Global director, Apple Music Classical
Juan Paz
Global head, Latin music business, Apple Music

Charlotte Bwana
Vp of marketing, Europe, Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Audiomack

Matt Gralen
President/CFO, The Beatport Group
Helen Sartory
Chief revenue officer, The Beatport Group

Alexis Lanternier
CEO, Deezer

In December, Billboard reported that “Deezer has driven the conversation about AI music on streaming services this year by releasing a series of increasingly eye-opening reports.”

“Not only that,” Lanternier recently added, “Deezer has been the only major streaming service taking action to promote transparency and fairness by detecting and tagging AI-generated music and removing it from algorithmic recommendations. This way, Deezer gives its users a clear choice regarding what to listen to, while making it harder for fraudsters to game the system.

“All of this is made possible by Deezer’s proprietary and patent-­pending AI detection technology, which was put in use [in] December 2024,” Lanternier says.

“In the past 18 months, Deezer has also continued the rollout and development of its artist-centric payment system, which not only supports fairer payments for artists and songwriters on the platform but also makes it harder to commit fraud through boosting streams for individual users.

“All of these actions align with Deezer’s mission to help music thrive, fighting for the artists that create it and the fans that live it. Most platforms treat music as content to monetize, but we believe it’s art to protect and culture to experience.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “Definitely our special-edition Purple Door event with Marguerite, Miki, Camille Yembe and Saaro from our Deezer Next program. Purple Door is our flagship event series where we bring artists and fans together in an intimate setting. Deezer Next is our dedicated program that has helped emerging artists reach new listeners and grow their fan base since 2017.

“With a special-edition Purple Door, we brought these four artists and some of their most devoted fans together for a truly unique experience. All artists gave fantastic performances, and the superfans in the room made the ambience electric. I discovered all the artists myself through Deezer Next and became a fan after this event. Experiences like this are exactly what we want to create, building strong and lasting connections between fans and artists through unforgettable moments.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Music deserves a future that puts creators and culture first and we’re here to protect it, elevate it and fight for it.

“This approach has brought attention to Deezer globally in 2025, especially when it comes to transparency and fairness in relation to AI music. In the years to come, we will continue to lead the way, delivering solutions and promoting initiatives that bring value to the music ecosystem, artists, songwriters and fans. This includes a continued focus on fairer streaming remuneration.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Definitely AI music. With over 60,000 AI-generated tracks being delivered to Deezer every day, and no doubt to all other stream platforms, it’s an unprecedented development and we are far away from seeing the full impact yet.

“The use of AI is not the issue in itself. New tools have always changed how music has been created. But with the possibility to create thousands of tracks in a matter of minutes with just a text prompt, we are now facing a whole new set of challenges, ­especially when it comes to streaming fraud.

“By detecting, tagging and excluding AI-generated music from algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists, we are not only making it a choice for our users to listen to AI-music [but] also removing opportunities for committing streaming fraud with AI music. Simply put, fraudsters could artificially boost a track and trick the recommendation algorithm to pick it up, and unknowing casual listeners will continue to stream the song, making money for fraudsters.

“This is impossible with Deezer’s setup, and that’s why we’re seeing so few streams on AI-generated music on our platform. We have now made our detection tool available for licensing, and we’re hoping that more streaming services and other music industry actors will join us in our fight for transparency and fairness when it comes to AI-­generated music.”

Camille Yembe performing at Purple Door on December 17, 2025 in Paris.

Deezer’s Purple Door event featured rising talent from the Deezer Next program including Yembe.

Goray Prod for Deezer

Georges Fornay
Deputy CEO, Qobuz
Dan Mackta
Managing director of North America and Northern Europe, Qobuz

Ama Walton
General counsel/executive vp, SoundCloud

Mark Butterworth
Global head of songwriter, publisher and commercial label partnerships, Spotify
Melanie Parejo
Head of music for Southern and Eastern Europe, Spotify
Kossy Ng
Head of music for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Spotify
Andy Sloan-Vincent
Head of music for Northern Europe, Spotify

Paul Smith
Managing director, Asian Pacific music, YouTube
Sandra Jimenez
Regional director, Latin American and U.S. Latin music, YouTube
Dan Chalmers
Head of music, Europe, Middle East and Africa, YouTube

