Tim Putnam and Zena White of Partisan Records Lead Billboard’s 2026 Indie Power Players

In times of upheaval, there is always opportunity — a condition that aptly describes the past year in the indie sector of the music business. Across the industry, there has been change: in leadership, in ownership, in distribution, in what it means to be independent and in creative control.

And at the same time, the indie world is thriving. Some of the biggest artists in the world — like this issue’s cover subject, RAYE — are independent; the industry’s biggest deals are being made by independent companies, like France’s Believe, preparing for its much-vaunted entry into the United States; and by label ownership, independents made up 44.15% of the U.S. recorded-music industry in the first quarter of 2026, a figure nearly twice as high as any major company.

As the tectonic plates of the business continue to shift, one thing is clear: It’s good to be indie.

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Associations

Ian Harrison CEO, American Association of Independent Music Lisa Hresko COO, American Association of Independent Music; president, Foundation for Independent Music

Gee Davy CEO, Association of Independent Music

Helen Smith Executive chair, IMPALA

Charlie Lexton CEO, Merlin

Since taking over as Merlin’s CEO in January — succeeding the organization’s previous leader, Jeremy Sirota, now at Suno — Lexton has a simple overriding mission: using the “collective value” of the indie digital rights agency’s members to “enable and support their independence.”

Shortly after Lexton assumed leadership of the organization he’s been with since its 2007 founding, Merlin announced it had struck a licensing deal with generative AI startup Udio, enabling Merlin’s stable of indie labels, distributors and artists to be compensated for allowing their recordings to be used in AI training. This followed a previous opt-in licensing deal Merlin struck with ElevenLabs for its music model Eleven Music, which marked “the first at-scale deal between a global rights holder and a significant AI company,” Lexton says.

These deals proved that “AI companies can reach commercial agreements with music rights holders,” Lexton says. “We are here to do business and deals are achievable.”

However, he qualifies, “We will only do business with partners who respect copyright. That ultimately means partners who agree to terms that respect the investment, by artists and entrepreneurs, that it takes to make great music. Those terms are not solely about payments, they’re also about the inclusion of guardrails that protect the integrity of existing catalogs and the ability of artists and labels to control the use of their intellectual property.

“The deals we have struck fulfill those criteria,” he continues, “and not only have we found great partners, we have demonstrated it’s possible for AI companies to build music products without looking for exceptions to existing legal frameworks.”

Also under Lexton’s leadership, Merlin recently announced it had signed a deal with Pipeline, which will offer advances — through more than $200 million in capital — to member companies against digital royalties generated by Merlin, effectively opening up another funding stream for the indie labels it represents.

Noemí Planas CEO, WIN

Labels & Distributors

Alejandro Duque President, ADA Kyle Aycock CFO, ADA Adriana Sein Global head of artist and market development, ADA MaryLynne Drexler Global head of content acquisition and business and legal affairs, ADA Bryan Roberts Vp/head of A&R and label acquisition, ADA

Chris Swanson Co-founder, All Flowers Group Sam Valenti IV Co-founder, All Flowers Group; founder, Ghostly International Caleb Braaten Founder, Sacred Bones Records Nigil Mack Founder, drink sum wtr

Dean Tabaac Head, AMPED Pip Smith Vp of sales/GM, AMPED Jocelynn Pryor Vp of marketing, AMPED

Eli Piccarreta Senior vp of A&R, Artist Partner Group Alec Henderson Vp of marketing, Artist Partner Group

Iain Catling CEO, AudioSalad

Lonny Olinick CEO, AWAL Bianca Bhagat GM, AWAL Pete Giberga President of North America, AWAL

Humberto Novoa CEO, Azteca Records Sergio Pérez Vp, Azteca Records

Emmanuel de Buretel Founder/CEO, Because Group

Nabil Ayers President, Beggars Group Claire Taylor U.S. GM, Beggars Group Andy Larsen Head of sales, Beggars Group Pam Garavano-Coolbaugh Head of U.S. product management, Beggars Group

Romain Vivien Global head of music/president, Europe & USA, Believe Elsa Bahamonde Bourgain President, artist services and label and artist solutions, Believe Brian Miller Chief business officer, TuneCore Nicki Shamel Head of TuneCore, U.S. & Canada, TuneCore

Dan Waite CEO, Better Noise Music

Seth England Partner/CEO, Big Loud Records Jordan Pettit Stacy Blythe Co-presidents, Big Loud Records Paul Logan Senior vp of sync, Big Loud Records Joey Moi Partner/producer, Big Loud; president, Big Loud Rock

Seon Jeong Shin President, BIGHIT MUSIC

Scott Borchetta Founder/chairman, Big Machine Records, Nashville Harbor R.E., Borchetta Entertainment Group

Gordon Kerr President/CEO, Black River Entertainment Rick Froio Executive vp, Black River Entertainment

Dan Gill Executive vp of recorded music, West Coast, BMG JoJamie Hahr Executive vp of recorded music, Nashville, BMG Sean Heydorn Senior vp, Rise Records

Andre Benz Co-founder/CEO, broke records Brandon De Oliveira Co-founder/COO, broke records

Yo Gotti Founder/CEO, CMG

Tom Becci CEO, Concord Label Group Fred Gillham COO, Concord Label Group Hazel Malit CFO, Concord Label Group Andy Serrao Chief creative officer, Concord Label Group

Jonathan Strauss Co-founder/CEO, Create Music Group Alexandre Williams Co-founder/COO, Create Music Group Wayne Hampton Co-founder/chief business development officer, Create Music Group

Mike Curb Chairman, Curb Records

Justin Lubliner Founder/CEO, Darkroom Records Layne Cooperstein GM, The Darkroom Oliver Jordan Head of global strategy, Darkroom Records

Jamie Oborne Founder/owner, Dirty Hit

Ken Bunt President, Disney Music Group David Abdo GM, Disney Music Group Chip McLean Senior vp/head of business affairs and development; GM, Disney Concerts Worldwide

Phil Bauer President, DistroKid

Peter Berard U.S. label manager, Domino Recording Company Pushkar Ojha Director of operations, Domino Recording Company

Domino’s biggest success story over the last year was the launch of Isle of Wight-bred rock band Wet Leg’s second album, moisturizer , which dropped last July. The set’s fourth single, “mangetout” — propelled in part by a key synch in an episode of the smash TV series Heated Rivalry — subsequently scored a No. 2 placement on Billboard ’s Alternative Airplay chart.

