the weeknd world tour 2023 asia

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The Weeknd tour dates 2024

The Weeknd is currently touring across 1 country and has 2 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park, after that they'll be at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Currently touring across

• 🇦🇺 Australia

Upcoming concerts (2) See nearest concert

Accor Stadium

Suncorp Stadium

Past concerts

Estadio Akron

Estadio Bicentenario Municipal de La Florida

View all past concerts

Recent tour reviews

This was such a great show!! I would definitely see him live again.

-great light display/props/theatrics

-he sang music from all his albums which was well appreciated!

-he interacted with the crowd

-he sings AMAZING live

-chill atmosphere

-performers/musicians were smoking weed on stage

-Abel took a longgg time to get on stage, we were there for almost two hours before he did

-crowd was very drunk & rude (not his fault)

-merchandise was very expensive (I payed $40 for a t-shirt)

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This review might not be completely objective as Abel has been my favourite singer for a few years now. However, I can definitely admit the Starboy tour date in Paris was the best pop concert I've been to this year. Even though some songs could have been put out of the tracklist, he mostly sang his catchiest songs of his career, no matter the era. He has great, or should I say, tremendous energy as he continuously sang twenty-something songs with no pause in between. He has no trouble reaching high notes live, his voice sounding even more heavenly in real life. That night, he invited Travis Scott on stage who pumped up the crowd more than him, which is a shame and showcases very well his lack of success and recognition in France, yet, in a sold out stadium. Most people actually didn't even know his real name or the lyrics of his songs ! I would recommend any "real fan" who has known him for a while or who likes his last album a lot to go to a Starboy tour date. I promise you, you won't regret it.

The concert was absolutely stunning. A starship was used and the lights were coordinated very well. Abel sang amazingly in person and I loved jumping up and down screaming with other members of the audience while he sang. The concert was truly magical and I enjoyed every second Abel stood on stage.

As for the other singers who appeared on stage, I was very satisfied with their singing as well. They did an amazing job and captured the entire audience. In between Abel's music, the other singers such as Lil Uzi and 6lack played their hits on stage and the whole crowd became even more alive. If I the concert played out any other way, I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as this concert.

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The Weeknd Adds 2023 Tour Dates

By Rob Arcand

Just one day after bringing the first leg of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour to a close, the Weeknd has announced even more tour dates to come in the new year. The second leg begins in June 2023, and the trek runs through Europe and Latin America. Check out the Weeknd’s schedule below.

The Weeknd released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM , in January. The album was withheld from consideration for the 2023 Grammy Awards , continuing a boycott that started in 2021 after the Weeknd’s previous album, After Hours , failed to receive any Grammy nominations. Despite the boycott, the Weeknd won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his contributions to the Kanye West song “Hurricane.”

Revisit the review of the Weeknd’s “ Take My Breath .”

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The Weeknd:

06-10 Manchester, England - Etihad Stadium 06-14 Horsens, Denmark - Nordstern Arena 06-17 Stockholm, Sweden - Tele2 Arena 06-20 Oslo, Norway - Telenor Arena 06-24 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Johan Cruijff Arena 06-28 Dublin, Ireland - Marlay Park 07-02 Hamburg, Germany - Volksparkstadion 07-04 Dusseldorf, Germany - Merkur Spiel Arena 07-07 London, England - London Stadium 07-11 Brussels, Belgium - King Baudouin Stadium 07-14 Frankfurt, Germany - Deutsche Bank Park 07-18 Madrid, Spain - Cívitas Metropolitano 07-20 Barcelona, Spain - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys 07-22 Nice, France - Allianz Riviera 07-26 Milan, Italy - Ippodromo La Maura 07-29 Paris, France - Stade de France 08-01 Bordeaux, France - Matmut Atlantique 08-04 Munich, Germany - Olympiastadion 08-06 Prague, Czech Republic - Letnany Airport 08-09 Warsaw, Poland - PGE Narodowy 08-12 Tallinn, Estonia - Tallinn Song Festival Grounds 09-29 Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol 10-04 Bogotá, Colombia - Estadio El Campín 10-07 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Estádio Nilton Santos Engenhão 10-10 São Paulo, Brazil - Allianz Parque 10-13 Buenos Aires, Argentina - Hipódromo de San Isidro 10-15 Santiago, Chile - Estadio Bicentenario La Florida

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By Madison Bloom

By Jazz Monroe

By Matthew Strauss

The Weeknd announces three new dates for Australia due to overwhelming demand, for highly successful After Hours Til Dawn Global Stadium Tour

EUROPEAN LEG TRIUMPHANTLY WRAPS WITH RECORD BREAKING NUMBERS IN LONDON, PARIS & MILAN WITH 1,600,000 ATTENDING THE REGIONS CONCERTS THIS SUMMER

ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION RAISED TO BE

DONATED  TO XO HUMANITARIAN FUN

THE GLOBAL TOUR IS POWERED BY BINANCE

MELBOURNE, MON AUG 28: Due to overwhelming demand during the Vodafone pre-sale, Diamond certified and award-winning artist The Weeknd has announced 3 new shows for the Australian leg of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour with special guests Mike Dean and  Chxrry22 .

These new dates are as follows: Tuesday, November 21 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, Saturday, November 25 at Accor Stadium in Sydney, and Saturday, December 2 at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne.

The Live Nation, Binance, Ticket agent and venue presales begin Thursday August 31 – Melbourne from 10am, Brisbane from 11am and Sydney from 12pm.

Foxtel Rewards members can access exclusive reserved tickets, on sale Friday 1 September from 10am. Foxtel customers, head to  foxtel.com.au/music  

General public tickets go on sale on Friday September 1 – Melbourne from 10am, Brisbane from 11am and Sydney from 12pm. 

For complete tour, ticket and VIP Experience information, go to www.livenation.com.au

The completely sold out global stadium run has been an incredible success, breaking attendance records. The tour recently broke London Stadium's attendance record with 160,000 concertgoers across two nights. The Weeknd also just wrapped with his largest headline show to date, breaking Wembley Stadium’s record for sales with a traditional concert set up with the stage at one end with 87,000 tickets sold.

In Milan, The Weeknd sold over 159,000 tickets, making him the first artist to sell out two nights at Ippodromo La Maura and his shows in Paris marked the biggest sales for Stade de France this year, totaling to 151,000 across the two dates. In addition, The Weeknd’s shows in Nice, France sold 70,000 tickets across two shows - the highest in the city’s history. 

United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye will again contribute funds from this next leg of the tour to the XO Humanitarian Fund, which supports the organization’s response to the unprecedented global food crisis. Over $1 million was raised for the fund via ticket sales during the recently wrapped European leg of the tour.

The fund also raised money during the North American leg of the tour through ticket sales, proceeds from an exclusive tour t-shirt, and a $500,000 donation directly from The Weeknd. The Weeknd’s corporate partners, tour venues, World Food Program USA board of directors and supporters also stepped up to contribute, as well as tour sponsor Binance, which contributed US$2 million to the fund. The first grant of $2 million will help provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to the most food-insecure regions of Ethiopia.

The tour celebrates The Weeknd’s 2020 album After Hours ( it’s hit single “Blinding Lights” was named the new No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 song of all time, surpassing Chubby Checker’s 1960 hit “The Twist” ), as well as his critically-acclaimed album Dawn FM , which was released January 2022.

The After Hours Til Dawn Tour is brought to you by Binance, revolutionizing the live entertainment industry with cutting-edge Web 3.0 technology. Binance users in Australia and New Zealand will have access to a special ticket presale for select shows, while supplies last. As a token of appreciation, eligible ticket holders in these  countries will also receive limited-edition souvenir NFTs. Furthermore, The Weeknd and Binance are creating a specially designed NFT collection which will be made available for sale later this year to fans and collectors alike (residency restrictions apply). Five percent of the sales will be donated to the XO Humanitarian Fund. You can find out more about what Binance has prepared for its users and others on the Binance Blog .

AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR 2023

  BRISBANE, SUNCORP STADIUM - MONDAY NOVEMBER 20

BRISBANE, SUNCORP STADIUM - TUESDAY NOVEMBER 21 – NEW SHOW

SYDNEY, ACCOR STADIUM - FRIDAY NOVEMBER 24

SYDNEY, ACCOR STADIUM - SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25 – NEW SHOW

MELBOURNE, MARVEL STADIUM - FRIDAY DECEMBER 1

MELBOURNE, MARVEL STADIUM - SATURDAY DECEMBER 2 – NEW SHOW

Live Nation/ Binance/ Ticket agent and venue pre-sales begin Thursday August 31 from 10am in Melbourne, Brisbane from 11am and Sydney from 12pm.

General public tickets go on sale on Friday, September 1 – Melbourne from 10am, Brisbane from 11am and Sydney from 12pm.

For approved artist images and tour art, please download HERE

Notes to editors

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit  www.livenationentertainment.com .

For all tour-related enquiries, contact:

Revolutions Per Minute PR Pty Ltd

Nicole Hart

+61 418 324 312 //  Nicole Hart

For all Live Nation related enquiries, contact: 

Live Nation Australasia

Sarah Wilson

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Alternative R&B revolutionary The Weeknd remains one of the most enigmatic artists of the 21st century. The Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling trendsetter first rose to prominence with his three independent online releases in 2011— House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. Upon release, media tastemakers ranging from Complex, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone, to MTV, BET, and XXL immediately became supporters. Under the artist’s visionary collective XO and Republic Records, 2012’s Trilogy reached platinum status in the US & Canada and debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200. In 2015, The Weeknd made his move from underground internet sensation to mind-blowing pop star with the release of his critically-acclaimed album “Beauty Behind The Madness”. His studio album, featuring hit singles such as “The Hills”, “Can’t Feel My Face”, and “Earned It”, has garnered numerous award nominations, chart recognition, and plenty of media support. To follow up this success, he took the new records with him to 20 arenas across North America on The Madness 2016 Fall Tour, which was sold out before the first date and featured 22 dates in 22 cities. “Beauty Behind The Madness” is now certified 2x platinum and debuted at #1 on Billboard Top 200, earning him many accolades to this date.

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The Weeknd Unveils 2023 European and Latin American Tour Dates, Presents $5 Million Check to World Food Program

By Thania Garcia

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The Weeknd has announced European and Latin American dates for his After Hours Til Dawn tour, which belatedly wrapped its North American leg in Los Angeles over the weekend. Next year’s dates begin on June 10 of next year in Manchester, UK at Etihad Stadium. The newly announced European leg of the tour spans 21 cities and continues with six dates in Latin America’s most popular destinations before wrapping up in Santiago, Chile on Oct. 15 at the Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida. Additional 2023 dates will be announced soon.

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“We are deeply appreciative and humbled by the Weeknd’s steadfast support, as well as that of his loyal fans and partners,” said Barron Segar, World Food Program USA president and CEO. “Abel is an inspiration to us all, and through his efforts, thousands of families will have food security and hope for a better future.”

The After Hours Til Dawn tour supports the Weeknd’s 2020 chart-topping album “After Hours,” as well as his fifth studio album “Dawn FM,” which was released in January this year. Kaytranada and Mike Dean will be joining the Weeknd on all European dates.

Ticket holders will receive souvenir NFTs, powered by Binance, as well as gain access to an exclusive NFT collection for the tour, in collaboration with HXOUSE. Five percent of the sales from the upcoming tour NFT collection will be donated to the XO Humanitarian Fund.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)

Tickets for the European shows go on sale starting Friday, Dec. 2 at 12 p.m. local time. Fans who purchased tickets for 2022 After Hours Arena Tour in Europe can register for presale access to the 2023 dates. Visit the EU FAQ page for any questions.

Tickets for Colombia shows go on sale starting Dec. 3 at 9 a.m. local time. Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina tickets go on sale for shows in Mexico (at 2 p.m. local time), Brazil (at 10 a.m. local time) and Chile (at 11 a.m. local time) starting Thursday, December 8th. On-sale information will be announced soon for Argentina. All tickets and additional info will be available at TheWeeknd.com/tour.

AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR 2023 EUROPE TOUR DATES: Sat Jun 10 – Manchester, UK – Etihad Stadium Wed Jun 14 – Horsens, Denmark – Nordstern Arena Sat Jun 17 – Stockholm, Sweden – Tele2 Arena Tue Jun 20 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Sat Jun 24 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijiff ArenA Wed Jun 28 – Dublin, Ireland – Marlay Park Sun Jul 2 – Hamburg, Germany – Volksparkstadion Tue Jul 4 – Dusseldorf, Germany – Merkur Spiel Arena Fri Jul 7 – London, UK– London Stadium Tue Jul 11 – Brussels, Belgium – King Baudouin Stadium Fri Jul 14 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park Tue Jul 18 – Madrid, Spain – Cívitas Metropolitano Thu Jul 20 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Sat Jul 22 – Nice, France – Allianz Riviera Wed Jul 26 – Milan, Italy – Ippodromo La Maura Sat Jul 29 – Paris, France – Stade de France Tue Aug 1 – Bordeaux, France – Matmut Atlantique Fri Aug 4 – Munich, Germany – Olympiastadion Sun Aug 6 – Prague, Czech Republic – Letnany Airport Wed Aug 9 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy Sat Aug 12 – Tallinn, Estonia – Tallinn Song Festival Grounds

AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR 2023 LATIN AMERICA TOUR DATES : Fri Sep 29 – Mexico City, Mexico – Foro Sol Wed Oct 4 – Bogotá, Colombia – Estadio El Campín Sat Oct 7 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Estádio Nilton Santos Engenhão Tue Oct 10 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Allianz Parque Fri Oct 13 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Hipódromo de San Isidro Sun Oct 15 – Santiago, Chile – Estadio Bicentenario La Florida

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The Weeknd announces first ever Asia Tour – Singapore, Manila, Bali, Bangkok and more confirmed

It's finally happening. 

The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) has finally announced his first ever Asia tour and we couldn't be more excited. Slated to kick off in Hong Kong on 30 November, the arena and stadium tour will see the R&B star hit 8 countries across the Southeast Asia region. Check out the complete list of tour dates below. 

