Billboard Unveils 2026 U.K. Power Players in Music

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 prouder of the show delivered on behalf of our artists and the wider music community on a truly global stage,” he adds. “The show and the fringe events around it are building a lasting cultural imprint on the city and reflect our values of collaboration, inclusion and creativity.”

Warner Music Group

Simon Robson, President, EMEA Recorded Music Priscilla Kotey, Managing director, Warner Music Ireland

2025 saw a major restructure at Warner Music, with Robson stepping into the leadership role following Tony Harlow’s departure after six years at the helm. The move to align the U.K. operations with international infrastructure, Robson says, has “unlocked a new level of firepower for our artists and there’s now a renewed energy in our U.K. teams.” Successes for Charli xcx, PinkPantheress and more in the U.K. and beyond shows that WMG U.K. is “just hitting [its] stride.”

Universal Music Group

Dickon Stainer, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland; Chairman of Global Classics & Jazz and Verve Label Group Rebecca Allen, Chief artist & strategy officer, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland Nickie Owen, President, international marketing, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland Ange Lawrence, Chief people, inclusion & culture officer, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland Adam Barker, Executive vp legal & business affairs, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland

Speaking on their recent achievements, Stainer says that Universal Music Group’s U.K. division is “playing our part in returning British artists to their rightful place at the forefront of the global stage.” He’s not wrong: Olivia Dean, signed to Capitol Records, scooped best new artist at the Grammys in February, and Island’s Lola Young banked best pop solo performance against a tough field for a UMG U.K. double-whammy. Sam Fender, Yungblud, Lewis Capaldi, FLO and more signees are also among the acts to make international gains without compromising their unique identities.

Labels & Distributors

0207 Def Jam

Alec Boateng, President, 0207 Def Jam, Universal Music Group U.K.

0207 Def Jam’s marquee signing Stormzy dropped his first single in almost a year in May 2026, teaming up with Odeal for the party-starting single “24 Hours”. It follows a flurry of activity in early 2025 with the tracks “SORRY RACH!” and “Hold Me Down” alongside a feature with ODUMODUBLVCK later in the year. There’s also been success with other 0207 Def Jam-signed acts such as Nia Smith and Amie Blu, the latter of which recently released the long-teased single “Trees For The Woods.”

ADA

Howard Corner, Managing director U.K. & EMEA, ADA

ADA has played a major role in “redefining how we break U.K. talent globally,” Corner says. He spotlights the “grassroots strategy” behind The K’s sophomore LP Pretty on the Internet , the Merseyside band’s first No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, and the “global-first” mindset that has seen rapper EsDeeKid surpass one billion streams as proof of their methods. “We’ve positioned ADA as the ultimate ‘plug-in’ for labels like LAB Records, Aemeralds, and Lizzy Records, leveraging Warner Music’s EMEA infrastructure to scale independent visions,” Corner says of the recent successes.

Atlantic Records U.K.

Briony Turner, Co-president, Atlantic Records U.K. Ed Howard, Co-president, Atlantic Records U.K. Sam Spencer, Executive vp, Atlantic Records U.K .

For the past 12 months, the Atlantic Records U.K. team has continued to throw their weight behind signees Charli xcx and Fred again.., with Turner saying that the latter “has completely reimagined the connection between electronic music and live performance.” Ultimately, “our mission remains to pair British creative ingenuity with unparalleled international scale” and the team has recently inked deals with Barry Can’t Swim and Erin LeCount. “By fostering deep-rooted artist development via our incredibly talented team, we ensure our roster, from our icons to our newest signings, leads the global conversation.”

AWAL U.K.

Matt Riley, President, AWAL U.K. Sam Potts, Co-managing director, AWAL U.K. Victoria Needs, Co-managing director, AWAL U.K.

After a standout year for AWAL, Riley points to both scale and strategy behind the company’s momentum. Breakout moments included Djo’s “End Of Beginning” surpassing three billion streams and spending two weeks at No. 1 in the U.K., alongside BRIT-nominated albums from CMAT and Little Simz. “Our mission is to partner with independent artists to tell stories that shape culture,” says Riley. “Operating from London as a global hub, we’re uniquely positioned to bring British, Irish and international creativity to the world stage — driven by the independent, entrepreneurial spirit of our roster and our teams.”