Labels, Distributors, Artist and Label Services

Sean Miyashiro
Founder/CEO, 88rising

Adriana Sein
Global head of artist and market development, ADA
Howard Corner
Managing director, ADA U.K.
Marylynne Drexler
Global head of content acquisition and business and legal affairs, ADA
Nikoo Sadr
Head, ADA Nordics
João Alquéres
Vp, ADA Brazil

Colin Gayle
Co-founder/CEO, Africa Creative Agency
Yvette Gayle
Co-founder/COO, Africa Creative Agency
Brandon Hixon
Tirinda Hixon

Co-founders, We Make Music

Maykel Piron
Co-founder/CEO, Armada Music Group

Jan Willem Kaasschieter
CEO, Artone
Drew Hill
Managing director, Proper Music Distribution

Torsten Luth
Executive vp of international, Atlantic Music Group

Paul Hitchman
COO, AWAL
Victoria Needs
Co-managing director, AWAL
Ben Akinbola
Head of growth, AWAL

Emmanuel De Buretel
Co-founder/CEO, Because Music

Martin Mills
Chairman, Beggars Group
Paul Redding
CEO, Beggars Group
Brandon Becker
Global vp of streaming, Beggars Group
Imelda Hehir
Global streaming manager, Beggars Group
Emily Kendrick
GM, XL Recordings

Romain Vivien
Global head of music/president of Europe, Believe
Viktoria Siniavskaia
President of Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, East and Southern Europe, Americas, Believe
Sylvain Delange
President of Asia-Pacific, Believe
Brian Miller
Chief revenue officer, TuneCore

Dan Waite
CEO, Better Noise Music

“Known for being the artist development label, Better Noise Music signed [Sweden’s] SABATON, the No. 1 power metal band in the world, who wanted to break in the U.S.,” says Waite, whose globally focused label drove the Swedish rockers to No. 10 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Crossing the Rubicon” (featuring Nothing More).

“We also worked with Five Finger Death Punch to rerecord their biggest hits, to help with a dispute with their prior label, resulting in two best-of albums.” The latter contained the band’s single “The End” featuring Japanese rockers Babymetal, which topped Mainstream Rock Airplay.

“Nothing More had their fourth No. 1 [“House on Sand”] from their Carnal album,” Waite adds, “and The Funeral Portrait had their third No. 1 in a row [“Dark Thoughts”] from their album Greetings From Suffocate City, making chart history… reaching No. 1 on their first three radio releases.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “When two label bands go on the road together it’s always special, and that happened twice in 2025 with Nothing More and Solence, and also with The Rasmus and The Funeral Portrait.

“But the real highlight was seeing SABATON headline the O2 [Arena] for its Legendary Tour. The stage was built to resemble a medieval castle; the drum riser was a castle turret with gas-fired lanterns burning all around; actors playing Napoleon, Caesar, Genghis Khan and a Knight Templar introduced tracks as the band played from the Legends album, which highlights 11 historical figures from history in a power metal style. That was a culmination of a lot of work in an amazing venue.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Artists come to Better Noise Music as they want to grow their audience; have success at streaming, digital, radio and on tour; and we work to their strengths with our specific methods across departments, globally, with bespoke plans.

“We can break new acts like The Funeral Portrait; give acts a boost in their career like Yellowcard, who just had their first No. 1 single and largest hit since 2003; take bands like the Mongolian language throat singing metal act The Hu and make them a main-stage televised festival act with global appeal; and take arena acts and expand the reach of a U.S.-focused act globally or a European act into the U.S. like SABATON.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “There are several issues. Consolidation of distribution routes to market; the undervaluing of music in microstreaming payment terms; AI noise and fraud; the growth of podcasts and audiobooks eating into listening hours; tariffs, red tape and inflation for tours and global merch. You have to stay nimble and move fast. We need a healthy ecosystem of [digital service providers] — and DSPs as shortform video platforms need healthy terms with labels and their artists.”

(L-R) Thobbe Englund, Pär Sundström and Chris Rörland of Sabaton perform at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on September 17, 2024 in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Swedish group SABATON reached No. 10 on Mainstream Rock Airplay with “Crossing the Rubicon” featuring Nothing More.