The Weeknd Asia Tour 2018:

• 30 Nov – Hong Kong, HK
• 02 Dec – Bangkok, TH
• 05 Dec – Singapore, SG
• 07 Dec – Manila, PH
• 09 Dec – Bali, ID
• 12 Dec – Taipei, TW
• 15 Dec – Seoul, SKR
• 18 Dec – Tokyo, JP

Ticket details and venues have yet to be announced. This article will be updated when more information is made public. 

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These artists are touring and holding concerts in Asia in 2024

Check out our running list of artists touring the continent, including Bruno Mars, Slowdive, LANY, Converge and more

Want a quick look at the big artists touring Asia in 2024? Then read on – NME ’s compiled a list of musicians and bands performing in the continent this year, from pop heavyweights like Bruno Mars and Hikaru Utada to metal and hardcore favourites like Arch Enemy and La Dispute .

And if you’re wondering where all the K-pop concerts and fanmeets have gone – we’ve got a whole other list for them, which you can check out here . And here’s a small sample of the K-pop artists who are coming to Asia in 2024 : IVE, ITZY, aespa, IU, Wheein, NCT DREAM, Xdinary Heroes and many more.

• READ MORE: Upcoming K-pop concerts, tours and music festivals in Asia: SEVENTEEN, aespa, NCT and more

If music fests are more up your alley, you can check out NME ’s list of Asia festivals taking place in 2024 . And here’s a quick list of Asia music festivals happening this year : Pulp Summer Slam, Singapore Rockfest, Hammersonic, Hiphopplaya, It’s The Ship, Java Jazz, Seoul Jazz Festival, Ultra Korea, We The Fest, Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic Japan, Summer Sonic Bangkok, LaLaLa Festival, Rolling Loud Thailand, Maho Rasop and Clockenflap.

• READ MORE: Here’s a list of music festivals taking place in Asia in 2024

This list is long, and it’s only going to get longer. Read on to find out which artists are touring Asia in 2024, and whether they’re coming to a city near you…

The artists holding concerts and touring Asia in 2024 are:

Dates: March 1 – March 23 Cities: Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Osaka Find tickets and more info here

Sum 41 are calling it quits – but not before releasing a new album, ‘Heaven :x: Hell’, and saying goodbye to fans on tour. The Asia leg of the pop-punk veterans’ farewell tour includes Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

• READ MORE: Sum 41 tell us about “aggressive” final album ‘Heaven :x: Hell’: “It’s the perfect way to go out”

Orange Ocean

Dates: March 6 – March 20 Cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

Recommended

Enjoy the Britpop and indie stylings of China’s Orange Ocean when they tour Asia this March, kicking off with two shows in Japan and Taiwan apiece, before heading to Singapore’s Esplanade Annexe Studio.

Dates: March 9 – March 19 Cities: Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

Shoegaze legends Slowdive return to Asia this March, performing in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. They’ll notably be accompanied by Parannoul in Seoul and Ichiko Aoba in Hong Kong.

Dates: March 18 – March 23 Cities: Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Quezon City Find tickets and more info here

La Dispute are hitting the road in Asia this March, kicking things off in Japan before heading to Thailand, Singapore and finally the Philippines, where they’ll perform at metal festival Pulp Summer Slam.

Dates: March 24 – June 13 Cities: Taipei, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tokyo Find tickets and more info here

Atarayo, the Japanese band behind the anime theme song of The Dangers In My Heart season 2, are heading out on their first ever Asia tour. They’ll perform in Taiwan, China, and their native Japan.

Dates: March 26 – April 4 Cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

Jacob Allen, aka Puma Blue , is coming to Asia. He’s already sold out dates in Tokyo, Osaka and Taipei – though tickets remain for the other Tokyo show, plus his Thailand and Singapore concerts.

• Hitsujibungaku

Dates: March 29 – April 6 Cities: Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Taipei, Bangkok Find tickets and more info here

Japanese indie rockers Hitsujibungaku (who’ve experienced an anime-fuelled upswing in popularity thanks to their Jujutsu Kaisen theme ‘More Than Words’) will embark on their first-ever Asia tour this March, hitting up South Korea, China, Taiwan and Thailand.

Dates: March 30 – April 6 Cities: Bangkok, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

After proclaiming himself the ‘Kawaii King’ of Tokyo in January, Bruno Mars will head to Thailand and Singapore for two and three stadium shows respectively. Expect throwback hits all the way from ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’ to soulful Silk Sonic cuts.

King Gnu: Asia Tour: The Greatest Unknown

Dates: April 6 – April 20 Cities: Taipei, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul Find more info here

Japan’s King Gnu will play seven concerts in four cities this April for their first-ever Asia tour, which will touch down in Taiwan, Singapore, China and South Korea. All shows are sold out as of March 1 .

Radwimps: The way you yawn, and the outcry of peace world tour

Dates: April 6 – May 26 Cities: Tokyo, Yokohama, Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta, Bangkok, Seoul Find tickets and more info here

Japanese rockers (and frequent Makoto Shinkai collaborators) Radwimps have announced a massive Asia leg of their 2024 world tour . Latest concerts to be added to their itinerary include Jakarta and a second show in Seoul, after the first one sold out.

• READ MORE: Radwimps: “We don’t want to be a band you can define with one word”

Elephant Gym: The World Tour 2024

Dates: April 14 – April 20, June 14 – July 26 Cities: Tokyo, Gifu, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Seoul, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ulaanbaatar, Tainan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung Find tickets and more info here

Taiwanese math rockers Elephant Gym are embarking on an extensive tour befitting the title of their latest album, 2023’s ‘World’. In April, they’ll perform four dates in Japan and one in South Korea, and after swinging by Australia and Europe will return to Asia for more shows and festival slots in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia and their native Taiwan.

• READ MORE: Elephant Gym expand their universe

Dates: April 23 – May 1 Cities: Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo Find tickets and more info here

Here’s some stellar news: Alt-rock favourites Incubus return to the region this year, kicking things off in Indonesia before heading to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and finally Japan.

Arch Enemy: Deceivers Asia Tour 2024

Dates: April 24 – May 21 Cities: Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Taipei, Taichung, Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok Find tickets and more info here

Swedish metal band Arch Enemy have announced a long jaunt in Asia for 2024, playing South Korea, several cities in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Dates: April 30 – May 16 Cities: Seoul, Bangkok, Taipei, Manila, Singapore, Jakarta, Shenzhen, Guangzhou Find tickets and more info here

PREP’s latest single ‘Getaway’ features Thai singer-songwriter Phum Viphurit – will they play it together when the English indie band perform in Bangkok this year? You’ll have to attend the show to find out. PREP will also hit up South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and China on this tour.

Dates: May 5 – May 10 Cities: Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, Marikina Find tickets and more info here

In May the mighty Converge will land in Indonesia for this year’s Hammersonic Festival – and they’ll round out their time here with headline shows in Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines (where they hopefully won’t be pelted with hate by Filipinos mistaking them for the internet service provider also named Converge ).

Niall Horan: The Show Live On Tour

Dates: May 9 – May 15 Cities: Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo Find tickets and more info here

Former One Direction member Niall Horan is taking ‘The Show’ – his latest album – on the road, swinging by Asia for four shows in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.

• READ MORE: Niall Horan: “The last time I wrote an album I did less thinking”

Elijah Woods: ilu 24/7, 365 tour

Dates: May 12 – May 24 Cities: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei Find tickets and more info here

Pop artist Elijah Woods will play seven shows on his first-ever Asia tour, stopping by Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan.

Psychic Fever From Exile Tribe: Psychic Fever Asia Tour: “Heat”

Dates: May 18 – June 28 Cities: Sendai, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and more Find tickets and more info here

The Japanese boyband Psychic Fever From Exile Tribe are embarking on a tour of Asia that will kick off with several dates in their native Japan before continuing onto other locations in Asia, a press release states. Stay tuned for more details.

XG: 1st World Tour “The First Howl”

Dates: May 2024 Cities: Osaka, Yokohama, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Taipei Find more info here

Japan’s XG will kick off their first world tour in Asia, playing four shows in Japan – two in Osaka and Yokohama apiece – before heading to the rest of East and Southeast Asia. Stay tuned for dates, venues and ticket info.

• READ MORE: XG – ‘New DNA’ review: a genre-splicing, powerhouse record

Alexander 23: American Boy In Asia Tour

Dates: June 6 – June 16 Cities: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei Find tickets and more info here

Alexander 23 is undertaking the self-explanatory American Boy In Asia Tour this June, kicking things off in China before heading to Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and finally Taiwan.

Perfume: COD3 OF P3RFUM3 ZOZ5 Asia Tour 2024

Dates: June 8 – July 13 Cities: Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok, Shanghai Find tickets and more info here

Japanese pop queens Perfume have announced their first performances in Asia in five years, taking their COD3 OF P3RFUM3 ZOZ5 show to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and China. A date and venue has yet to be confirmed for the Shanghai show.

Atarashii Gakko!: World Tour

Dates: June 25 – June 29 Cities: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

Atarashii Gakko! will be playing four dates in Asia as part of their 2024 world tour. Their irrepressible energy, eye-catching choreography and infectious songs make these shows in Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore not to be missed.

Hikaru Utada: Science Fiction Tour 2024

Dates: July 13 – September 1 Cities: Taipei, Hong Kong, Fukuoka, Tokoname, Saitama, Miyagi, Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama Find tickets and more info here

J-pop legend Hikaru Utada is readying their first greatest-hits compilation, ‘Science Fiction’ – as well as a huge arena/stadium tour of Japan and their first-ever solo shows in Taipei and Hong Kong (dates and venues of which have yet to be announced).

LANY: A Beautiful Blur World Tour

Dates: September 20 – October 13 Cities: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Seoul, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Cebu Find tickets and more info here

Pop-rock duo LANY are returning to the region yet for their third Asia tour in as many years. They’ll be playing stadiums and arenas this time round, heading to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

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• Alexander 23
• Atarashii Gakko
• Elephant Gym
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The Weeknd Tour Asia 2024

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Deeply disappointed but can’t wait to be there with you!” this means that fans of the singer will have a chance to catch him perform live in 2024, but they will have.

All The Weeknd Upcoming Concerts For 2024 &Amp; 2025.

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David Cameron under fire for hiring £42m luxury jet for central Asia tour

Foreign secretary’s use of Embraer Lineage 1000 follows £348,000 bill for James Cleverly’s eight-day trip in similar plane in 2023

David Cameron has been criticised for hiring a luxury jet worth an estimated £42m for a recent tour of central Asia.

The foreign secretary travelled on the Embraer Lineage 1000 for a five-day visit to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia last week, the Mirror reported.

Union Aviation, the charter firm that operates the jet, said on its website that a sommelier helps pick the onboard wine selection and that it provides a food menu suitable for “the most demanding passengers”.

The plane’s other features include its own dining table, in addition to a separate relaxation zone with extra-long sofas.

The shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, posted on X: “I get that David Cameron may need to charter a plane when travelling to multiple countries in one week, but that does not justify spending hundreds of thousands of pounds at taxpayers’ expense to hire one of the most luxurious private jets on the market.”

I get that David Cameron may need to charter a plane when travelling to multiple countries in one week, but that does not justify spending hundreds of thousands of pounds at taxpayers' expense to hire one of the most luxurious private jets on the market. https://t.co/2Snbwhed8w pic.twitter.com/xexZZnjvEe — Emily Thornberry (@EmilyThornberry) April 28, 2024

Prior to Cameron’s tour, the government said the foreign secretary would use the visit to promote opportunities for British businesses and announce £50m of new funding to support the sovereignty and independence of states across the region.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “The foreign secretary’s job requires him to travel abroad to pursue the UK’s interests. This was the most time effective way to do this in this instance. Value for money is taken into account in all travel decisions and costs are routinely published for transparency.”

Last year, Cameron’s predecessor James Cleverly was criticised for a bill of about €400,000 (£348,000) when he used the same type of plane for an eight-day tour of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Rishi Sunak has also been criticised for his fondness for short-distance air travel for journeys within the UK.

In February 2023 the prime minister travelled to London from Dorset by helicopter and flew back to south-west England by jet the next morning, Downing Street said.

The previous month, Sunak took domestic flights in RAF jets three times in 10 days . He took a 40-minute flight on a 14-seat aircraft to an event in Blackpool, Lancashire, where he took questions from the public. It came after flights to Scotland and Leeds.

• David Cameron
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Conservatives
• Air transport

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Record Store Day 2024 – the full list, plus five essential albums to pick up

Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, and more

Our top picks

• The full list

Record Store Day 2024 is one the most anticipated events for any music fan, and there’s no doubt that eager vinyl record collectors have been preparing for this day since the full Record Store Day list was dropped in February.

Record Store Day dates back to 2007, when a small team of US indie record store owners got together to give vinyl a then much-needed injection of publicity. Now a global annual event, 'RSD' sees a range of special edition record pressings go on sale at record stores – though this year a Discogs partnership will also let you buy some of the vinyl online after the event. Want the full list of this year's special edition releases? Head to the Record Store Day website or go to the full list at the end of this page. But only once you've checked out our pick of the highlights...

The event takes place on Saturday April 20 and will see music fans around the world flocking to their local record shops to score exclusive pressings and region-specific LPs. And with Discogs’ partnership with Record Store Day , you’ll have two chances to partake in this year’s event.

Despite the queen of vinyl variants, Taylor Swift, not making an appearance in this year’s list, there’s a plethora of other albums, soundtracks, and live recordings that will be available as limited editions. But a word of caution; most record stores work on a first come first serve basis, so it’s wise to check your local store’s opening times and plan to queue accordingly. 

To celebrate one of the most exciting days in music, I’ve compiled a list of five albums from this year’s Record Store Day list that are essential for any music lover’s library. Not only are these albums great from beginning to end, but they’ve each had a significant impact on fans and culture alike...

Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (1977)  

• Format: LP Picture Disc / 7,500 copies

Rumours was the second album I bought on vinyl after Lorde’s Pure Heroine, not because I was a huge Fleetwood Mac fan at the time, but because it’s an album I knew was quintessential to any collection. 

This album was conceived at a time when the band’s members couldn’t bear to be in the same room as each other. Love complications between Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham served as one of the driving forces behind the album’s brutally honest lyricism in songs like Dreams and Second Hand News , alongside John and Christine McVie's divorce. 

Its raw emotion is the reason why it’s still loved by music fans nearly 50 years after its release, and at Record Store Day 2024, it’s being released once again but in picture disc format. 

