As the music business continues to grow and change, we’ve decided that it’s time for our annual Power List to do the same. This year, instead of attempting to compare the relative influence of the top label executives with that of the biggest managers and concert promoters, we’ve decided to organize the industry’s most powerful figures by sector, then listed them alphabetically. (That sound you hear is the business’ publicists breathing a collective sigh of relief.)
As the music business enters a new decade — and continues its remarkable turnaround — we want to inspire a new generation of music executives with awards that honor leadership instead of power. In that spirit, we’re recognizing individuals who are not only excelling at their jobs, but going beyond them to elevate the entire music business. Our Executive of the Year, Universal Music Publishing Group chairman/CEO Jody Gerson, was chosen not only for her power in the business but for how she has used it — to foster inclusion in an industry that needs much more. (She’s no slouch in the power department, either: She has grown revenue of the world’s second-biggest publishing company by over 40% since taking the helm in 2015.)
Our Executive of the Decade, Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, may well be the most powerful person in the music business, but we’re honoring him for the role he played in helping the entire recorded-music sector rebound to over $19 billion in sales in 2018. Just a few weeks ago, corporate parent Vivendi finalized its sale of 10% of UMG to Tencent in a deal that values the music company at $33 billion — and could spark higher valuations across the industry.
We’re also saluting three other leaders driving the business to ambitious new heights. After less than two years in his first job running a major label, Columbia Records chairman/CEO Ron Perry earns our inaugural Breakthrough Award for his label’s work with Lil Nas X, who went from a little-known meme-maker to a bona fide superstar with a record-breaking run atop the Billboard Hot 100 and six Grammy nominations, including for best new artist, record of the year and album of the year. The Clive Davis Visionary Award goes to Atlantic Records chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and chairman/COO Julie Greenwald, whose label dominated the Billboard 200 last year for a third year running.
Like the industry itself, our annual Power List will continue to evolve, and we want to hear your thoughts — even if you’re too powerful to care about such things. Stay tuned for details on how to weigh in (no frantic publicists’ calls necessary) as we begin to plot the future of this list. For now, though, congratulations to everyone who made this one and played a role in the industry’s hard-fought comeback.
— HANNAH KARP, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
No comments:
Post a Comment