Scott Legato/Getty Images

Brianne Deslippe
Senior vp of marketing, Big Loud Records

“One of the things I’m most proud of is how intentionally we’ve grown our international presence,” Deslippe says. “We’ve celebrated multiple streaming wins and sold out international tour dates with Stephen Wilson Jr., The 502s, Dylan Gossett, Morgan Wallen and more.

“Seeing artists connect meaningfully with fans outside the U.S. and knowing that growth was thoughtful, and not forced, has been rewarding,” she says.

Favorite recent musical moment: “The most memorable moment for me was Morgan’s underplay at the Roundhouse in London last May. It was an intimate, filmed concert that felt incredibly rare and special to be a part of. That same week, his album hit No. 1 in the U.K., allowing him to celebrate the milestone in real time with his fans, making him only the fifth country artist to reach that achievement. It was a powerful reminder of how far music can travel when it connects ­authentically, and it remains a highlight of my career.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “We care deeply about growth, but we care just as much about sustainability, creativity and keeping the human side of this business intact.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “There’s so much music, so much data and so much pressure to chase the next moment. The real work is slowing down enough to make decisions that serve artists and fans long term.”

Morgan Wallen performs "I'm the Problem" on SNL on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

Wallen performed “I’m the Problem” on Saturday Night Live in 2025.

Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images

Kieran Thurgood
Executive vp of global marketing, Capitol Music Group

Jo Charrington
President, Capitol Records U.K.

Tom Nieuweboer
CEO, !K7 Records
Daniel Turcotte
President, Monstercat
Manu Kaushish
President of international, Create Music Group

Federico Lauria
Founder/CEO, Dale Play

Laura Monks
President, Decca Records

Alec Boateng
President, 0207 Def Jam

Clemens Trautmann
President of Deutsche Grammophon and new business strategy, global classics and jazz, Universal Music Group

Jamie Oborne
Founder/owner, Dirty Hit

Donny Novakovic
Vp of international marketing, Disney Music Group

Pieter van Rijn
COO, Virgin Music Group; former CEO, Downtown Music
Satoshi Tanaka
CEO, Space Shower FUGA
Richard Leach
President, Curve Royalty Systems
Liz Northeast
Senior vp of Europe, Middle East and Africa, FUGA

Editor’s note: Power list honorees are chosen for achievements in the previous 12 to 18 months, a period during which Downtown Music Holdings was a stand-alone entity.

Jonas Haentjes
CEO, Edel

Colin Batsa
Chairman/president, EGA Distro
Charley Snook
Managing director, EGA Distro

Guillermo Ramos
Managing director of Europe, EMPIRE
Ted May
Senior vp of international marketing, EMPIRE
Faryal Khan-Thompson
Vp of market strategy and development for South Asia, EMPIRE

Tom Lewis
President, Fontana

Sipho Dlamini
President/managing director, Africa and Middle East, gamma.

Si-Hyuk Bang
Chairman, HYBE
Jason Jaesang Lee
CEO, HYBE
Taeho Kim
COO, HYBE
Hyunrock Han
CEO, HYBE JAPAN
Isaac Lee
Chairman/CEO, HYBE America

Pascal Bittard
President, IDOL

Ben Larsen
Executive vp of international, Interscope Geffen A&M

Louis Bloom
President, Island EMI Label Group

J.Y. Park
Founder/chairman, JYP Entertainment
Jimmy Jeong
President/CEO, JYP Entertainment
H.K. Shin
President/CEO, JYP America; chief strategy officer, JYP Entertainment

Joseph Chang
Co-CEO, Kakao Entertainment

Tunde Balogun
Founder/CEO, Love Renaissance (LVRN)

Balogun chose Love Renaissance as the name of his company with a nod to the Harlem Renaissance, the flourishing period for African American culture in that Manhattan neighborhood in the 1920s and ’30s. But LVRN, based in Atlanta, has moved beyond its early base in American hip-hop to embrace the rise of Afrobeats and Africa’s next generation of artists.

One “major achievement,” Balogun says, “is the song ‘Isaka’ by our rising artist Ciza, which became the No. 1 most-played song on radio in South Africa in 2025, while also holding the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s South Africa Songs chart for nine weeks.