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Live at SoFi Stadium, The Weeknd (2023)  

• Format: 3 x LPs / 7,500 copies

Dawn FM was one of the most memorable albums of 2022, but it was The Weeknd’s sold-out After Hours til Dawn stadium tour that showed his powerhouse status. 

Live albums can be hit or miss, depending on how the artist plays around with the arrangement of their studio songs – but Live at SoFi Stadium is a live album I find myself reverting back to now and then. Not only is the setlist packed with catchy oldies like The Hills and Wicked Games , but its songs like Sacrifice that show how hard a song can hit when played live. That’s all down to its responsive bass and elongated intro that perfectly builds suspension before the beat drops.  

Paranoid, Black Sabbath (1970) 

• Format: LP / 4,000 copies

The oldest entry in our list comes from Black Sabbath and their second studio album Paranoid , which is regarded as one of the most influential albums in heavy metal. And it’s back for Record Store Day 2024, over 50 years since its release on a vibrant pink splatter vinyl. 

Much like Rumours , Black Sabbath’s Paranoid has cemented itself as a vinyl record staple but for its own reasons – one being that it set the gold standard for the heavy metal genre. It houses several of Black Sabbath’s most credited singles from the title track, to Iron Man and War Pigs , which still make for great additions to blockbuster movie soundtracks.  

Tough Love, Jessie Ware (2014) 

While I lean more towards Ware’s neo-disco and funk records What’s Your Pleasure? (2020) and That! Feels Good (2023), those albums would not exist if it weren’t for her early work. 

The production on Tough Love is very early-to-mid 2010s coded, but the subtlety of funky bass guitars and string accompaniments hint at the direction Jessie Ware has been headed all this time. For Record Store Day 2024, Ware brings you the 10th anniversary edition of the album, featuring 2 LPs pressed on solid white vinyl with bonus tracks.  

Cracker Island, Gorillaz (2023) 

• Format: 2 x LP / 8,500 copies

2023 didn’t live up to the albums that 2022 gave us, but Gorillaz’s eighth studio album Cracker Island was one of my saving graces that year – after Lana Del Rey and Caroline Polacheck, of course. 

Cracker Island is very much an ‘LA-themed’ album, with topics such as technology, influencer culture, and the internet building the foundation of the album’s message. But it’s the album’s features that make it a stand-out record, one that invites the musical influences of funkier artists like Thundercat and Tame Impala, not to forget the legendary Stevie Nicks on one of my favorite songs, Oil. 

The deluxe edition of Cracker Island is out this Record Store Day, with six additional tracks and alternative cover art pressed on pink and magenta vinyl.  

Record Store Day 2024: the full list

Looking to scour the full list of special edition pressings for Record Store Day 2024? You can find it below. There are hundreds of offerings to leaf through, including cassettes and picture discs alongside vinyl. So click the 'read more' button and use the alphabetical ordering to see what's on offer from your favorite artist... 

100 Gecs – Snake Eyes: 10" Picture Disc 

10000 Maniacs – Playing Favorites: LP 

101 Strings – Astro-Sounds From Beyond The Year 2000: LP 

1975, The – The 1975 Live At Gorilla: LP 

86TVs – You Don't Have To Be Yourself: 10" EP 

94 East Featuring Prince – The Legendary Recordings, 1975-1985: LP 

Aggrovators – Dubbing at King Tubbys: LP

Aggrovators – Dubbing At King Tubbys Vol 2: LP

Ahmad Jamal – Live At Bubba's: LP

Air – Kelly Watch The Stars: 12" Picture Disc

Airplane! Soundtrack (Complete Score) – Airplane! Soundtrack (Complete Score): LP

Alan Parsons Project, The – Pyramid ‘Work In Progress’: LP

Alberto Baldan Bembo – The Soul of “Ali” Ben Djamballa: LP

Alborosie – Dub Pirate: LP

Alex Chilton – Cliches: LP

Alison Goldfrapp – The Love Reinvention: LP 

Amancio D’Silva – Reflections: LP 

America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl – 1975: LP 

Anne Briggs – Anne Briggs: LP + 7" 

Apocalyptica – Worlds Collide (Deluxe Edition): LP 

April March / Kelley Stoltz – April March Sings Kelley Stoltz: LP 

Art Tatum – Jewels In The Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings: LP 

As December Falls – As December Falls: LP 

As December Falls – Happier: LP 

Ashaye – Dreaming / What's This World Coming To: 12"

Ashby – Power Ballads: LP 

Ashnikko – Demidevil: LP

At The Drive-In – In/Casino/Out: LP 

At The Gates – Slaughter Of The Soul: LP 

Ateez – WORLD EP.FIN : WILL: LP + 7" 

Average White Band – Live At The Rainbow Theatre: 1974 (RSD 2024): LP 

Azymuth – Jazz Carnival: 12" 

Barclay James Harvest – Barclay James Harvest & Other Short Stories: LP 

Be Bop Deluxe – Futurama (Stephen Tayler Mix): LP

Beat, The – Wha’ppen? (Expanded Edition): LP 

Bebe Rexha – All Your Fault: Parts 1 & 2: LP 

Bevis Frond, The – Live At The Great American Music Hall: LP 

Big Country – Why The Long Face: LP

Bill Evans Trio – Everybody Digs Bill Evans: LP 

Billie Marten – As Long As (EP): 10" 

Billy Bragg – Bloke On Bloke: LP 

Birdmask – Tristan: 12" EP 

Black Delta Movement, The – In Acetate: 12" EP 

Black Sabbath – Paranoid: LP 

Black Watch, The – The Morning Papers Have Given Us The Vapours: LP 

Blessed Madonna, The – Have Mercy EP: LP 

Bloc Party – The High Life EP: 12" EP

Blue Aeroplanes, The – Beatsongs (Expanded Edition): LP 

Blues Pills – Birthday / Don't You Love It: LP 

Blur – Parlklife (Zoetrope LP): Zoetrope LP 

Bob Frank – Broke Again -- The Lost Recordings (Limited Wine Red Vinyl Edition): LP

Boogie Down Productions – Poetry/ 9mm Goes Bang: 7" 

Brian Poole & The Tremeloes – Twist & Shout: 7" 

Brother Jack McDuff – Ain't No Sunshine: LP 

Bryan Ferry – The Right Stuff: 12" EP 

Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club: LP 

Caitlin Rose – The Stand In: LP 

Cannonball Adderley – Burnin In Bordeaux - Live In France 1969: LP 

Cannonball Adderley – Poppin In Paris: Live At The Olympia 1972: LP 

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – The Spotlight Kid (Deluxe Edition): LP 

Carol Douglas – The Disco Sound of Carol Douglas: LP 

Catfish & The Bottlemen – The Balcony: LP 

Celeste – Everyday: 7" 

Charlatans, The – Indian Rope Beggars: 12" 

Charlie Watts – Live At Fulham Town Hall: LP 

Cheech & Chong – Up In Smoke: LP 

Chet Baker & Jack Sheldon – Chet Baker / Jack Sheldon - The Lost Studio Album: LP

Chills, The – The Lost EP: LP 

China Burton – You Don't Care (About Our Love): 12" 

Chris Isaak – Beyond The Sun (The Complete Collection): LP

Chris White Experience, The – The Best Of: LP 

Christophe – Les Mots Bleus: 12" 

Clement Bushay and Carl Bert – Reggae for lovers: LP 

Cockney Rejects – Unforgiven: LP 

Come – Eleven:Eleven (Deluxe Edition): LP + 7" 

Cramps, The – Ultra Twist (30th Ann.): 12" 

Cranberries, The – Bury The Hatchet (The Complete Sessions) (RSD 2024): LP 

Cure, The – The Top - 40th Anniversary Picture Disc: Picture Disc 

Daft Punk – Something About Us (Love Theme From Interstella 555): 12" 

Damage – Recorded Live Off The Board At CBGB: LP 

Dandy Warhols, The – Live At Levitation: 12" 

Das Koolies – Das Koolies Remixed: 12" 

Dave Allison – Conscious Dream: LP 

David Bowie – Waiting in the Sky (Before the Starman Came to Earth): LP 

David Sylvian & Nine Horses – Snow Borne Sorrow: LP 

De La Soul – Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996: LP 

De La Soul – Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996: CD 

Deacon Blue – Peace Will Come: LP 

Dead By Sunrise – Out Of Ashes: LP 

Dead Horse – Dead Horse Tapes, The - Blown Away: LP 

Dead Or Alive – The Pete Hammond Hi-Nrg Remixes (RSD 2024): LP 

Def Leppard – Live At Leadmill: LP 

Delia Derbyshire – Inventions for Radio: CD 

Devin The Dude – Acoustic Levitation: LP 

Dexys x Dutch Uncles – Dance With Me: 12" 

DITZ X Heavy Lungs – DITZ X Heavy Lungs Live At The BBC: 12" 

Divorce – Heady Metal: 12" 

Doctor Who –Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction (Zoetrope Picture Disc RSD 2024): Picture Disc 

Dolores O'Riordan – Are You Listening: LP 

Dome City Orchestra Feat Delisha, The – Dig It! (Extended/Short/Instrumental): 12"

Don Carlos – Pass Me The Lazer Beam: LP 

Donna Summer – "Many" States Of Independence (RSD 2024): LP 

Doors, The – Live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 20, 1968: LP 

Doors, The – Live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 20, 1968: CD 

Dr John – The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968–1974: LP

Dr. Alban – It's My Life: 10" 

Dream Syndicate, The – Sketches for the Days of Wine and Roses: LP 

Dub Syndicate – Mellow & Colly: LP+CD 

Durutti Column, The – Vini Reilly: LP 

Dwight Yoakam – The Beginning And Then Some: The Albums Of The '80s (4LP): LP

Dwight Yoakam – The Beginning And Then Some: The Albums Of The '80s (4CD): CD

Earl Hooker – There's a Fungus Amung Us: LP 

Elaine Brown – Seize The Time - Black Panther Party: LP 

Electrafixion – Burned: LP 

Ellie Dixon – In Case Of Emergency: 7" 

Elton John – Caribou: LP 

Emika – Transcended Before Me feat. Horace Andy: 12" 

Emma Bunton – A Girl Like Me: LP 

English Teacher – Live At The Brudenell Social Club: 12" 

Ennio Morricone – Allonsanfan OST: LP

Ennio Morricone – Come imparai ad amare le donne OST: LP 

Ennio Morricone – Storie di vita e malavita: LP 

Ennio Morricone (feat Joan Baez) – Sacco e Vanzetti OST: LP 

ENNY – We Go Again: 12” 

Eric Carr of KISS – Unfinished Business: The Deluxe Edition: LP 

Even More Dazed And Confused (Music From The Motion Picture) – Even More Dazed and Confused: Music from the Motion Picture: LP 

Everything But The Girl – At Maida Vale: 12" 

Faces – The Complete BBC Sessions: LP 

Fall, The – A Country On The Click (Alternative Version): LP 

Family Tree, The – We Shall See Him As He Is: LP 

Family Underground – For The Love Of You/Everybody Knows: 7" 

Farm Dogs, The – Last Stand In Open Country: LP 

Fat Generous – Night Time Cool Breeze / Shake Your Body Down: 7" 

Fatboy Slim – Everybody Loves A Remix: 12" Zoetrope 

Feso Trombone – Freedom Train: LP 

Fetty Wap – Fetty Wap: LP 

FFRR – FFRR Sampler Vol. 1 (ORIGINALS): LP 

Field Music – Binding Time: 12" 

Fields of the Nephilim – Burning the Fields LP: LP

FIZZ – Live At Middle Farm: LP 

Fleet Foxes – Live On Boston Harbor: LP 

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours: LP Picture Disc 

Flirtations, The – Still Sounds Like The Flirtations: LP

Flying Burrito Brothers, The – Bluegrass Special: Live in Amsterdam 1972: LP 

Foghat – Live In New Orleans 1973: LP 

Fools Garden – Lemon Tree: 12" Picture Disc 

Fox The Fox – Precious Little Diamond (40th Ann.): 12" 

Frank Turner – Girl From The Record Shop / All Night Crew: 7" 

Frank Zappa – Zappa For President: LP 

Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Live at Levitation: 12" 

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette: LP 

Fun Boy Three – Extended: LP 

Future Sound of London – ISDN: CD 

Future Sound of London – ISDN: LP 

Future Sound Of London – From The Archives: LP 

Gabriels – EP Live From London 2023: 12" 

Galen & Paul – Uno Mas: 12" 

Garbage – Lie To Me: LP 

Gemma Cullingford – Komiza Project, The: 12" 

Gene Clark – No Other Sessions (50th Anniversary of No Other): LP 

Gene Clark – The Lost Studio Sessions 1964-1982: LP 

Gentle Waves, The – Swansong For You: LP 

George Harrison – Electronic Sound: LP Zoetrope 

George Harrison – Wonderwall Music: LP Zoetrope 

Ghost-Note – Mustard n' Onions: LP 

Global Communication – Maiden Voyage (30th Ann.): 12" 

Goat – The Gallows Pole: Original Score: LP + 7" 

Goblin / Gianni Dell 'Orso – Virus OST: LP 

Golden Earring – The Cut Sessions: LP 

Goldie Lookin Chain – Manifesto, The: LP 

Goldie Lookin Chain – Mike Balls Boutique: LP 

Gorillaz – Cracker Island (Deluxe): LP 

Gotan Project – Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre): 10" 

Grapefruit – Around Grapefuit (plus London Session): LP 

Grateful Dead – Nightfall Of Diamonds: LP 

Greg Foat & Gigi Masin – The Fish Factory Sessions: LP

Grohl, Benante, Ian – The Regulator: 7" 

Groove Armada – White Light: LP 

Groundhogs, The – Black Diamond: LP 

Half Japanese – Our Solar System: LP 

Harmonia – Musik Von Harmonia / Anniversary Edition: LP 

Hawkwind – Live: LP 

Hayseed Dixie – Let There Be Rockgrass: LP 

Held By Trees – Solace (Expanded Edition): LP 

Herman's Hermits – Only Last Night [Single]: 10" Picture Disc 

Hives, The – Lex Hives and Live From Terminal 5: LP 

Hives, The – Black And White Album: LP 

Holly Humberstone – Into Your Room (with MUNA): 7" 

