Billboard’s 2026 U.K. Power Players Revealed
Categoria: Musica
These are the executives playing a key role in the U.K.'s bumper year in music.
Por Billboard | 29/05/2026
The executive honorees on this second annual Billboard U.K. Power Players list are driving a level of global success not seen in years. The past year saw a number of British and Irish artists reach new heights on a number of Billboard’s charts. Olivia Dean has taken up residency on both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 , while Sleep Token topped the latter, a rare feat for a British rock band. Elsewhere Yungblud and FKA twigs drew significant moments on the genre charts, and Billboard’s Year-End Charts for both touring and recorded music featured contemporary superstars ( Ed Sheeran , Dua Lipa ) and legends ( Paul McCartney , Elton John , Iron Maiden ). The narrative around U.K. music, too, has completed its shift from nervous excitement to cocksure confidence. This was encapsulated at 2026 Grammy Awards where Dean’s achieved a stunning coup by bagging the best new artist prize, while Lola Young collected the pop solo performance for her global hit “Messy.” Elsewhere, Oasis ’ euphoric reunion tour took British culture around the world as fans joined arm-in-arm to celebrate an emotional reconciliation. This success explains the evolution of this list, which debuted last year as an expansion of Billboard’s signature Power Players franchise to recognize industry leaders in the United Kingdom. The list honors executives — nominated by their peers and companies and chosen by Billboard’s editors — from selected sectors of the industry: major music groups, labels and distributors, managers, music publishers, streaming companies, the live business, agencies, rights organizations and associations. This year’s list is even bigger than before, with more executives and companies represented in recognition of those achievements. However there remain pressing issues in the market: the U.K. government’s approach to AI remains muddled and a workable plan to protect rightsholders is still up in the air; the local grassroots music scene has rallied to provide innovative ways to support to artists and venues, but further intervention is desperately required; ensuring that a career in music is accessible and viable is of great concern. These executives, however, are up for the fight. In 2026’s U.K. Power Players list, they reflect on the past year, the market’s recent successes and what comes next for the scene. — Thomas Smith, Editor, Billboard U.K. Major Music Groups Sony Music Group Jason Iley, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music U.K. & Ireland Azi Eftekhari, COO, Sony Music U.K. & Ireland 2026 marked the commencement of Sony Music’s three-year stewardship of The BRIT Awards and Iley says that this year’s ceremony “felt genuinely historic.” Led by RCA’s Stacey Tang, the event moved outside of London for the first time, heading to Manchester’s Co-op Live where Iley feels that the city “rose to the occasion.” A number of Sony-affiliated acts — Harry Styles, Wolf Alice, Rosalía to name a few — featured prominently with knock-out performances. “I couldn’t be