“Additionally, our artists TXC and Al Xapo earned their first No. 1s on Spotify and Apple Music Nigeria with ‘Nakupenda,’ alongside continued viral success, including Al Xapo’s own viral record ‘Snokoloko.’ ”

Favorite recent musical moment: “Odeal winning two awards at the 2025 MOBO Awards was a big one, especially because it wasn’t something many people saw coming. Summer Walker’s highly anticipated album Finally Over It was another highlight because the attention to detail and the way the rollout was executed made it feel like a real moment, not just a release. Seeing Ciza appear at Hï Ibiza with Black Coffee was also huge, and it is hard to imagine a bigger milestone in a young DJ’s career than that.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “Our strength isn’t scale, but curation. We’ve stayed small enough to feel every heartbeat and big enough to amplify every voice, which is what differentiates LVRN in an era of algorithmic volume.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “The reluctance to learn and grow with new technology such as AI.”

Ciza Nciza at SunBet Arena on October 25, 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa.

LVRN artist Ciza held the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s South Africa Songs chart for nine weeks with “Isaka.”

Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images via Getty Images

Michael “Don Jazzy” Collins Ajereh
CEO, Mavin Records
Tega Oghenejobo
President/COO, Mavin Records

Ami Brown
Vp of international marketing, MCA

Dan Smith
Vp of U.K. and international, MRNK Music Group

Martin Price
Senior vp of global business development, ONErpm
Nuno Rocha
Portugal country manager and business development for Lusophone and Francophone countries in Africa, ONErpm

Chris Manning
Managing director of U.K. and Europe, The Orchard
Tricia Arnold
Executive vp of relationships and international sales, The Orchard
Prashant Bahadur
Chief strategy officer and managing director of Asia, Middle East and Africa, The Orchard

Kenny Gates
Executive chairman, [PIAS]

Denzyl Feigelson
Founder/CEO, Platoon

Two years ago, Platoon — the Apple-owned artist services, A&R and music distribution company — increased its efforts to provide career-­boosting ­services to acts worldwide by delving into the classical world.

“One of the many achievements I feel most proud about,” Feigelson says, “is that Platoon is very new in the classical space and has won nine Grammy Awards in a two-year period, offering a new and innovative solution for classical composers, artists to get their music heard, especially to a younger audience.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “The young South African artist Zee Nxumalo — her genuine authenticity has struck a chord with a young South African audience, and she has dominated the top of the charts for years and continues to grow a global fan base with sold-out shows. It exemplifies not only hard work by her, us and her team, but her ability to be the voice of her generation through her lyrics and melodies and story-telling.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company now: “Platoon is still and has always been a home for authentic, independent fearless creatives. Platoon understands the DNA of how to help an artist build a business in the current music economy.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “A great challenge for new and emerging artists is the ability to build a sustainable and successful business under the current business model. I also feel that AI will be both a creative tool and a complicated challenge to the industry.”

Musician Zee Nxumalo performing  at the Gauteng ANC 113th Anniversary commemoration at Alexander Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Platoon artist Zee Nxumalo from South Africa released her TikTok hit “Aweh Mah” in February.

Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images via Getty Images

Ben Mortimer
President, Polydor Label Group

Per Sundin
President of music and artist relations, Pophouse

George Prajín
Co-founder/president, Prajin Parlay/Double P Records/Double P Management/Double P Publishing
Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija
Co-founder/CEO, Double P Records/Double P Management/Double P Publishing
Max Perez Escudero
Vp, Prajin Parlay/Double P Records

Michael Petkov
Head of international, Redeye Worldwide

Michael Alexander
Executive vp of global marketing strategy, REPUBLIC Collective
Steven Rowen
Senior vp of global marketing strategy, REPUBLIC Collective/Island
Myra DeCastro
Senior vp of global marketing strategy, REPUBLIC Collective/Def Jam
Zoe Briggs
Vp of global marketing strategy, REPUBLIC Collective/Republic Records/Mercury Records

Noah Assad
Co-founder/CEO, Rimas Entertainment; manager, Bad Bunny

Kaiya Sarkis
GM, SALXCO Universal Arabic Music

Chris Cannon
Vp of international strategy, Secretly Distribution
Chloé van Bergen
Vp of operations for U.K. and Europe, Secretly Group
Max Thomas
Head of marketing and campaigns for Asia Pacific, Secretly Distribution