Hooveriii – Quest For Blood: 12" 

Horace Andy & Sly and Robbie – Livin' It Up: LP 

Howlin' Wolf – Live in Europe (Bremen, 1964): LP 

Ian Hunter – Ian Hunter Defiance Part 2: Fiction: LP 

Ipanemas, The – Samba Is Our Gift: LP 

J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E. – Strong Island: 7" 

Jack Adkins – American Sunset: LP 

Jamiroquai – Live At BBC Maida Vale: 2006: 12" 

Jane Weaver – Quantify / Deep Perelle: 7" 

Japanese House, The – ITEIAD Sessions: 12” 

Jeff Buckley & Gary Lucas – Songs To No One: 12” 

Jeremy Gluck with Nikki Sudden & Rowland S Howard – I Knew Buffalo Bill: LP 

Jessie Ware – Tough Love 10th anniversary: LP 

Joe Pesci – Little Joe Sure Can Sing! (Limited Clear with Orange Swirl Vinyl Edition): LP

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Rock Art and the X-Ray Style: LP 

John Lennon – Mind Games: 12" EP

John Minnis' Big Bone Band – Classic I-Live: LP 

Johnnie Mae Matthews – I Have No Choice/ That's When It Hurts: 7" 

Johnny Marr – Marr's Guitars: Hardback Book 

Joseph Cotton – New Fashion Way: LP 

Josephine Foster and the Victor Herrero Band – Anda Jaleo: LP 

Josephine Foster and the Victor Herrero Band – Perlas: LP 

Josh Wink – Higher State Of Consciousness Erol Alkan remix: 12" EP 

Jowe Head – The Other Side Of The Forest (Original Movie Sountrack): LP 

Kaiser Chiefs – Kaiser Chiefs' Easy Eighth Album: 12" Picture Disc LP

Karen Harding – Take Me Somewhere: LP 

Kate Nash – Back At School b/w Space Odyssey 2001 (demo): 7" 

Katy J Pearson – Katy J Pearson & Friends Presents Songs From The Wicker Man: 12” 

Keane – Live at Paradiso, Amsterdam (29/11/2004): LP 

Kenny Dorham – This Is The Moment: Sings And Plays: LP 

Killing Joke – Live At Lokerse Feesten, 2003: LP + DVD 

Kim Wilde – Special Disco Mixes: LP 

King Kong – Repatriation: LP 

Kirsty MacColl – Titanic Days: LP 

Kristin Hersh – The Clear Pond Road Sessions: LP 

Kristin Hersh – Hips & Makers (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition): LP 

Kula Shaker – Natural Magick: 12" Picture Disc LP 

La Roux – Trouble In Paradise: LP 

Ladytron – Light & Magic: LP 

Lamont Dozier – The New Lamont Dozier Album - Love and Beauty 50th Anniversary (RSD 2024): LP 

Larry Heard presents (Various Artists) – Rebirth 10 Compiled By Larry Heard Aka Mr. Fingers: LP 

Laufey – A Night At The Symphony: LP 

Leaf Hound – Grower Of Mushrooms: LP 

Lee "Scratch" Perry – Skanking With The Upsetter: LP 

Lemonheads, The – The Hotel Sessions: LP 

Lightning Seeds – All I Want / Pure: 10" 

Lil Peep – Star Shopping: 7" 

Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage: 12" 

Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You: LP Zoetrope 

Liminanas & David Menke, The – Heureux Gagnants (OST): LP 

Linda Ronstadt – The Asylum Albums (1973-1978): LP 

Little Richard – Right Now!: LP 

London Grammar – The Remixes: LP 

Lora Logic – Pedigree Charm [Deluxe Edition]: LP 

Lordi – Bend Over and Pray the Lord: LP 

Lovejoy – Concrete / The Fall: 7" 

Lovejoy – One Day / Sex Sells: 7" 

Loveless, The – Elected: 7” 

Lowell George – Thanks, I'll Eat It Here (Deluxe Edition): LP 

Ludovico Einaudi – Live At The Royal Albert Hall: LP

Lulu – James Bond - The Man With The Golden Gun Picture Disc (RSD 2024): Picture Disc

Madchild – Lawn Mower Man (10 Year Anniversary): LP 

Madness – Embarrassment: 12" EP 

Maisie Peters – The Good Witch (Deluxe): LP

Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy – The Mighty Warriors - Live In Antwerp: LP 

Mal-One – Listen Up Punk! Punk Art Poetry: LP 

Mansun – Little Kix: LP 

Manu Dibango – Manu 76: LP 

Marc Bolan & T. Rex – Zinc Alloy (50th Anniversary Zoetrope Picture Disc RSD 2024): Picture Disc 

Marianne Faithfull – Faithful Forever: LP 

Mark Knopfler – The Boy: 12" 

Mavis Staples – Have A Little Faith: LP 

Maximum Joy – Why Can't We Live Together (previously unreleased version featuring Janine Rainforth): LP 

Melys – BBC Sessions Vol 1 (John Peel Sessions & other selected rarities): LP

Members, The – Greetings From Knowhere: LP 

Men, The – Manhattan Fire (New York City Demos): LP 

Michael Gray – The Weekend: 7" 

Michael Schenker Group – MSG (Expanded Edition): LP 

Midge Ure – The Gift [Early Versions]: LP 

Mike Oldfield – Hergest Ridge 50th Anniversary: LP 

Mike Welch – Renovations Remastered 2024: LP 

Miles Kane – Miles Kane & The Evils: 10" 

Militarie – Gun Life Under The Sun: 10" 

Monty Python – Live At Drury Lane 50th Anniversary: LP Picture Disc 

Morcheeba – B-Sides & Beats: LP 

Morrissey & Siouxsie – Interlude: LP 

Motley Crue – Supersonic and Demonic Relics: LP 

Motorhead – Remorse? No!: LP 

Motorpsycho – SMALL BOATS - Shelling England* By The Round: CD 

Mr.Big – The Big Finish - Lean Into It Live: LP 

Mudhoney – Suck You Dry: The Reprise Years: LP 

Nancy Sinatra – How Does That Grab You?: LP 

Nat King Cole – Live At The Blue Note - Chicago: LP/CD 

Near Jazz Experience feat. Mike Garson – Character EP: 12" EP 

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – F*#!IN UP: LP

Nerina Pallot – Love Will Tear Us Apart: 10" 

Nightmares On Wax – Carboot Soul (25th Anniversary Edition): LP + 7" 

Noah Kahan – I Was/I Am: LP 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – Magic Secrets #2: 7" 

Norman Connors – She's Gone / Mr.C: 7" 

Northside – Chicken Rhythms: LP 

Notorious B.I.G., The – Ready To Die: The Instrumentals: LP 

Oceansize – Home & Minor: LP 

Offspring, The – Splinter: LP Picture Disc 

Oh Wonder – Oh Wonder: LP 

Olafur Arnalds – And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness: LP 

Olivia Dean – Live At The Jazz Café: 12" 

OMD – Bauhaus Staircase Instrumentals: LP 

OMD – Junk Culture Companion: LP 

Orb, The – The Holloway Brooch (An Ambient Excursion Beyond The Orboretum): 12" 

Orbital – Orbital: LP 

OST / Barry Gray – Stingray: 7" EP 

OST / Barry Gray – UFO: 7" EP 

Other Two, The – Tasty Fish Remix EP: 12” 

Outsiders, The – Calling on Youth - One to infinity demos & early songs: LP

Paramore – RE: This is Why (Remix Album): 12" 

Parliament – Osmium Deluxe Edition (RSD 2024): LP 

Pat Thomas featuring Lalo Schifrin – Desafinado: LP 

Patrick Prins – Le Voie Le Soleil: 12" 

Paul Weller – TBC: 7" 

Pearl Jam – Dark Matter: LP 

Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! – Heart as Big as Liverpool: Heart-Shaped Vinyl 

Peter Murphy – Peter Live - Volume One – Covers: LP 

Pharoah Sanders – Harvest Time (収穫時期 - Radio Edit) / Love Will Find a Way (ラヴ・ウィル・ファインド ・ア・ウェイ- Radio Edit): 7” 

Piero Umiliani – L’Arcangelo OST: LP 

Pixies – Live From Red Rocks 2005 (RSD 2024): LP 

Prefab Sprout – Lions In My Garden: 12" 

Prince Buster – Back To Where It All Began - The Blue Beat Years: LP 

Prince Far I – Cry Tuff Chants On U: LP

Propaganda – Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse (Volume 1) / The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (Volume 1): LP 

Public Image Limited – This Is PiL: Cassette

Public Image Limited – What The World Needs Now: Cassette 

Public Image Limited – End Of World: Cassette 

Public Service Broadcasting – Gagarin: 7" 

Pulp – Intro The Gift Recordings: LP 

Queen – Cool Cat: 7" 

Queen Latifah – Nature of a Sistah: LP 

Ramones – The 1975 Sire Demos (Demos): LP 

Ras Allah – Heaven Is My Roof: LP 

Replacements, The – Not Ready for Prime Time: Live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, January 11, 1986: LP 

Residents, The – LEFTOVERS AGAIN!? AGAIN!?!?!: LP 

Richard O'Brien / OST – The Rocky Horror Show (original Richard O'Brien demos): LP

Richmond Fontaine – Post To Wire (20th Anniversary Edition): LP 

Richmond Fontaine – Winnemucca: LP 

Ringo Starr – Crooked Boy EP: EP 

Roches, The – The Roches (Limited 45th Anniversary Ruby Red Vinyl Edition): LP 

Roger Waters – The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux (Picture Disc): 12" Picture Disc

Rolling Stones, The – Live At Racket, NYC: LP 

Rolling Stones, The – Rolling Stones: LP 

Royal Trux – Royal Trux: LP 

Scott Walker – Tilt (half speed master): LP 

Sex Pistols – The Filth & The Fury OST: LP 

Shed Seven – Changed Giver: LP 

Shelly Manne – Jazz From The Pacific Northwest: LP 

Sia Colour – The Small One: LP 

Sinead O'Connor – You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart - 30th anniversary: 12"

Siouxsie & The Banshees – Nocturne: LP 

Sisters of Mercy, The – Body and Soul / Walk Away: LP 

Sizzla – Kalonji: LP 

Sleater-Kinney – This Time / Here Today 7" Single: 7" 

Slits, The – In the Beginning: LP 

Soft Cell – Non Stop: LP 

Sonic Youth – Hits Are For Squares: LP

Sonny Rollins – Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recording: LP 

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Remixes: LP 

Sorrow – Sleep Now Forever: LP 

Soundtracks & Head – Daga Daga Daga: LP 

South Park – South Park The 25th Anniversary Concert: LP 

Space Lady, The – The Space Lady's Other Hits: LP 

Spoonfed Hybrid – Spoonfed Hybrid (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition): LP 

Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution: LP 

Steps – Deeper Shade Of Blue – The Remixes (Zoetrope Picture Disc RSD 2024): Picture Disc

Steven Wilson – Harmonic Divergence: LP 

Suede – Autofiction: Live: LP 

SUN RA – AT THE SHOWCASE - LIVE IN CHICAGO: LP 

Sun Ra – Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC: LP 

Suns of Arqa – Wadada Magic: LP 

Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic (B-Sides & Besides): LP 

Supergrass – Kiss Of Life Is 20: 10" 

Superior Elevation – Giving You Love / Sassy Lady: 7" 

Sylvia Telles – Princess Of Bossa Nova! Amor De Gente Moça (Musicas De Antonio Carlos Jobim….E Mais!): LP 

Talking Heads – Live On Tour: LP 

Team Sleep – Team Sleep: LP

Telescopes, The – Editions: LP 

Telescopes, The – Growing Eyes Becoming String (Remix 7"): 7" 

Television – Live At The Academy NYC 12.4.92: LP 

Temples – Sun Structures: LP 

The Jimmy Castor Bunch – It's Just Begun/ Troglodyte (Cave Man): 7" 

Thin Lizzy – Live at Hammersmith 16/11/1976: LP 

This Is The Kit – Live at Minack Theatre: LP 

Tinman – Eighteen Strings (Original Mixes): 12" 

Todd Rundgren – Todd: LP 

Tom Grennan – What Ifs & Maybe's: LP 

Tom Jones – It's Not Unusual: 7" 

Tom Tom – Club Genius Of Love Remix Album: LP 

Trashcan Sinatras – Wild Pendulum: LP 

Travis Biggs – Solar Funk (RSD 2024): LP

Tricky – Angels With Dirty Faces: LP 

Two Lone Swordsmen – Still My World: LP 

U2 – Atomic City - Live from Sphere: 10" 

UB40 – UB45: LP 

Ufo – Lights Out In Tokyo - Live: LP 

UK Subs – UK Subversives (Fall Out singles collection): LP

Ultramagnetic Mc's – The Ultra's Live At The Brixton Acadamy: LP 

Ultravox – Steven Wilson Extended Re-mixes: 12" 

Universe City – Can You Get Down / Serious: 12" 

Unwritten Law – Blue Room (30 Year Anniversary): LP 

VA (Blaine L. Reininger, Durutti Column, Stockholm Monsters) – Greetings from S.G.V. -The Greetings LP: LP 

VA – Timeless Jazz Classics (Compiled by Gilles Peterson): LP 

VA / Soul Jazz Records Presents – Punk 45: Kill the Hippies! Kill Yourself! The American Nation Destroys Its Young: LP 

VA / Soul Jazz Records Presents – 300% Dynamite: LP 

VA / Soul Jazz Records Presents – Studio One Rude Boy: LP 

Various – Crawling The Walls / Meets....:  CD 

Various – Andy Smith's Northern Soul Essentials: LP 

Various – Los Nuggetz: Garage & Psyche from Latin America: LP 

Various – DJ Koco - Brazil 45 Vol.5: 7" 

Various – The Bristol Roots Explosion: LP 

Various – Blue Note Re:Imagined: LP 

Various - Room In The Sky – In a Lovers Rock Style: LP 

Various Artists – Murder Was The Case Soundtrack 30th Anniversary: LP 

Various Artists – A Tribute To NEU!: LP 

Various Artists – The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake - The Singles Collection: 7" 

Various Artists – Penrose Showcase Vol.II: LP Picture Disc 

Various Artists – The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed: LP 

Various Artists – Nashville Goes Fuzz: LP 

Various Artists – Lost In Translation (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack): LP 

Various Artists – Ripples Presents… Psychedelic Sunshine Pop from the 1960s: LP 

Various Artists – Hillbillies In Hell: Whiskey Is The Devil: LP 

Verve, The – No Come Down: LP 

Village Choir, The – Along The Beach PT1/ Sweet Hot Lips: 7"

Vince Guaraldi – It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown OSR: 12" 

Viv Albertine – Flesh: 12” 

Wailers, The – The Best Of The Wailers: LP

Weeknd, The – Live at SoFi Stadium: LP 

Who, The – Story Of The Who: LP 

Wilco – The Whole Love Expanded: LP 

Willie Nelson – Phases and Stages: LP

Winfield Parker – I Wanna Be With You/ My Love For You: 7" 

Wingmen – The Model/I Got A Right: 7” 

Winston Reedy – Red Rose: LP 

X-Press 2 – Muzik X-Press/ London X-Press: 12" 

X-Ray Spex – Conscious Consumer (Picture Disc): LP 

X-Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents: 12” 

Yardbirds, The – Psycho Daisies - The Complete B-Sides (RSD 2024): LP 

Yardbirds, The – 5 Live: LP 

Yellowman – Zunggugungzuguzungguzeng: LP 

Yes – Yale Bowl '71: LP

Young Fathers – DEAD (10th Anniversary Edition): LP 

Young Thug – Jeffrey: LP 

Youth Meets Radical Dance Faction – Cockroach Town: 12” 

Yusef Lateef – Atlantis Lullaby - The Concert From Avignon: LP 

Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Numbers: LP 

Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Izitso: LP

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Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers. 

