Billboard Unveils 2026 Country Power Players List

The Neal Agency’s Austin Neal leads the annual list honoring the top executives driving the success of the genre now across multiple industry sectors.

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Labels, Distributors And Artist Services

Seth England Co-founder/CEO, Big Loud Patch Culbertson Executive vp/GM, Big Loud Stacy Blythe President, Big Loud Brianne Deslippe Senior vp of marketing, Big Loud Sara Knabe Senior vp of A&R, Big Loud

Scott Borchetta Founder/chairman, Big Machine Records/Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment/Borchetta Entertainment Group Jimmy Harnen President/CEO, Big Machine Records/Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment

Jake Basden CEO, Blue Highway Records

Jon Loba President of frontline recordings for North America and South America, BMG JoJamie Hahr Executive vp of recorded music for Nashville, BMG Nashville Katie Kerkhover Senior vp of A&R of frontline recordings for North America, BMG Peter Strickland GM, BMG Nashville

Ben Maddahi Executive vp of A&R, Columbia Records Julian Swirsky Executive vp, Columbia Records Evan Honor Vp of commercial partnerships, Columbia Records Amy Collins Senior director of A&R, Columbia Records Natalie Landsberg Director of digital marketing, Columbia Records

Mike Curb Chairman, Curb Records

Ghazi Founder/CEO, EMPIRE Jennifer Way Executive vp of Nashville, EMPIRE Eric Hurt Vp of A&R publishing, EMPIRE

Katie Dean Label head, Leo33

“I’m most proud of helping bring Zach Top’s sophomore album, Ain’t in It for My Health , to life and watching it all come together,” says Dean, who co-founded Leo33 in 2023.

“Our team was incredibly intentional at every step of the process, and you could feel that in both the rollout and the response.

“It was one of those rare moments when everything just clicked, and seeing it ­ultimately win the Grammy for best traditional country album made it even more special.”

Favorite musical moment: “C2C [the Country to Country festival] in London earlier this year.

“One of my first jobs in the business was at the [Country Music Association], where I worked as the international coordinator helping grow the global profile of country music. Watching Zach play a sold-out show at the O2 less than three years after signing him felt like a true full-circle moment for me, both personally and professionally.”

The greatest challenge facing country music now: “Managing the pace of the genre’s growth.

“With the recent surge in popularity, there’s been a lot more attention from the coasts, which is exciting, but it has also created unrealistic expectations around how quickly artists and audiences should develop.

“Followers don’t always translate to real engagement, and a viral moment isn’t a long-term strategy. The focus has to stay on building something sustainable, which is ­exactly [why] my team tries to keep our attention on the bigger picture.”

Mike Harris President/CEO, MCA Dave Cobb Chief creative officer, MCA Rob Femia COO/executive vp of business and legal affairs, MCA Katie McCartney Executive vp/GM, MCA Stephanie Wright Executive vp/head of A&R, MCA

Tyler Arnold Chairman/CEO, Mercury Records Alex Coslov Executive vp, Mercury Records Jackson Weingart Vp of marketing and digital strategy, Mercury Records

Heather Vassar Senior vp of Nashville, The Orchard

Dan Chertoff Senior vp of A&R, RCA Records Aaron Stern Vp of marketing, RCA Records

Barry Weiss Founder/partner, RECORDS Nashville Joe Fisher Executive vp of A&R, RECORDS Nashville Josh Easler Executive vp of promotion and commercial strategy, RECORDS Nashville

Monte Lipman Executive chairman, REPUBLIC Collective Avery Lipman Vice chairman, REPUBLIC Collective Jeffrey Remedios President/CEO, REPUBLIC Collective

Jim Roppo Chairman/CEO, Republic Records Mary Catherine Kinney Executive vp of artist and label strategy, Republic Records

Taylor Lindsey Chair/CEO, Sony Music Nashville Ken Robold President/COO, Sony Music Nashville Margaret Tomlin Vp of A&R, Sony Music Nashville

Kevin Herring Co-president, Triple Tigers Records/Akando Music Annie Ortmeier Co-president, Triple Tigers Records George Couri Managing partner/co-president, Triple Tigers Records

For Triple Tigers Records, the past year has brought “so many proud moments,” Herring says, “from watching Shane Profitt develop at radio to signing Ian Munsick. But the success of No. 1 singles in that time period has sure been a fun ride.” Ella Langley, the Columbia Records artist for whom Triple Tigers provided radio country promotion, has spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her hit “Choosin’ Texas”; Russell Dickerson’s “Happened to Me” spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart; “and top all that with Scotty McCreery’s [Country Airplay] No. 1 hit ‘Bottle Rockets,’ featuring Hootie & The Blowfish, the band’s first No. 1 single ever [on Country Airplay]. This will be a tough year to follow.”

Favorite musical moment: “Hard to choose one,” Herring says. “But I’d have to say, while driving to lunch one day with our vp of promotion, Raffaella Braun, I was emailed the first mix of ‘Bottle Rockets.’ Up until then I’d only heard the demo. When we both heard Darius [Rucker] come in on the chorus for the first time, I almost had to pull over. We both knew right then and there [that] we had something special.”

The greatest challenge facing country music now: “Personally, I think it’s not being afraid to be too country. Country is the business we are in and what attracts our core audience. It’s OK to step out a little — but two-step our ass back as soon as we can.”