Riki Bleau
Co-president, Since ’93 Records

Daniel Jang
Dmitry YJ Tak

Co-CEOs, SM Entertainment
Mina Jungmin Choi
Chief global officer, SM Entertainment

Lyn Koppe
Executive vp of global catalog, Sony Music Entertainment
Charlie Stanford
Senior vp of international for commercial music group, Sony Music Entertainment

Roni Maltz Bin
CEO, Sua Música Group

Nick Roden
President of Europe, Virgin Music Group
Victor González
President of Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, Virgin Music Group
Michael Roe
Managing director of Africa, Middle East and Asia, Virgin Music Group
Nathan McLay
Managing director of Australia and New Zealand, Virgin Music Group

Kevin Gore
President of global catalog, Warner Music Group
Orla Lee Fisher
Head of dual catalog strategy, Warner Music Group

Luke Armitage
Senior vp/head of international, Warner Records

Publishing

Chris Meehan
CEO of publishing, Believe

Benjamin Budde
CEO, Budde Music

Kim Frankiewicz
Executive vp of international A&R, Concord Music Publishing
Tina Funk
Managing director of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Concord Music Publishing
Jaime Gough
Managing director of Australia and New Zealand, Concord

Kenny McGoff
Executive vp/head of creative for U.K., Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Kobalt
Leslie Ahrens
Senior vp of creative for Latin America, Kobalt
Swantje Weinert
Senior vp/head of A&R for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Kobalt
Stephane Berlow
Managing director of France, Kobalt
Simon Moor
Managing director of Asia-Pacific, Kobalt

Mary Megan Peer
CEO, peermusic
Ralph W. Peer
Managing director of U.K. and Australasia/vp of Africa and Middle East operations, peermusic

Robin Godfrey Cass
Partner, Primary Wave Music
David Loiterton
President of Indo and Asia Pacific, Primary Wave Music

Golnar Khosrowshahi
Founder/CEO, Reservoir
Annette Barrett
Managing director and global strategic liaison, Reservoir
Jeremy Lascelles
Co-founder/CEO, Blue Raincoat Music; CEO, Chrysalis Records
Alison Wenham
COO, Blue Raincoat Music; COO, Chrysalis Records
Hussain “Spek” Yoosuf
Executive vp of international and emerging markets, Reservoir; founder/CEO, PopArabia

Carlos Souffront
President, Rimas Publishing
Emilio Morales
Managing director, Rimas Publishing

David Ventura
President/co-managing director of U.K./senior vp of international, Sony Music Publishing
Tim Major
Co-managing director of U.K., Sony Music Publishing
Jorge MejÍa
President/CEO of Latin America and U.S. Latin, Sony Music Publishing
Nasra Artan
Head of international A&R, Sony Music Publishing
Lauran Mendoza
Managing director of Colombia, Sony Music Publishing
Dinraj Shetty
Managing director of India, Sony Music Publishing

Alexandra Lioutikoff
President of Latin America and U.S. Latin, Universal Music Publishing Group
Bertil David
Managing director of France, Universal Music Publishing Group
David Gray
Managing director of U.K./head of global A&R, Universal Music Publishing Group
Adriana Ramos
Managing director of Brazil, Universal Music Publishing Group
Yena Kim
Senior creative manager of Korea, Universal Music Publishing Group

Shani Gonzales
Managing director, Warner Chappell Music U.K.; head of international A&R
Natascha Augustin
Managing director of Warner Chappell Music Germany
Gustavo Menéndez
President of U.S. Latin and Latin America, Warner Chappell Music
Santiago Menéndez-Pidal
President of Southern Europe, Warner Chappell Music
Arica Ng
President of Asia Pacific, Warner Chappell Music
Matthieu Tessier
Managing director of Warner Chappell Music France

Live

Alex Hill
President/CEO, AEG International
Adam Wilkes
President/CEO, AEG Presents Europe and Asia Pacific
John Langford
President of Asia Pacific, AEG International
Jim King
CEO of U.K. and European festivals, AEG Presents
Michael Harrison
Senior vp of global touring, AEG Presents
Simon Jones
Senior vp of global touring, international, AEG Presents

Alfredo Alonso
Entertainment director, Bizarro Live Entertainment
Daniel Merino
Entertainment manager, Bizarro Live Entertainment