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China launches Chang'e 6 lunar probe, revving up space race with U.S.

WENCHANG SPACE LAUNCH SITE, China — China launched an uncrewed lunar spacecraft Friday in a first-of-its-kind mission to bring back samples from the far side of the moon, the latest step in a rapidly advancing Chinese space program that is spurring competition with the United States and others. 

The Chang’e 6 lifted off on time at 5:27 p.m. local time (5:27 a.m. ET) from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China’s southern island province of Hainan.

The launch of the lunar probe, which NBC News was one of a handful of news organizations to attend, and the national excitement around it had transformed the normally sleepy fishing village of Longlou into a major tourist attraction, with crowds spilling from tour buses and heading to beaches and rooftops with the best views of the spaceport. One rooftop owner said he had sold out 200 seats at 200 yuan (about $28) each.

Ahead of the launch there was a festival-like atmosphere on the beach, where vendors offered space paraphernalia and groups of children sold Chinese flags for 3 yuan (about 40 cents) each. Families sprawled on picnic blankets playing cards, while others strung up hammocks between palm trees so they could wait in the limited shade.

Yiuwah Ng, a 28-year-old real estate office worker from the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, traveled six hours by car and another three hours by ferry to stake out the best spot along the shore, where he had been camping for three days with friends and his dog. 

“I want to witness this historic moment,” he said of the launch, his fourth. “It’s an important first step for China’s lunar exploration.”

Max Zhang, a self-described “rocket chaser” from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, has been photographing launches at Wenchang from the beach since 2011. 

“I’m addicted to the shock of seeing the launches, especially the sound of the rocket flame,” he said. “It shakes my heart.”

‘ A force to be reckoned with’

If successful, the Chang’e mission will be a crucial step in realizing the country’s goals of landing Chinese astronauts on the moon by 2030 and eventually building a base on the lunar surface.

The outcome of the mission will also have implications far beyond China’s borders. A slew of spacefaring nations — including Russia, India, Japan and the U.S. — also have their sights set on the moon, creating what some experts have likened to a new kind of space race.

“China is trying to prove that it’s a force to be reckoned with, and so it’s always that China is competing against everyone in space,” said Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

A successful Chang’e 6 mission would demonstrate how sophisticated China’s lunar exploration program has become in a relatively short time.

“Twenty-five years ago, they had very rudimentary space capabilities,” said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank based in Washington. “Going from that to where they are today — I think they’ve clearly exceeded Russia, and their space capabilities are really only second to the United States.”

China achieved its first moon landing in 2013 with the Chang’e 3 mission, which set a lander and rover on the lunar surface to study the moon’s terrain. Before that, only the U.S. and the former Soviet Union had successfully landed spacecraft on the moon.

In 2019, China notched another historic milestone with its Chang’e 4 flight, becoming the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon , the part that permanently faces away from Earth.

The following year, in 2020, China returned to the moon’s near side, which always faces Earth, landing the Chang’e 5 spacecraft on a volcanic plain known as Oceanus Procellarum. The probe retrieved samples there and brought them back to Earth, representing a big technological leap forward. 

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has invited scientists from the U.S., Europe and Asia to apply to borrow the lunar samples for their own research, holding a pitch meeting last week in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Researchers funded by NASA received rare approval from Congress to submit proposals, raising the possibility of high-level U.S.-China space cooperation that is otherwise prohibited by U.S. law.

This time, the Chang’e 6 spacecraft is aiming to land and retrieve samples from the South Pole-Aitken basin, an ancient and sprawling impact crater on the far side of the moon.

Conducting a sample return mission from the side of the moon that always faces away from Earth is challenging because mission controllers on the ground have no way of directly contacting a spacecraft in that region. Instead, signals need to be relayed through a satellite now orbiting the moon that China launched from the same site in Hainan last month.

While difficult, the effort could have enormous payoffs. Studies suggest that the moon’s near side was more volcanically active than the far side, which means all of the lunar samples obtained thus far may be telling only part of the story of the moon’s origin and evolution.

Collecting lunar samples from different geological eras and regions “is of great value and significant for all mankind to have a more comprehensive understanding of the moon and even the origin of the solar system,” Ge Ping, a mission leader from CNSA’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, told reporters in Hainan on Thursday.

Beyond its scientific objectives, the Chang’e 6 mission carries with it geopolitical considerations. The flight is a precursor to a pair of Chinese robotic missions to the moon’s south pole to scout locations to build a moon base. Last year, the Chinese and Russian space agencies agreed to jointly build a research station on the lunar surface.

NASA and its commercial partners also aim to establish a permanent presence at the lunar south pole, though the agency’s Artemis moon missions have faced numerous delays and budget overruns . The current timeline has American astronauts returning to the lunar surface in 2026 at the earliest.

With China and Russia forming a rival coalition, there is some pressure for the U.S. to keep its foot on the accelerator, Harrison said.

“It does matter who gets there first, and it matters how you get there and what kind of coalition you’re bringing with you,” he said.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has on multiple occasions warned that the U.S. runs the risk of falling behind China’s lunar ambitions. In an interview this week with Yahoo Finance , Nelson outlined what’s at stake in the new space race.

“I think it’s not beyond the pale that China would suddenly say, ‘We are here. You stay out,’” he said.

Asked Thursday about international competition in space, Ge said, “All countries in the world should explore, develop and use outer space peacefully.” 

“There is no need to worry too much,” he added. “Space programs are for all humans.”

As more countries around the world build up space capabilities, NASA has pushed for more global cooperation, establishing the Artemis Accords in 2020 to promote peaceful, responsible and sustainable practices. U.S. law prevents China from joining the 39 other nations that have signed the accords, which both China and Russia have criticized as a tool to promote U.S. dominance in space.

Many Western space policy experts have in turn raised concerns about China’s and Russia’s intentions. The full scope of China’s ambitions in space is not known, for instance, because its space agency does not operate with the same level of transparency as NASA. The country’s space program is also more closely tied to the military than in the U.S.

“We cannot ever say that China’s investment in civilian space technologies are only civilian and not to be used for military purposes,” said Namrata Goswami, a professor in the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and co-author of the 2020 book “Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space.”

While it may feel as if China’s spaceflight objectives have accelerated in recent years, they are part of a decadeslong strategy, Goswami said.

“Many of the leaders of China’s space program announced these goals and timelines 20 years ago,” she said. “What is astounding to me is that they are achieving almost all their milestones on time, and for them, that has a strategic advantage in the global narrative of who’s doing it better.”

As much as the moon and its resources can provoke competition among nations, space exploration can also be unifying, Swope said.

“We are literally a speck in the universe, and when we go to the moon or explore space, we as humankind have that shared human trait where we want to understand the unknown and we want to discover,” he said. “That does transcend politics.”

Janis Mackey Frayer reported from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, and Denise Chow reported from New York.

Janis Mackey Frayer is a Beijing-based correspondent for NBC News.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

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Billboard’s 2024 International Power Players Revealed

The executives who are driving success outside the United States have contributed to a ninth consecutive year of growth for the global recorded-music business.

By Thom Duffy

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Way back in 2015 — when “Uptown Funk!” was the hottest hit of the year, Sam Smith was named best new artist at the Grammy Awards and Taylor Swift had the year’s top album with the original version of 1989 — the global music industry hit a significant milestone.

Its revenue grew — for the first time in 20 years. That was the beginning of a comeback, and the industry has sustained it since.

UMPG’s Alexandra Lioutikoff Wins First-Ever Billboard International Power Players’…

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Among those who have contributed to the music business’ overall growth are Billboard ’s 2024 International Power Players — executives nominated by their firms and peers and chosen by our editors from selected industry sectors. All have primary responsibility for markets outside the United States, which account for nearly 60% of the world’s recorded-music sales.

In fact, although the United States and Canada had a collective global recorded-music revenue increase of 7.4% in 2023, that was the lowest regional growth rate measured last year by IFPI. That figure was surpassed by Europe at 8.9%, Australasia at 10.4%, the Middle East and North Africa at 14.4%, Asia at 14.9%, Latin America at 19.4% and Sub-Saharan Africa at 24.7% (South Africa accounts for 77% of revenue in that region).

Each of those regions is represented among this year’s International Power Players.

In a statement accompanying the global results, IFPI CFO/interim joint head John Nolan said, “This growth results from record companies’ sustained investment in artists and their careers — more than $7.1 billion annually on A&R and marketing alone [as measured in 2022] — and the impact it has on music ecosystems all over the world.”

Yet the global music business faces no shortage of tests as it aims for a solid decade of growth.

“Music fans greatly value authenticity, and our industry has a strong track record of licensing music and supporting the development of new services that create these experiences for fans,” Rechardt continues. “That said, we still need effective tools and the support of authorities to tackle unauthorized uses and to ensure the music ecosystem remains one that is sustainable for the long term.”

Rebecca Berman Senior vp of international, Concord Label Group Fred Gillham Managing director of U.K. and Europe, Concord Label Group Jeff Van Driel GM of international operations, Concord

Concord has invested in its global team with key hires and partnerships. “Adding A&R in the U.K., capacity in Latin America and Asia, and launching our European commercial team has allowed us to take further control of campaigns for our labels and artists,” says Berman, who notes the global success of Ghost and Thirty Seconds to Mars as proof that the strategy is working. Van Driel adds that Concord’s administrative teams in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia have reorganized to accommodate local needs while centralizing shared functions at Concord’s Nashville headquarters. “We have introduced numerous tech solutions that integrate regional processes into our global system,” he says.

Thomas Coesfeld CEO, BMG Sebastian Hentzschel COO, BMG

Adam Granite CEO of Africa, Middle East and Asia, Universal Music Group Dickon Stainer President/CEO of global classics and jazz and Verve Label Group, Universal Music Group Michelle Teh Senior vp of global classics and jazz, Universal Music Group

Granite says that “over the past 12 months, UMG has continued to strengthen and expand our operations, repertoire and leadership teams around the world.” UMG invested in Mavin Records in Nigeria, Oriental Star Agencies in South Asia, Chabaka Music in the Middle East/North Africa and RS Group in Thailand. In addition, the company reached new deals with Chinese stars Jay Chou and Eason Chan. Granite says there are “huge opportunities for global music to find popularity through streaming and discovery.”

Donny Novakovic Vp of international marketing, Disney Music Group

“I am proud of the achievements my team and I have had curating the soundtracks of the world, breathing life into the deep catalog and unearthing hidden gems in multiple languages,” Novakovic says. Disney continues to build “a bridge between cultures,” he adds, noting the impact of titles such as Frozen , Frozen II and Moana . “With their upcoming sequels, we’ll continue building on these cherished stories’ legacy,” Novakovic says. And Encanto has sold 8 million copies of its soundtrack, according to Disney, “proving the world is still talking about Bruno.”

Jiwon Park CEO, HYBE YJ Shin President, BIGHIT Music Sung Soo Han Master professional, PLEDIS Entertainment Yoo Jin Oh GM, HYBE 360

Melissa Thomas Executive vp of international marketing for U.S. repertoire, Sony Music Entertainment Talita Zuiderveld Head of global promotions for U.S. international, Sony Music Entertainment Chanel Auguste Director of international marketing, Sony Music Entertainment Kaitlin Reid Associate director of digital and commercial strategy, Sony Music Entertainment Katherine Griffith Associate director of international marketing, Sony Music Entertainment

In an increasingly global music industry, “hits and stories can spark from anywhere around the world,” Thomas says. Viral popularity in Southeast Asia, among other markets, helped push SZA’s “Kill Bill” to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and Meghan Trainor’s “Made You Look” to No. 11 on the Hot 100, while 22-year-old Tyla emerged from South Africa to reach No. 1 on Billboard ’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” was IFPI’s top-selling global single in 2023. “We are highly focused,” Thomas says, “on building campaigns that captivate and engage fans from every corner of the globe.”

Pieter van Rijn President of Downtown Music, Downtown Music Holdings Ben Patterson President of artist and label services, Downtown Music Holdings Christiaan Kröner President of FUGA, Downtown Music Holdings Christine Barnum Chief revenue officer, CD Baby/Downtown Music Holdings

Eric Wong President/chief marketing officer of recorded music, Warner Music Group Simon Robson President of international recorded music, Warner Music Group Jess Keeley-Carter Executive vp of global marketing, Warner Music International

Among Warner Music’s international stars, an Udo Lindenberg track topped the German chart for 21 weeks, Bolaget ruled Sweden’s chart for 14 weeks and Gobs held down the No. 1 spot in Denmark for 10 weeks. Robson says the company is eager to use collaborations as a tool to cross international borders, and has helped pair Ninho with Central Cee, Ed Sheeran with 1.Cuz — and Warner Music Canada with Warner Music India on the joint venture 91 North Records. Another collaboration, Karol G and Aldo Ranks’ “WATATI,” peaked at No. 2 in Panama and No. 4 in Honduras on Monitor Latino thanks to Wong’s team, which was instrumental in pushing Barbie: The Album — on which “WATATI” appears alongside songs from Dua Lipa and ­Charli XCX — around the globe.