Beggars Group

Martin Mills, Chairman, Beggars Group Paul Redding, CEO, Beggars Group Ben Beardsworth, Managing director, XL Recordings Caius Pawson, Founder, Young Jeannette Lee, Co-managing director, Rough Trade Records Ed Horrox, President, 4AD Alex Keague-Davies, General manager, Matador

The Beggars Group celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2026, having opened the inaugural Beggars Banquet record shop in southwest London in 1976. Mills and the group are celebrating major successes in the past year for Pulp (Rough Trade), Jim Legxacy (XL Recordings), FKA twigs (Young) and more. Beggars also played a major role in the distribution of War Child’s charity LP Help(2) , starring contributions from Olivia Rodrigo and Arctic Monkeys, which raised funds for children caught up in conflict zones. In December, Mills announced the formation of the MM Settlement Trust that sees all shares in the Group transfer to the trust “to preserve the company’s independence and help to ensure continuity over future generations, in the interests of both artists and employees.”

Capitol Records U.K.

Jo Charrington, President, Capitol Records U.K.

Olivia Dean’s breakthrough has been one of the British music industry’s finest moments in years. She kicked off the album campaign for The Art of Loving , released via Capitol, in May 2025 and has since bagged two U.K. No. 1 singles (“Man I Need,” “Rein Me In” with Sam Fender), been a mainstay in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, won best new artist at the 2026 Grammys and scooped a haul of four BRIT Awards. She’s currently on a global arena trek which includes six nights at London’s O2 Arena, plus a headline slot at Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer. Her ascent shows no signs of abating.

Columbia Records U.K.

Dipesh Parmar, President, Columbia Records U.K.

Columbia has enjoyed a number of fresh U.K. chart successes over the past year, with Skye Newman standing out. Her breakthrough, Parmar says, has been “extraordinary” and he highlights a number of accomplishments for the rising London pop act, namely that Newman was the first U.K. female solo artist in over a decade to debut in the top 20 of the Official Singles Chart with her first two releases (“Family Matters” and “Hairdresser”); she was subsequently nominated for two awards at the 2026 BRIT Awards: best new artist and best song (“Family Matters”). Newman’s momentum is “reflected across the label, with Columbia most recently holding five of the U.K. top 10 and eight of the top 20 singles.”

Decca Records U.K.

Laura Monks, President, Decca Records U.K.

The past 12 months brought a “new chapter” at Decca with Monks assuming the role of president, a title she previously shared with Tom Lewis (now of UMG U.K.’s Fontana Records). Monks spotlights the label’s release of Max Richter’s “powerful” score for the Oscar-nominated Hamnet , calling the German-British composer “a joy to work with.” She adds: “We are incredibly focused on delivering the best campaigns to amplify the role of music in film.”

EGA Distro

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

EGA Distro’s roster hit a number of highs in the past year, with D-Block Europe landing another top five placement on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart ( PTSD 2 placed at No. 4) and their signee Twin S scooping the best drill prize at the 2026 MOBO Awards. Expansion remains a priority, with Batsa promising a new era for the pioneering label as they enter into the “management field by teaming up with one of the world’s biggest promoters, Live Nation,” with the forthcoming launch of EGA Nation. “Watch this space!”

EMPIRE

Guillermo Ramos, Managing director, Europe, EMPIRE Ted May, Senior vp, international marketing, EMPIRE

EMPIRE’s “strengthened” U.K. team has allowed the label to deepen its expertise and scope over the past 12 months. Ramos says that this proved by the “the calibre of our domestic roster — led by J Hus — while using London as an international hub to sharpen our focus on the U.K. for global priority acts like Bebe Rexha and Shaboozey, as well as our best-in-class African Music roster.” Expanding into new genres, May adds, has seen their capability and ambition sc

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