Jesse Morav Vp of A&R, UnitedMasters

Cris Lacy Chair/president, Warner Music Nashville Victoria Mason Executive vp of marketing, Warner Music Nashville Patrick Sabatini Executive vp of WRN operations and business and legal affairs, Warner Music Nashville Kristen Williams Executive vp of radio and commercial partnerships, Warner Music Nashville

Aaron Bay-Schuck Co-chairman/CEO, Warner Records Group Tom Corson Co-chairman/COO, Warner Records Group Miles Gersh Executive vp of A&R, Warner Records

Management

Bob Doyle CEO, Bob Doyle & Associates/Major Bob Music/Major Bob Productions Mike Doyle Manager, Bob Doyle & Associates

Simon Tikhman Kevin “Chief” Zaruk Co-founders/co-CEOs, The Core Entertainment Tracy Martin President, The Core Entertainment

Danny Nozell CEO, CTK Entertainment

Austin Rosen Founder/CEO, Electric Feel Entertainment Bobby Greenleaf Creative director, Electric Feel Entertainment

Scott Siman President, EM.Co

Jeb Hurt Founder, Floating Leaf Entertainment

Daniel Miller Manager, Fusion Music/Red Light Management

Kerri Pauley Edwards Owner/president, KP Entertainment

John Meneilly Founder, Left | Right Management

Chris Kappy Founder/owner, Make Wake Artists Jarrod Holley Sophia Sansone Managing partners, Make Wake Artists

“We’re most proud of how the company has grown around the artists,” says Kappy, whose management firm represents Luke Combs, Flatland Calvary and The Castellows. “A major focus has been building out our internal infrastructure, including digital, label services, merch and PR. We want our managers focused on the artists, not buried in logistics.”

Favorite musical moment: “One moment that stood out was Luke Combs selling out three nights at Wembley Stadium” when tickets went on sale for this summer’s London stops on his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour. “Wembley is one of the most iconic venues in the world, and seeing a country artist not just play it but sell it out across multiple nights says a lot about how far the genre has come internationally,” Kappy says.

The greatest challenge ­facing country music now: “Balancing short-form momentum with long-term artist development. Platforms reward constant output that is great for exposure but exposure doesn’t guarantee a career. There’s constant pressure on artists to stay in a perpetual content cycle. The artists who last will be the ones who capture attention in the short term without sacrificing great songs.”

Clarence Spalding Chris Parr Partners, Maverick Nashville

Hayley Corbett Manager, Megan Moroney

“I’m incredibly proud of Megan’s Billboard 200 No. 1 debut with Cloud 9 ,” Corbett says.

“The entire rollout surrounding the album was incredibly intentional and deeply fan-focused, and I’m proud of the campaign our team built. Every decision, from the visual world to the fan experiences and live moments, centered around Megan’s vision and the connection she and her fans have built together, ultimately helping her land the No. 1 spot.”

Favorite musical moment: “Megan’s surprise in-the-round show in Athens [Ga.] during the ‘9 Cities in 9 Days’ album campaign stands out as one of the past year’s most special musical moments.

“She sold out Akins Ford Arena performing the new album in a setting that felt intimate and centered around the music and the fans. Just three days after the album’s release, the crowd was unbelievably loud, with some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen screaming every word back to her from the moment she walked onstage.

“It wasn’t the biggest production or the largest crowd she’s played for, but it perfectly captured the heart of the Cloud 9 era and the connection Megan has built with her audience.”

The greatest challenge facing country music now: “Continuing to break down the perception that it exists separately from mainstream music.

“Over the last few years, the genre has grown tremendously and reached wider audiences than ever before. But there is still room for country music to be viewed on the same global scale as pop or any other major genre.

“The opportunity now is to continue evolving while still preserving the authenticity and storytelling that make country music so special.”

Clint Higham Partner/president, Morris Higham Management

Megan Hinde Bradley Jordan Managers, Painted Rock Management

John Peets Founder, Q Prime South Management

Matt Graham Co-founding managing partner; head, Range Media Partners/Range Music Jack Minihan Co-founding managing partner, Range Media Partners/Range Music Jared Cotter Managing partner, Range Media Partners/Range Music Abas Pauti Artist manager/vp of artist development, Range Music Shawn McSpadden Managing partner, Range Music; GM, Range Music Nashville

Coran Capshaw Founder/CEO, Red Light Management Tom Lord Executive/manager, Red Light Management Mandelyn Monchick Zach Sutton Managers, Red Light Management Enzo DeVincenzo Manager, Red Light Management/377 Management

Jason Owen Founder/CEO, Sandbox Entertainment

Ian Thornton Owner/manager, WhizzbangBAM

Mary Hilliard Harrington Executive/manager, Wild Heart/Red Light Management

Danny Kang Stefan Max Managers, Zach Bryan

Publishing

Rakiyah Marshall Founder/CEO, Back Blocks Music

Brad Kennard Senior vp of A&R, Concord Music Publishing

Stephanie Cox GM/senior vp of creative, Nashville, Kobalt Music

Rusty Gaston CEO, Sony Music Publishing Nashville

Troy Tomlinson Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville

Austen Adams President, Warner Chappell Music Nashville

Live

Rich Schaefer President of global touring, AEG Presents Adam Weiser Senior vp of global touring, AEG Presents Amy Buck Vp of marketing, global touring, AEG Presents Weston Hebert Vp of global touring, AEG Presents

Stacy Vee Executive vp, Goldenvoice

Brian O’Connell President of country music touring and festivals, Live Nation Milly Olykan Senior vp of global touring and artist development, Live Nation Tara Traub Senior vp of global touring, Live Nation

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-country-power-players-2026-list/)._