Frank Briegmann Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon, Universal Music Group Oliver Nusse CEO, Universal France and Universal Music Africa, Universal Music Group Frank Kacou Managing director, Universal Music Africa, Universal Music Group

Fabian Drebes Doreen Schimk Co-presidents, Warner Music Central Europe Mark Fry President, Warner Music Nordics Alfonso Perez-Soto President, emerging markets, Warner Music Group Alain Veille President, Warner Music France Niels Walboomers President, recorded music and publishing, Benelux, Warner Music Group Temi Adeniji Managing director, Warner Music Africa

Warner Music Central Europe, under Drebes and Schimk, in partnership with Warner Chappell Music Germany, under vp Natascha Augustin, led WMG colleagues in celebrating the September opening of a creative hub in Berlin to bring together international artists, songwriters and producers while also serving its employees. The facility, built on the top floor of the historic Schicklerhaus in the central Berlin borough of Mitte, boasts an interior performance space, rooftop terraces and collaboration rooms featuring cutting-edge technology such as Dolby Atmos immersive sound. WMG CEO Robert Kyncl led a guest list of more than 700 attendees at the grand opening, including WMG artists and songwriters and figures from music, entertainment and politics.

Tony Harlow CEO, Warner Music U.K. Victor Aroldross Senior vp of international marketing, Warner Music U.K.

Jason Iley Chairman/CEO, Sony Music U.K. and Ireland

Sony Music-signed or -affiliated artists topped the U.K. Official Singles chart for a combined 28 weeks in 2023, including Miley Cyrus’ 10 weeks at No. 1 with “Flowers” — the top song in the United Kingdom last year with 198 million streams, according to the Official Charts Company. Hit records by SZA, Doja Cat, Libianca, Tyla, Tate McRae, Cassö and Calvin Harris (in collaboration with Ellie Goulding) rounded out a successful 12 months for Sony Music, which relaunched Epic Records U.K. as a front-line label last May. “After reorganizing our labels, we’re proud of our recent chart success,” says Iley, who celebrated 10 years at the helm in April.

David Joseph Chairman/CEO, Universal Music U.K. & Ireland Selina Webb Executive vp, Universal Music U.K.

Joseph singles out “two truly global moments” as highlights of the past 18 months. The first was the release of Hackney Diamonds , The Rolling Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years, which topped the charts in 20 countries, according to UMG. The second was The Beatles’ final song, “Now and Then,” which reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom and No. 7 on the Hot 100. “I genuinely think both campaigns will be looked at for many years as best-in-class examples of U.K. creativity exporting to the world,” says Joseph, who oversees the EMI, Decca, Island, Polydor and 0207 Def Jam labels, as well as Abbey Road Studios.

Daniel Lieberberg President of Sony Music Continental Europe and Africa, Sony Music Entertainment Patrick Mushatsi-Kareba CEO of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Sony Music Entertainment Marie-Anne Robert President, Sony Music France

Alistair Norbury President of U.K. repertoire and marketing, BMG

Kylie Minogue, Billboard ’s 2024 Women in Music Icon honoree, drove fans to dancefloors around the world with the global success of “Padam Padam,” which was her biggest U.S. hit in 20 years and won the Grammy Award for best pop dance recording in February. The song propelled the album Tension to No. 21 on the Billboard 200, her best showing since 2010. “Together with the accolades from the Grammys and Billboard awards, plus the triumph of [her] Las Vegas [residency],” Norbury says, “Kylie’s success shows how BMG’s global focus can help artists deliver creatively, critically and commercially.”

Alejandro Duque President, Warner Music Latin America Leila Oliveira President, Warner Music Brazil Tomas Rodríguez President of Warner Music Mexico & Central America, Warner Music Mexico Guillermo González Arévalo President, Warner Music Iberia

Jesús López Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin America/Iberian Peninsula Narcís Rebollo Melció President, Universal Music Iberian Peninsula Alfredo Delgadillo President/CEO, Universal Music Mexico Luis Estrada President, Universal Music Southern Cone Paulo Lima President, Universal Music Brazil Manuel Peña Managing director, Universal Music Andean Region & Central America

Universal’s ability to break local artists at an international level was on display again with the “remarkable international success of Feid,” López says. Feid ended the year as the sixth most-streamed artist globally on Spotify and debuted at No. 1 on the platform’s global chart with his albums Mor, No le Temas a la Oscuridad and Ferxxocalipsis . He was also a top five artist of the year on Vevo, in the top 10 of Billboard ’s U.S. year-end Latin artists and sold out his 2023 Ferxxo Nitro Jam Underground U.S. tour in 30 minutes, according to the label. The Colombian star also played sold-out shows in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France, underscoring his growing international appeal. And in December, according to Universal Music, Spain’s Aitana became the first Spanish artist to sell out Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — and did so in a record-setting 72 hours.

Under Verde, Sony’s Latin-Iberia team coordinated the sensational global launch of Shakira’s Las Mujeres No Lloran . In Mexico, López highlights the international success of Natalia Lafourcade — signed 24 years ago — who hit a high with two Latin Grammys and one Grammy for her 2022 album, De Todas las Flores . In Brazil, DENNIS and Kevin o Chris’ “Tá Ok” was a No. 1 hit, while Luísa Sonza is poised for an international breakthrough. In Argentina, Amato applauds the success of pop band Miranda! throughout South America with its album Hotel Miranda . In Spain, Barbat says he remains focused on developing new talent like Ana Mena, while being “attentive to signing consolidated artists with high international and mainstream relevance” like Alejandro Sanz. Regionwide, Cabral highlighted the expansion of Sony’s partnership with European ticketing company CTS Eventim, which resulted in the launch of Eventim Brazil and the acquisition of Punto Ticket in Chile and Teleticket in Peru.

Andrew Chan CEO, Greater China, Sony Music Entertainment Vanessa Picken Chair/CEO, Sony Music Entertainment Australia and New Zealand Shridhar Subramaniam President, corporate strategy and market development, Asia and Middle East, Sony Music Entertainment Vinit Thakkar Managing director, India, Sony Music Entertainment

Joseph Chang Co-CEO, Kakao Entertainment; board member, SM Entertainment Jang Cheol Hyuk Tak Young Jun Co-CEOs, SM Entertainment Lee Sung Su Chief A&R officer, SM Entertainment

As K-pop — and the companies behind it — expands globally, the 2023 North American merger of SM Entertainment (aespa, NCT, RIIZE) and Kakao Entertainment America (IVE) was “a milestone,” Chang says, “and a precedent for the next steps in building a multinational business system for all artists and labels under our care.” The joint venture quickly expanded across the Atlantic by partnering with British entertainment company Moon&Back to launch a British boy band through an upcoming reality TV show. In addition, IVE, a girl group on Kakao’s label Starship Entertainment, is on its first global tour, which included six U.S. arena dates in March.

Chris Gobalakrishna Jonathan Serbin Co-presidents, Warner Music Asia Dan Rosen President, Warner Music Australasia Jay Mehta Managing director, Warner Music South Asia and Warner Music India

Matt Gudinski Chairman/CEO, Mushroom Group

With Gudinski at the helm, the Melbourne, Australia-based independent music giant celebrated its 50th anniversary with a yearlong slate of special events, releases, merchandise and an all-star concert at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena in November featuring scores of Mushroom acts performing originals and classic songs from across the company’s catalog. The business built by Gudinski’s late father, legendary entrepreneur Michael Gudinski, “saw success across our entire group,” Matt says. The standout: the second of Ed Sheeran’s record-setting performances at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with 112,000 in attendance.

Katsumi Kuroiwa CEO, Avex

The multifaceted Japanese music company Avex — through a partnership with AEG Presents branded as AEGX — hosted Ed Sheeran’s +-=÷x Tour in Japan in January, as well as Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour at the Tokyo Dome in February, a run that marked the first time a non-Japanese female artist performed at the venue for four consecutive days. Avex’s U.S. imprint, Avex USA, has grown its publishing roster with recent signings including an administration deal with producer Ambezza (Future and Drake’s “Life Is Good”) and a co-publishing deal with GENT! (Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills”) in collaboration with Brandon Silverstein’s S10 Entertainment.

Cussion Pang Chairman, Tencent Music Entertainment Group Ross Liang CEO/board member, Tencent Music Entertainment Group

Timothy Xu Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Greater China Calvin Wong CEO, Universal Music Southeast Asia; senior vp of Asia, Universal Music Group Devraj Sanyal Chairman/CEO, Universal Music India and South Asia; senior vp of strategy, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Universal Music Group Patrick Boulos CEO, Universal Music Middle East and North Africa Naoshi Fujikura President/CEO, Universal Music Japan Sean Warner President, Universal Music Australia and New Zealand

In September, Universal Music Group named Xu to oversee Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the veteran executive has since signed a global distribution deal with Jay Chou, the first artist from China to appear in the top 10 of IFPI’s global artist chart. In Southeast Asia, under Wong, UMG acquired a majority control of Thailand’s RS Group, a leading music distributor and artist management group. For Universal Music India, Sanyal’s brand partnership with Coca-Cola led to the hit “Khalasi” by Aditya Gadhvi and Achint. Released through Coke Studio Bharat, the song has 5 billion cumulative video views, according to UMG.

Dan Chalmers Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, YouTube Music Sandra Jimenez Head of music for Latin America and U.S. Latin, YouTube Music Paul Smith Managing director, Asia Pacific, YouTube Music Nur Ozdamar Lead of Europe, the Middle East and Africa artist and label development, YouTube Music

Phil Choi Managing director, Boomplay

Boomplay is committed to bringing African music to the global stage and, last year, African superstar Burna Boy made history by becoming the first artist to reach 1 billion streams on the app, according to Boomplay. The launch of Boomlive, an audio livestreaming feature of the app, has bridged the gap between artists and their fans by providing a direct channel of live communication and giving artists an additional tool for promotion and the monetization of their brand. “It has been a long road,” Choi says, “but the success of African music on the global stage and domestically has further strengthened our commitment to developing the African music industry to reach a wider audience.”

Bruno Crolot Head of international music, Spotify Andy Sloan Vincent Head of global music programs, Spotify Annika Walsh Head of international music strategy, Spotify

While Crolot says that 2023 was “jam-packed for Spotify on all fronts,” he’s especially proud of the continued focus on “championing artists and musical genres from every corner of the world.” In February 2023, the company debuted its personalized AI guide — called DJ — in beta in the United States and Canada. It expanded into the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as select markets in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. “[Our] tools and programs can create magic,” Crolot says. “Somewhere, a fan will get to discover for the very first time an artist that will become a favorite and a lasting connection will be created, no matter the geographical and linguistic barriers.”

Imoucha cites Amazon Music’s ­livestream of the 2023 Primavera Sound Festival in Spain as a significant international achievement for the company. “Being able to delight music fans around the world and bring this world-class festival, packed with artist performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes moments, to them at home was a real highlight,” she says. Millions tuned in digitally to watch performances from the Barcelona event by headliners such as Blur and Kendrick Lamar on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.

Georges Fornay Deputy CEO, Qobuz Dan Mackta Managing director, North America and Northern Europe, Qobuz

Qobuz is “consistently outpacing market benchmarks” as the streaming service has expanded its global reach into 26 countries, Mackta says. The high-resolution streaming service has spread into the Canadian market (both French- and English-speaking territories) and recently partnered with Festival Bach Montreal and Off-Bach, the annual three-week classical music festival in Montreal. The move happened after recent launches in Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 2021 and Latin America in 2022, as well as the acquisition of Japanese music company e-Onkyo. Qobuz also partnered with the Jerry Garcia Family, the artist’s estate, to bring the late Grateful Dead member’s full catalog and exclusive playlists to the service.

Maria Garrido Chief marketing officer, Deezer

Emmy Lovell Global head of music, SoundCloud Ama Walton Senior vp of music licensing/deputy general counsel, SoundCloud Hazel Savage Vp of music intelligence, SoundCloud

SoundCloud’s major achievement of 2023 was launching its artist development program, Ascending, which highlights emerging artists monthly. Ascending promoted talents like Kenya Grace, whose single “Strangers” has become a mainstay on users’ playlists since. “I feel like the industry is really taking note of the A&R gold mine that exists on SoundCloud to find and amplify new talent,” Lovell says, adding that the success of artists on SoundCloud motivates her to continue spotlighting emerging acts and connecting them to fans.

Charles Morgan Chief marketing officer, The Beatport Group

This year, Beatport is celebrating 20 years of serving the DJ community and expanding its international presence. Morgan notes the company’s introduction to key new territories across Europe, the United Kingdom and South America as a highlight. “After listening to our audience around the world, we’ve also rebuilt Beatportal into a community-first storytelling hub that offers DJs and producers unfiltered access to their audience,” Morgan says, “further driving exceptional profitability in emerging markets and helping position our ecosystem as the top choice for DJs and producers worldwide.”

Ola Sars Founder/CEO, Soundtrack Your Brand

Jen Walsh Senior director, Apple Juan Paz Global head of Latin music business, Apple Music

In March 2023, Apple proudly unveiled its Apple Music Classical app in Apple Music markets except Greater China, Japan and South Korea. Since then, Apple has expanded its availability to those areas as well, “bringing the world’s largest classical catalog and ultimate classical experience to more music fans around the globe,” Walsh says. “Classical music is foundational for music lovers everywhere, and we are working with some of the most prolific classical artists and institutions in the world to celebrate and showcase the experience in this new stand-alone app.”

Rebecca Allen Jo Charrington Co-presidents, EMI Records

Under the joint leadership of Allen and Charrington, EMI Records strengthened its position as one of the top U.K. imprints in 2023. Chart successes included No. 1 albums by Lewis Capaldi, Sam Smith, Take That, Metallica, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift, who had the year’s second- and third-biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom with Midnights and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) , respectively, according to the Official Charts Company. Caity Baser, Olivia Dean and Mae Stephens are among the recent breakthroughs for EMI, which integrated Capitol Records into the wider U.K. label group in 2022. Last year’s launch of EMI North, a new imprint based in Leeds, England, made EMI the first British major label to have a physical office outside of London.