Ashish Hemrajani
Founder/CEO, BookMyShow

Naoki Shimizu
CEO, Creativeman Productions

Klaus-Peter Schulenberg
CEO, CTS Eventim

Marcelo Fígoli
Owner/CEO, Fenix Entertainment

Stephan Thanscheidt
CEO, FKP Scorpio Group
Rauha Kyyrö
President of touring and artist development, FKP Scorpio Group; founding partner, Fullsteam
Rense van Kessel
President of touring and artist development, FKP Scorpio Group/Friendly Fire

Dion Brant
CEO, Frontier Touring; president/CEO, AEG Presents Asia Pacific
Susan Heymann
COO, Frontier Touring

France Margaret Bélanger
President of sports and entertainment, Groupe CH

Sia Aghaiepour
Founder/CEO, Heavy Rotation Agency

Yoo Jin Oh
President, HYBE 360

Aaron Ampudia
Christopher Den Uijl

Co-founders, Baja Beach Fest, Sueños Festival, Coca-Cola Flow Fest, Hulaween Fl, North Coast Music Festival, Dale MIXX, Collectiv Presents, La Familia Presenta

Chris Bray
President of Europe, Legends Global
Paul Sergeant
Executive vp of Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Legends Global
Meagan Walker
Group director of arena operations for Asia Pacific, Legends Global

Denis Desmond
Chairman, Live Nation U.K. and Ireland
Michael Coppel
Chairman, Live Nation Australasia
Kaori Hayashi
President, Live Nation HIP
Yongbae Cho
Steven Kim

Managing directors, Live Nation Korea

Phil Rodriguez
CEO, Move Concerts

“It was an honor to have Move Concerts Puerto Rico, headed by Alejandro Pabón, co-promote the Bad Bunny residency in San Juan,” Rodríguez says of the 30-date run of dates at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. “All kudos go to Bad Bunny and [manager] Noah Assad and their team. The concept and rollout of the record and the execution of the shows were flawless.

“I have never seen an event touch the heart and soul of a country as the residency did,” he adds. “Everyone in Puerto Rico was impacted by the event — both economically and in terms of pride.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “I’m going to cheat and name albums and shows that were brilliant and opened new directions in the Latin world: Rosalía’s album Lux, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso’s album Papota and Latin Mafia live in concert. All pushed away from the norm and delivered big time.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “That we have the reputation, experience and resources to execute at every level. As an independent company, we are not beholden to ‘next-quarter results.’ We are passionate about what we do, and our focus is quality before quantity.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “In terms of the live touring side of the business, the next challenge, particularly for South America and other developing markets, will be the building of proper venues for live entertainment. This process has started with new venues built in various markets — Bogotá [Colombia] and Buenos Aires [Argentina]. More are in the pipeline. We have clearly seen a jump in ticket sales in those markets where the live experience has been elevated by the newer venues built.”

Bad Bunny performs at his residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Move Concerts promoted Bad Bunny’s history-making residency in Puerto Rico.

Cheery Viruet

Nick DeLuco
Senior vp/GM, TD Coliseum, Oak View Group

Alejandro Soberón
Founder/CEO, OCESA
Jorge Cambronero
Executive promoter, OCESA
Leizer Guss
Festivals director, OCESA
Guillermo Parra
International events director, OCESA

Dieter Semmelmann
CEO, Semmel Concerts Entertainment

Simon Moran
Managing director, SJM Concerts

Geoff Jones
Chairman, Ticketek Entertainment Group (TEG)
Paul Dainty
President/CEO, TEG Dainty
Toby Leighton-Pope
Managing director, TEG Europe

Jasmine Young
Founder, West Africa Music and Film Festival; CEO, Vrtexx; director, The Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University

Walter Kolm
Founder/CEO, WK Entertainment

Agencies

Emma Banks
Mike Greek
Marlene Tsuchii

Co-heads of international touring, CAA
Paul Franklin
Music touring agent, CAA

Jeff Craib
CEO, The Feldman Agency
Tom Kemp
President, The Feldman Agency
Joel Baskin
Senior vp, The Feldman Agency

Narcis Rebollo
Global president/CEO, Global Talent Services

Keith Naisbitt
Peter Pappalardo

Executive vps/heads of global touring, Independent Artist Group

Tomas Cookman
Partner, Magnus Talent Agency; Founder, Nacional Records/Latin Alternative Music Conference

Jon Ollier
CEO, One Fiinix Live

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Ollier left his role at CAA to launch One Fiinix Live, taking with him one particularly notable client — Ed Sheeran.