“We have seen them go from performing at small clubs like the Echo to selling out amphitheaters such as the Greek and even playing the main stage of this year’s Coachella, all within the span of five years,” says Berard of the group. Wet Leg also scored a pair of Grammy nominations at this year’s ceremony — for best alternative music album and best alternative music performance — after taking home three trophies in prior years.

Elsewhere, Domino recently launched the electronic and dance music imprint Smugglers Way, whose roster includes Alan Braxe, DJ Falcon and Phoenix, along with collaborative works from Domino artists like Panda Bear, members of Hot Chip and Ela Minus. The lattermost also received a Latin Grammy nomination last year — “a first and rewarding honor for Domino in our continued effort to highlight exceptional artists from around the world,” Berard says. “It was very satisfying for our staff who have worked closely with Ela since early in her career to witness her profile build to this level of recognition.”

Looking ahead, Domino wants to continue “to look for ways to highlight our music in unique avenues,” Berard says, whether through synchs — also including Hot Chip’s live performance in the second season of Netflix’s Beef — or collaborations. A few notable examples on the latter front include KT from Upchuck joining Hayley Williams onstage at an Atlanta concert; Sasami teaming up with Clairo on a single from the former’s last album, Blood on the Silver Screen ; and Daniel Avery’s collaborations with Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell, The Kills’ Alison Mosshart and others on his 2025 album, Tremor .

Peso Pluma Co-founder/CEO, Double P Records George Prajin Co-founder/president, Double P Records

Molly Neuman President, CD Baby Ben Patterson President, Downtown Artist & Label Services Christiaan Kröner President, FUGA

Michael Gallegus Executive vp of business and legal affairs, EMPIRE Ted May Senior vp of international marketing, EMPIRE Jentry Salvatore Vp of A&R and creative development, EMPIRE Samyah Ahmed Chief of staff, EMPIRE

Brett Gurewitz Founder/CEO, Epitaph/ANTI- Records Sue Lucarelli President, Epitaph Records

Glen Barros Managing partner, Exceleration Music John Burk Charles Caldas Amy Dietz Dave Hansen Partners, Exceleration Music

Shawn Barron Ty Dolla $ign Co-founders/co-CEOs, EZMNY Records

When Leon Thomas first previewed his second album, MUTT , for Ty Dolla $ign, he didn’t just press play — he made a presentation. Plugging his laptop into a TV, Thomas walked through a PowerPoint outlining the album’s color palette, visual world and even the stylists he envisioned would bring it to life.

Three years later, that meticulous vision paid off: MUTT earned Thomas — signed to Ty and Shawn Barron’s EZMNY Records — two Grammy Awards, a best new artist Grammy nomination, a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and an opening slot for Bruno Mars’ The Romantic tour.

“Watching Leon win two Grammys, top radio charts across three formats with ‘MUTT’ and ‘Watching Us’ — his collab with Wale — sell out both his North American and European tours, then go right into the Bruno Mars stadium tour has been incredible,” Barron says.

Founded by Barron and Ty Dolla $ign, EZMNY Records has served as the launchpad for Thomas’ evolution. From a burgeoning songwriter who co-penned SZA’s Grammy-winning, Hot 100 No. 2 hit “Snooze” to one of R&B’s most electric new voices, Thomas has become the blueprint for EZMNY’s brick-by-brick mentality.

“It’s a true testament to the power of artist development, good music and staying the course,” says Barron, whose growing roster features rjtheweirdo, Bizzy Crook, Keith Turner and Saige Michael.

Last year, MUTT proved to be a slow-burning breakthrough. After missing the Billboard 200 upon its 2024 release, the project began to steadily gain traction, earning gold certification — with the title track eventually climbing to No. 6 on the Hot 100 last November.

“We’re just getting started,” Ty Dolla $ign says.

Chris Atlas President, FatBeats Kevin Engler GM, FatBeats

Zack Bia Founder/CEO, Field Trip

Derek Davies Dave Wallace Co-founders/co-CEOs, Futures Music Group Sarah Kesselman GM/chief marketing officer, Futures Music Group

Dana Biondi Partner/artist manager, G59 Records

Larry Jackson Co-founder/CEO, gamma. Ike Youssef Co-founder/president, gamma.

Shawn Holiday Co-founder, Giant Music Nate Albert President, Giant Music Matt Lamotte Managing director/executive vp of marketing, Giant Music

Daniel Glass Founder/president, Glassnote Music

Logan Mulvey CEO, GoDigital Music Lauren Demarte COO, GoDigital Music

Tip “T.I.” Harris CEO, Grand Hustle Music Thuy-An Julien Chief business officer, Grand Hustle Music

Neil Jacobson Founder/CEO, Hallwood Media Danny Jacobson Head of A&R, Hallwood Media Niki Zahedi Senior vp of A&R/management, Hallwood Media

In September

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