Tricia Arnold Executive vp of global artist/label services and sales, The Orchard Prashant Bahadur Executive vp/head of strategy, The Orchard Erol Cichowski Jason Pascal Executive vps of global artist and label partnerships, The Orchard

Stacey Bedford CEO, Bandzoogle

Bandzoogle, the Ottawa, Ontario-based online platform that provides a one-stop shop for independent musicians to build professional websites, celebrated its 20th year in 2023. The site has expanded its options over the years, now offering musicians online press kits, direct marketing and merchandise sales, and expanded its global reach in the process. “One of our main goals is to help make it easier for musicians to make money from their music by selling directly to their fans,” Bedford says. “Seeing our members make over $16.4 million in sales through their websites last year, all commission-free, is truly rewarding for our whole team.”

Pascal Bittard President, IDOL

French digital distributor IDOL has spent the past year “focused on developing its international divisions by making key signings and hires in the U.S., U.K. and Germany,” Bittard says. Among its moves to support that goal: bringing artists like Afro B and Erick the Architect to TOKiMONSTA’s Young Art Records. Meanwhile, IDOL has become more partner-friendly by dedicating an audience development manager to each client. IDOL also kept expanding its head office and international teams in 2024, with local operations spread across Paris, London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and Johannesburg.

Louis Bloom President, Island Records U.K. Steven Rowen Senior vp/head of international, Island Records

Alec Boateng Alex Boateng Co-presidents, 0207 Def Jam Marisa Lauro-Norris Former senior vp of international, Def Jam Recordings

In the United Kingdom, twin brothers Alec and Alex Boateng have built on the success of grime star Stormzy — most recently through a collaboration with Indo Canadian artist AP Dhillon on “Problems Over Peace.” In the United States, 18-year Def Jam Recordings veteran Lauro-Norris guided international campaigns in the past year for new 0207 Def Jam signing JayO as well as Def Jam U.S. acts like Grammy Award winner Coco Jones, Nigerian superstar Adekunle Gold and American rapper Armani White. (As of March, Lauro-Harris is no longer with Def Jam.)

Lilas Bourboulon Tim Dellow Toby L Company directors/co-CEOs, Transgressive

Transgressive’s Toby L says the company’s past year was defined by creative and commercial growth in three core areas: the label (with releases from Flume, Arlo Parks, Alvvays, Julia Jacklin, Mykki Blanco and The WAEVE), publishing (extension of a catalog agreement with Foals; new deals with Black Country, New Road and HotWax; and a top three album on the U.K. Official Albums chart from Loyle Carner) and management (Wesley Joseph’s signing to Secretly Canadian and new albums from Marika Hackman and musician-actor Johnny Flynn). “Next year marks 20 years of the company,” Toby L says, “and with new staff hires and a North American office opening on the horizon, there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Jorge Brea Founder/CEO, Symphonic Distribution Janette Berrios Vp of corporate marketing, Symphonic Distribution

Kristen Burke President, Warner Music Canada

The only female head of a major label in Canada, Burke initiated Warner Music’s move from the Toronto suburbs to its downtown headquarters at The Well, where she has continued her forward-thinking strategy. Warner Music Canada partnered with Warner Music India to create 91 North Records, focused on artists of South Asian heritage. “This venture leverages the market potential of uniting two distinct fan bases, [building] a bridge between the East and West,” she says.,” she says. To further that mission, Warner Music Canada directly signed Karan Aujla, a Canadian artist born in India, who was nominated for two Juno Awards in March, and won the Tik Tok Fan Choice Award.

Caitlin Cadden Director of global marketing, Warner Music Nashville

One highlight of WMN’s global success has been singer-songwriter Bailey Zimmerman, whose Religiously. The Album. reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on Top Country Albums and No. 8 on Canadian Albums — and also No. 3 on the Australian Recording Industry Association’s country albums chart. Zimmerman topped Australia’s Ridin’ Hearts festival in the fall and will headline a U.K. tour in May. “International growth is one of our top priorities,” Cadden says. “We are strategically investing in our artists; going international is no longer a wait-and-see game.”

Domingo Chávez CEO, REMEX

Rob Cowling GM, Gallo Music

Two years shy of its centennial, Gallo Music — South Africa’s largest and oldest independent label — could easily rest on its laurels as a market leader. But last year, Gallo won South African Music Awards for Afropop star Nathi Mankayi and adult contemporary singer Louise Carver. It also rolled out new albums from Grammy Award-winning act Ladysmith Black Mambazo and singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela, who is known as “The Voice of South Africa.” “The continent of Africa,” Cowling says, “is still showing off its unstoppable talent and signs of growth.”

Brianne Deslippe Senior vp of global marketing and strategy, Big Loud Records

“The past year has been a landmark one for our company,” Deslippe says of Nashville-based Big Loud Records, which expanded its business with offices and label managers in London and Brisbane, Australia, while bolstering its already established office in Toronto. The label also supported 17 of its artists on international festivals and tour dates. In particular, Morgan Wallen made strong strides internationally with his sold-out U.K. debut at O2 Arena in London, sellouts in Australia and New Zealand, the release of his Abbey Road Sessions and a No. 1 all-genre album debut ( One Thing at a Time ) in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Denzyl Feigelson Founder/CEO, Platoon

Kenny Gates Co-founder/CEO, [PIAS] Michel Lambot Co-founder, [PIAS]

Gates says [PIAS] hit its high note in March, “partnering with Nick Cave, one of our all-time musical heroes, and his management team to license his incredible new album, Wild God .” The 10-track set by Cave and his band The Bad Seeds will arrive Aug. 30 through Cave’s own Bad Seed label through an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with the [PIAS] imprint Play It Again Sam. “In my opinion, [it’s] his best ever, and we will go over the barricades to deliver the global success it deserves,” Gates told Billboard when the deal was announced.

Archie Gormley Head of international, Big Machine Label Group

Last year, Big Machine Label Group released Dolly Parton’s Rockstar , which debuted in the top 20 on Billboard ’s Canadian Albums chart and the top five on the Official U.K. Albums chart. The set, with tracks that featured Steven Tyler, Sting, Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks and more, also reached No. 1 on the Official Americana Albums chart and No. 3 on the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Top 40 Country Albums chart. “Our whole team felt immensely privileged to play a part in working the Dolly Parton album last year,” Gormley says, and was “proud to deliver her career-best week-one album chart positions internationally outside North America.”

Jurgen Grebner Executive vp of international marketing, Interscope Capitol Labels Group

Donna Gryn Chief marketing officer, Republic Records Stephanie Perez Senior vp of marketing strategy, Republic Records

“We’ve been simultaneously strategic and aggressive with our international strategy over the last year,” says Gryn, who, along with Perez, was promoted to a new post earlier this year. That approach “really made an impact worldwide,” Gryn adds, citing Noah Kahan’s major breakout in the United Kingdom with “Stick Season” (seven weeks at No. 1) and Ireland (14 weeks at No. 1). Meanwhile, the single’s namesake album also clinched No. 1 for multiple weeks in Canada, Ireland and The Netherlands. Ariana Grande’s long-awaited Eternal Sunshine claimed No. 1 in over 10 markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and The Netherlands. Republic is collaborating with Anitta to globalize Brazilian funk with the singer’s new album, Funk Generation .

Tor Hansen Co-founder, Redeye Worldwide Michael Petkov Head of international, Redeye Worldwide

“2023 has been Redeye’s biggest year internationally,” Petkov says of the music services company, which was acquired by Exceleration Music in September. The deal gives Redeye access to the independent music company’s resources and expertise. “What has been an ongoing story of growth and progress took another big step forward last year across all markets,” Petkov says. “I am incredibly proud of the team and the company as a whole for achieving this milestone.”

Drew Hill Deputy CEO, Utopia Music

Paul Hitchman COO, AWAL Ben Akinbola Head of growth, AWAL

Artists Laufey and Djo are AWAL’s biggest successes to date. Over the past year, Laufey, from Iceland, won best traditional pop vocal album at the Grammy Awards for Bewitched , which also topped Billboard ’s Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums charts. Meanwhile, since AWAL signed Djo (the moniker of actor Joe Keery from Netflix’s Stranger Things ) in 2019, he has achieved global stardom, particularly with his breakout viral hit, “End of Beginning,” which earned him his first entry on the Hot 100 and landed at No. 2 on Spotify’s global chart. AWAL also expanded, launching in six new markets including Mexico, Brazil and India. “More than ever,” Hitchman says, AWAL “is uniquely positioned to champion entrepreneurial artists on both a local and global level.”

Manu Kaushish President of India, Create Music Group

Ben Larsen Senior vp of global marketing, Warner Records Jericho Adams Vp of global marketing, Warner Recorded Music Geneva Gamblin Director of global marketing, Warner Recorded Music

Two of the past year’s biggest breakouts, singer-songwriters Benson Boone and Teddy Swims, started their rise outside the United States. Warner Records launched Boone, whose “Beautiful Things” has spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with a “global-first, fan-first, culture-first approach,” Larsen says. Similarly, Warner Records has worked with Swims for four years “to build real fan bases all over the world” for “Lose Control,” which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200, Larsen says. Adams, meanwhile, played a key role in the global success of Gunna’s hit single “fukumean,” and Gamblin helped drive the international success of Fall Out Boy’s album So Much (for) Stardust .

Thomas Lorain Nick Roden Co-presidents, Virgin Music Group Europe Victor Gonzalez President, Virgin Music Group Latin America and Iberian Peninsula Nathan McLay Managing director, Virgin Music Group Australia and New Zealand Michael Roe Managing director, Virgin Music Group Africa, Middle East and Asia

Ted May Managing director U.K./head of international for music, MNRK Music Group

May takes pride in the balance that his indie company struck across music genres over the past year, from rock legend Ace Frehley’s late-career overseas success, to Gregory Alan Isakov’s accolades in the folk world, to GEE LEE’s dance streaming hit “Fake ID (Coke & Rum Remix)” and other tracks reaching over 100 million streams in a year, according to MNRK. “There has been no other indie nurturing acts across so many genres in so many markets globally this year,” May says, while also teasing an upcoming “huge international rap crossover record” from MNRK.

Ben Mortimer President, Polydor Records U.K.

Polydor scored numerous victories in the United Kingdom in 2023, including No. 1 albums from Olivia Rodrigo, Cian Ducrot, boygenius, Ellie Goulding and The Rolling Stones, as well as two catalog titles in the Official Charts Company’s year-end top 10: Eminem’s Curtain Call: The Hits and ABBA’s Gold . There were also breakthroughs for rapper Clavish and Irish dance artist Jazzy, whose hit single “Giving Me” was the first release on Polydor’s new electronic music imprint, Chaos. Lana Del Rey notched her sixth U.K. No. 1 album with Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd . “She’s a true artist in every sense of the word,” Mortimer says, “and there’s so much more to come.”

Roshi Motman CEO, Amuse

Suhel Nafar Managing director, West Africa and North Africa, EMPIRE Ezegozie Eze Jr. Vp of strategy and market development of Africa and Diaspora, EMPIRE Mobolaji Kareem Regional head of West Africa, EMPIRE

After leading the music industry to rethink how it approached distribution of rap albums and singles starting in 2010, the EMPIRE team shifted its attention to Africa. Since 2019, the distributor turned label and content powerhouse has been a major force on the continent, “with the success of Fireboy DML, Asake, Kizz Daniel, Black Sherif, and the unprecedented collaborative project between Bnxn fka Buju and Ruger,” says Eke. And the company has already established a presence in South Africa, North Africa and West Asia in a bid to become one of the fastest-growing music companies in those regions.

Jamie Oborne Founder/owner, Dirty Hit/All on Red

While indie label Dirty Hit has grown under Oborne’s stewardship to boast such hit-makers as Bleachers and beabadoobee on its roster, its flagship act remains The 1975, which Oborne has managed for over a decade. The act, which staged its Still… At Their Very Best tour in North America and European arenas in late 2023 and early 2024, has sold nearly 2 million concert tickets, according to Oborne. The group also joined TikTok, with videos using its hashtag boasting over 4 billion combined views. “The campaign has been incredibly personally rewarding,” Oborne says.

Alejandra Olea Managing director of Americas, Believe Andreea Gleeson CEO, TuneCore Romain Vivien Global head of music/president of Europe, Believe

Maykel Piron CEO, Armada Music

Armada Music crossed the 20-year mark in 2023 and remains a force in EDM. With a “strong history in creativity and innovation,” Piron says, Armada launched the first dance music investment company with BEAT Music Fund. Shortly afterward, Armada bolstered its catalog globally by adding legacy acts including Dutch duo Chocolate Puma, New York-based independent dance label King Street Sounds, U.K.-based Sola Records and Viva Music. “It has been and remains a privilege to work with the kinds of people that sparked my passion for dance music in the first place,” he says, “and that passion is still very much alive to this day.”

Martin Price Senior vp of global business development, ONErpm Ahu Ozisik Country manager of Turkey, ONErpm

ONErpm, which provides digital distribution and artist services, has had year-over-year growth of 40%, Price says, “combined with the rollout of our broader new offerings of Offstep and Enterprise Solutions and continued successful expansion into Scandinavia and the Middle East.” Offstep is a digital distribution service designed for DIY artists, while Enterprise Solutions offers financial and accounting services. In Turkey, ONErpm “has seen over 150% growth from 2022 to 2023,” Ozisik says, with success stories such as the Azer Bülbül Tribute project — which honors the late Turkish singer-actor — reaching over 178 million streams, according to the company.

Paul Redding CEO, Beggars Group Alex Keague-Davies GM, Matador Records

Jeffrey Remedios Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Canada Julie Adam Executive vp/GM, Universal Music Canada JP Boucher Senior vp of marketing, Universal Music Canada

Under Remedios’ leadership, Universal Music Canada has been the driving force behind award-winning, record-breaking artist projects, initiatives and campaigns over the past 12 months. “The results speak for themselves,” he says. “In Canada in 2023, eight of the top 10 albums overall were by Universal Music artists, and Universal had the No. 1 album 33 of 52 weeks of the year. Canadian artists Josh Ross, Jamie Fine and Preston Pablo continued to break records in Canada and chart internationally, and we’re expanding our epic roster by signing new deals with powerhouse artists.”