Today, his U.K.-based firm is thriving. “In 2025, as a company, our roster sold in excess of 2.7 million tickets,” Ollier says. “Not bad for an independent.”

One Fiinix Live offers services including tour booking, management and digital marketing. With a focus on social impact, it has partnered with nonprofit organizations including London’s Single Homeless Project.

(The agency represents Sheeran worldwide excluding the United States and Canada, where he is booked by Wasserman Music.)

Favorite recent musical moment: “Watching Ado play a sold-out O2 Arena in London, which made her the biggest-selling Japanese artist ever to play the venue.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your company: “As we work across stadium artists, several arena artists, theater artists as well as with some of the hottest breaking artists, we are probably the strongest, most experienced, truly independent option in the market.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “I am not being flippant here, but the threats to democracy and global peace are the biggest challenges we face. I can’t say this strongly enough: Live music needs the world to maintain peace to survive and thrive and we should all be doing what we can to defend this.”

Ado performs at O2 Arena on June 19, 2025 in London.

Japanese pop star Ado, booked by One Fiinix Live, sold out the O2 Arena in London in June as part of her Hibana world tour.

Viola Kam/V’z Twinkle Photography

Matt Bates
CEO, Primary Talent International
Rick Levy
Partner/board member, Primary Talent International
Pete Nash
Partner, Primary Talent International
Ed Sellers
Partner/agent, Primary Talent International

Alex Bruford
Will Church
Sarah Joy
Skully Sullivan-Kaplan

Partners/agents, ROAM

Amy Davidman
Devin Landau

Partners/agents, TBA

Neil Warnock
Co-head of U.K. music, UTA
Jules de Lattre
James Wright

Agents, UTA

Alex Hardee
James Rubin
Brent Smith

Executive vps/managing executives, Wasserman Music
Adele Slater
Senior vp, Wasserman Music
Anna Bewers
Vp, Wasserman Music

Lucy Dickins
Former global head of contemporary music and touring, WME
Rob Markus
Senior partner/agent/head of international, WME
Shannon Saunders
Head of Nashville international/agent, WME
Josh Javor
Partner/co-head of London music department, WME
Chris Payne
Agent, WME

Associations

Victoria Oakley
CEO, IFPI

“I’m really proud of publishing our annual Global Music Report,” says Oakley, whose organization, representing the recording industry worldwide, will issue its next comprehensive update on March 18.

“It is the definitive source of recorded-music market data across all regions and is the product of an extraordinary amount of hard work, expertise and dedication,” Oakley adds. “It also serves as a calling card for our industry — telling the stories and examining the trends behind the data.

“I spend a lot of my job traveling to different parts of the world to meet with people on behalf of our member labels and it’s one of the most effective documents I can bring with me.”

In February, IFPI honored Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” as its biggest-selling global single of the year for 2025 and named Taylor Swift its biggest-selling global artist for a sixth year.

Favorite recent musical moment: “A huge highlight was this year’s Grammys. It was such a pleasure to spend a full week celebrating music, as well as the talented people that make this industry the incredible thing that it is.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your organization: “That we’re truly global. Just as the industry has connected with all parts of the world, we as IFPI and our national group network have to be present and engaged with the right stakeholders worldwide in order to be bold advocates for our record-label members.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Streaming fraud continues to be a huge threat to the music ecosystem and diverts revenue away from legitimate artists. It is theft, and generative AI has industrialized it, enabling the mass creation of artificial content and making large-scale fraud cheaper, faster and harder to detect. We’ve taken legal action against the organizations behind the manipulation services but to stop fraud at scale, everyone at each stage of the chain must take definitive action.”

Taylor Swift performs onstage during night two of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at La Defense on May 10, 2024 in Paris, France.

In February, Swift was named IFPI’s best-selling global artist for a sixth time.

Kevin Mazur/TAS24/Getty Images

Helen Smith
Executive chair, IMPALA

John Phelan
Director general, International Confederation of Music Publishers

Manuel Abud
CEO, Latin Recording Academy

The Latin Recording Academy, Abud says, remains “committed to global expansion and to forging bridges of cultural exchange among music creators worldwide.”

In November, “we hosted a memorable 2025 Latin Grammy Week in Las Vegas … bringing together music creators from around the world to celebrate our flagship events, including the special awards, leading ladies of entertainment, best new artist showcase and Person of the Year, presented to Raphael. The week also marked the presentation of our inaugural Latin music educator award.

“Also, last September, we concluded our three-year agreement with the regional government of Andalucía [Spain] with Latin Grammy Celebra: La Música de Andalucía, featuring performances by 42 influential artists who paid tribute to the region’s legendary musicians and cultural icons.

“Additionally, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation awarded the Paco de Lucía Legacy Scholarship to young flamenco guitarist Marcos Gago Pino of Jerez de la Frontera, further reinforcing the Latin Recording Academy’s long-standing commitment to the region.”

Favorite recent musical moment: “Without a doubt, the standout moment was Bad Bunny winning both a Latin Grammy and a Grammy for album of the year with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. This historic achievement marks a true watershed moment for Latin music as it is the first time a Spanish-­language album has claimed the Grammy for album of the year.”

What the global music industry needs to know now about your organization: “The Latin Recording Academy is composed of more than 6,000 industry professionals from Ibero-America across 52 countries, representing a wide range of genres and creators. [Our] partnership [with the regional government of Andalucía] led to the first edition of the Latin Grammys held outside the United States in Seville in 2023.

“According to the latest Economic and Reputational Impact Study conducted by the global communications and corporate affairs company ATREVIA released last November, between 2023 and 2025, our partnership with the government of Andalucía has generated a total accumulated impact of more than 95 million euros for the region. It has also enabled Andalucía to establish itself as an international epicenter of Latin music in Europe.”

The greatest challenge facing the global music industry: “Among the most important conversations today is understanding the role of AI as a tool — and how to establish the right guardrails to ensure it is used responsibly. Our job is to protect the rights of all music creators. At the same time, music creation has always embraced technological innovation, and AI is the latest advancement with the potential to expand opportunities for creators. We are embracing AI while remaining mindful of the risks, ensuring that human creativity always stays at the heart of music-making.”

Raphael performs onstage during the 26th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Spanish music icon Raphael was named Person of the Year at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Charlie Lexton
CEO, Merlin

Rights Organizations

Honorees in this sector were chosen solely by Billboard’s editorial team and not through industry nominations.

Jose Luis Sevillano
CEO, AIE

Gadi Oron
Director general, CISAC

Tobias Holzmüller
CEO, GEMA

Peter Leathem
CEO, PPL U.K.

Andrea Czapary Martin
CEO, PRS for Music

Cécile Rap-Veber
CEO, SACEM

Cristina Perpiñá-Robert
General director, SGAE

Frederick Tumegård
Interim CEO, STIM
Lina Heyman
General counsel, STIM

Contributors: Katie Bain, Lars Brandle, Eric Renner Brown, Anna Chan, Ed Christman, Leila Cobo, Hannah Dailey, Thom Duffy, Chris Eggertsen, Lyndsey Havens, Gil Kaufman, Carl Lamarre, Jason Lipshutz, Joe Lynch, Taylor Mims, Melinda Newman, Jessica Nicholson, Sigal Ratner-Arias, Isabela Raygoza, Kristin Robinson, Jessica Roiz, Dan Rys, Michael Saponara, Thomas Smith, Richard Trapunski, Andrew Unterberger

Methodology: Nominations for Billboard’s executive lists open no less than 150 days in advance of publication, and a link is sent to press representatives by request before the nomination period. (Email thom.duffy@billboard.com for inclusion on the email list for nomination links and for how to obtain an editorial calendar.) Billboard’s Global Power Players are limited to executives, in sectors shown, whose primary responsibility is outside the United States. Honorees were chosen based on factors including, but not limited to, nominations by peers, colleagues and superiors, as well as music industry impact of clients cited in nominations. Industry impact is measured by metrics including, but not limited to, chart, sales and streaming performance as measured by Luminate and social media impressions using data available as of Jan. 15.

This story appears in the March 7, 2026, issue of Billboard.


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