Ruben Santos Vp of A&R for Cinq Music Latin America, Cinq Music

In 2023, Santos played a pivotal role in driving Cinq Music’s mission to promote Latin artists worldwide. He notes that singles from Haze and Jhayco, Calle 24 and Chino Pacas, and Fuerza Regida, as well as the release of Tito Torbellino Jr’s album Torbellino and other Cinq projects, helped “fuel the Latin landscape to unprecedented heights,” amassing approximately 500 million streams in total last year, according to the company. “With strategic vision, an innovative approach to artist collaboration and a curated roster of mega hit-makers across genres from reggaetón to regional Mexican,” he says, “I feel proud that my contributions have set the stage for continued cultural richness and the global appeal of Latin American music.”

ADA has logged multiple successes over the last year, including Spanish artist Quevedo’s debut album, Donde Quiero Estar , which generated over 3 billion streams and debuted at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums . Sonny Fodera’s gold-certified “Asking” was the first single in a decade from an artist-owned dance label to enter the U.K. top 10. Other notable ADA achievements: Kerser scored the highest-selling first-week numbers for an Australian artist with A Gift & A Kers , and Hamza’s Sincèrement reached No. 1 in France. Sein was instrumental in securing a global distribution deal for U.S.-based Rostrum Records, founded by CEO Benjy Grinberg. One of the world’s leading independent labels, Rostrum launched the careers of Wiz Khalifa and the late Mac Miller.

Wassim “SAL” Slaiby Founder/CEO, SALXCO/XO, Universal Music Arabic

Slaiby knows a star when he sees one. The Weeknd’s longtime manager, through his company SALXCO, has been involved in the careers of multiple chart-topping musicians — from Brandy to Bryson Tiller to French Montana. He has been helping to push Middle Eastern music to the forefront in the United States with artists like Mohamed Ramadan and Elyanna. “Witnessing Elyanna’s historic performance at Coachella [in 2023], where she became the first artist to captivate the audience with a set in Arabic, and subsequently selling out her North American tour at such a young age has been so special,” he says.

Marcelo Soares President, Som Livre

Kieran Thurgood Senior vp of global marketing, Capitol Music Group

Thurgood points to Doechii and her breakout hit, “What It Is” (featuring Kodak Black), as a global success story for Capitol. The song “sparked out of Nigeria and the Philippines, which in turn created a hit in the U.S., with the song recently topping U.S. charts,” he says. The single reached No. 1 on Billboard ’s Rhythmic Airplay chart in June. And while he adds that Ice Spice “has been a key global focus” for the label, he promises an “even bigger 2024” for the fast-rising superstar. “It’s a hugely exciting time for Capitol,” he says. “The building is just buzzing.”

Chloé van Bergen Vp of operations for U.K. and Europe, Secretly Group Chris Cannon Head of international strategy, Secretly Distribution Tom Davies Director of global marketing and campaigns, Secretly Distribution

With new offices in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Sydney, the Secretly Group of labels and Secretly Distribution enjoyed international growth in 2023. Notably, Secretly Group celebrated the viral success of Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine,” which entered the top 30 of the Hot 100 and ruled the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for six weeks. Secretly Distribution added new label clients (including Chrysalis Records and Moshi Moshi Records), with van Bergen citing “hugely successful campaigns it oversaw, such as Sufjan Stevens’ acclaimed Javelin [Asthmatic Kitty], El Michels Affair & Black Thought [Big Crown], Say She She [Colemine Records] and label services client campaigns such as A24, Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, Beirut and many more.”

Dan Waite CEO, Better Noise Music

Manuel Abud CEO, Latin Recording Academy

Global expansion and diversification have been the core goals of the Latin Recording Academy over the past year. For the first time, not only were the Latin Grammy Awards held abroad, in Seville, Spain, but also featured 100% female representation in the four main categories — and Laura Pausini was honored as the 2023 person of the year. As part of its international expansion plan, the academy also pursued opportunities in Mexico, Brazil and Spain outside of awards season. “I am very proud to continue leading my team with the support of our board of trustees,” Abud says, “and look forward to continue building on this momentum of our evolution in the year ahead.”

Charlie Lexton COO, Merlin

Merlin, which represents 15% of the global recorded-music market, has spent the past year developing what Lexton calls a “data warehouse” to analyze its trove of streaming, video and social media metrics. “This sophisticated platform facilitates comprehensive analysis to deliver deep insights,” says Lexton (who was promoted to COO in 2020), at a time when Merlin had spent the previous 12 years distributing some $4 billion to its more than 500 members. Lexton’s team has also hired data, analytics, finance and software employees who are “focused on furnishing the organization’s members with unique, exclusive and actionable insights.”

John Nolan CFO/interim joint head, IFPI Lauri Rechardt Chief legal officer/interim joint head, IFPI

John Phelan Director general, International Confederation of Music Publishers

Phelan’s team helped “bag serious wins in incoming AI laws for the music industry and our songwriter and composer partners,” he says, citing the European Union AI Act, which European Parliament passed March 13 after negotiations throughout 2023. According to the ICMP, the act forces AI companies to “observe EU copyright law,” stop “illegally taking the world’s music to train AI models” and “retain detailed documentation on what content was used to train the model.” The law, Phelan adds, “will be a force multiplier for copyright protection in AI around the world, [which] matters for every last music company and creator.”

Annette Barrett Managing director/global strategic liaison, Reservoir; president, International Music Publishers Forum Jeremy Lascelles Co-founder/CEO, Blue Raincoat Music; CEO, Chrysalis Records Hussain “Spek” Yoosuf Executive vp of international and emerging markets, Reservoir; founder/CEO, PopArabia

In the past year, Reservoir’s global offices have executed strategic deals through its venture with PopArabia, such as signing “Queen of Pop” Nancy Ajram and continuing to develop PopArabia’s rights organization, ESMAA. The first-of-its-kind music rights management entity looks to protect artists and music creators throughout the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf. One of its major accomplishments includes creating the first licensing platform for music publishers and performing rights organizations in the Middle East and North Africa. “It is an honor,” Yoosuf says, “to be recognized alongside my colleagues Jeremy Lascelles and Annette Barrett out of the U.K.”

Benjamin Budde CEO, Budde Group

Catrin Drabble CFO, Kobalt Rob Christensen Executive vp/head of global synch, Kobalt Jon Trumbull Global head of client services and administration, Kobalt Leslie Ahrens Senior vp of creative for Latin America, Kobalt Kenny McGoff Head of creative U.K., Kobalt

“Collectively, the Kobalt team has been behind some of the most important artists of the last 12 months,” McGoff says. He hails Billboard Women in Music 2024 Woman of the Year Karol G, “who continues to break new ground.” Her 2023 album, Mañana Será Bonito , became the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200 and earned the Latin pop star her first Grammy Award in February. He also cites “top-­liner Mocha” (Imani Lewis), who co-wrote Tyla’s global smash and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart No. 1, “Water,” and The Last Dinner Party, “one of the most exciting new bands in the world.”

Kim Frankiewicz Executive vp of worldwide A&R, Concord Music Publishing Tina Funk Managing director, Concord Music Publishing Germany, Switzerland and Austria Jaime Gough Managing director, Concord Australia and New Zealand

Shani Gonzales Managing director, Warner Chappell Music U.K.; head of international A&R, Warner Chappell Music Natascha Augustin Managing director, Warner Chappell Music Germany Lars Karlsson Managing director, Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia Gustavo Menéndez President, U.S. Latin and Latin America, Warner Chappell Music Santiago Menéndez-Pidal President, Warner Chappell Music Southern Europe Matthieu Tessier Managing director, Warner Chappell Music France

In the United Kingdom, Gonzales oversaw Warner Chappell Music writer Dave teaming up with Central Cee for the 2023 single “Sprinter,” which became the longest-reigning U.K. rap single in U.K. chart history. According to the Official Charts Company, Warner Chappell Music Germany achieved a 27.8% market share in 2023, in part thanks to Augustin’s embrace of German-language hip-hop. Under Karlsson, Warner Chappell writer Loreen won Sweden’s Melodifestivalen contest with “Tattoo,” which she then took to the Eurovision Song Contest. At the Latin Grammy Awards, held in Spain last year, Menéndez celebrated the person of the year honor going to Italian-born Warner Chappell writer-performer Laura Pausini, the first artist born outside of Latin America or Spain to receive the recognition.

David Gray Executive vp/head of U.S. A&R/head of global creative group, Universal Music Publishing Group Alexandra Lioutikoff President of Latin America and U.S. Latin, Universal Music Publishing Group Yadira Moreno Managing director of Mexico and Central America, Universal Music Publishing Group Ana Rosa Santiago Senior vp of Latin America and U.S. Latin, Universal Music Publishing Group

Alexandra Lioutikoff is Billboard ‘s inaugural International Power Players’ Choice Award recipient. To read the full story, click here .

Josh Gruss CEO, Round Hill Music

The sale of the London Stock Exchange-listed Round Hill Music Royalty Fund portfolio to Concord was a “standout transaction,” Gruss says, as it featured 10 years’ worth of a carefully curated collection of rights. It also demonstrated the value of “timeless, well-managed music and ensured a second successful exit event for our investors, following the 2020 [initial public offering] of the portfolio that we originally launched back in 2012,” he says.

Guy Henderson President of international, Sony Music Publishing David Ventura President/co-managing director of U.K./senior vp of international, Sony Music Publishing Tim Major Co-managing director of U.K., Sony Music Publishing Nicolas Galibert Managing director of France, Sony Music Publishing Jorge Mejia President/CEO of Latin America and U.S. Latin, Sony Music Publishing

The publisher scored a global smash with Rema and Selena Gomez’s No. 3 Billboard Global 200 hit, “Calm Down,” produced by Michael “London” Hunter; landed numerous Latin chart-­toppers, including Shakira and Karol G’s “TQG,” co-written by Keityn; and paired Dan Smith of Bastille with composer Hans Zimmer on the score to the BBC’s Planet Earth III . “We are very intentional about nurturing meaningful connections with our songwriters so that we can help them to realize their creative ambitions,” Major says. Ventura notes working with Sony’s Social Justice Fund and SMP’s Songwriters Forward initiative, which “continues to make an impact on the next generation of talent.”

Loiterton highlights last year’s investment in Indian label/music publisher Times Music — part of the Times of India media conglomerate — as part of Primary Wave’s effort to invest in emerging markets, which he notes “will be the growth engine for the business over the next decade.” The deal marked the company’s “first strategic partnership in emerging markets,” he adds, and “recognizes the growth of non-­English-language music in markets like the U.S.”

Merck Mercuriadis Founder/chairman, Hipgnosis Song Management

Mercuriadis and the Hipgnosis team have had an indelible impact on the catalog market since the company’s inception. Now Mercuriadis, who recently stepped down as Hipgnosis’ CEO but remains its chairman, has $3 billion in assets under management, including parts of catalogs from Justin Bieber, Shakira, David Foster, Tobias Jesso Jr., Erika Ender and TMS in the last few years. Since 2023, Hipgnosis has handled $400 million in acquisitions that includes more than 50 No. 1 hits from Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé, according to the company. Hipgnosis Songs Management is the investment adviser to Hipgnosis Songs Fund, whose board in April received competing takeover bids from Concord and Blackstone.

Mary Megan Peer CEO, peermusic Spencer Lee President of Asia Pacific, peermusic

Emily Stephenson President, Downtown Music Publishing Thando Makhunga Managing director, Sheer Publishing Africa

Scoring new deals with artists like Peso Pluma and Colbie Caillat, Downtown Music Publishing had “unprecedented growth” throughout 2023, Stephenson says. Downtown also represented 11 global songwriters who took home Grammy Awards in 2024, including best traditional pop vocal album and best tropical Latin album. The company helped place Bruce Hornsby’s “The Show Goes On” in the season premiere of FX’s Emmy Award-winning TV series The Bear and secured a new administrative services deal with publisher Spirit Music Group. Stephenson attributes Downtown’s blockbuster year to its “unwavering commitment to serving emerging, independent artists around the world.”

Dion Brant CEO, Frontier Touring Susan Heymann COO, Frontier Touring

Frontier Touring set about smashing records in 2023 with over 600 shows across Australia; more than 40 of those were in stadiums, including Ed Sheeran’s +-=÷x Tour. Equally impressive, Brant says, are the more than 20 new acts broken in that time as touring headliners. “Our approach is different from other promoters,” he says. “Our priorities are the artist, the fans and the show, ahead of the net profit or the quarterly market update.” That success continued in early 2024 with Taylor Swift’s sold-out, seven-date Australian stadium run for her The Eras Tour, produced by Frontier.

Carolina Daza Head of live entertainment, Cárdenas Marketing Network

Denis Desmond Chairman, Live Nation U.K. and Ireland John Reid President, Live Nation Europe, the Middle East and Africa Marek Lieberberg CEO/managing director, Live Nation Germany, Austria and Switzerland Andre Lieberberg President/managing director, Live Nation Germany, Austria and Switzerland Mark Kneebone Managing director, Live Nation New Zealand Wenona Lok Promoter, Live Nation Australasia

Under Desmond, Live Nation U.K. and Ireland had a record year in 2023 with 16 million tickets sold, including stadium shows by Beyoncé, Blur, Harry Styles, The Weeknd and AEW Wrestling, according to the company. Father and son Marek and Andre Lieberberg led Live Nation’s acquisition of Goodhive, which presents 10 festivals across Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Live Nation promoted 71 arena dates in the region by German schlager singer Helene Fischer, one of the biggest arena concerts in Germany’s history in the number of shows, according to Live Nation. Kneebone, with help from Lok, oversaw TWICE becoming the first female group to headline a stadium in Australia and the first K-pop act to play such a venue with its one show in November at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

Pascual Egea Head of Europe, WK Entertainment César Figueiredo Artist manager, WK Entertainment/Central Sonora

Kaori Hayashi CEO, Hayashi International Promotions

Hayashi says that “without a doubt” her company’s greatest achievement over the past year was promoting seven sold-out Bruno Mars stadium shows at the Tokyo Dome, which she says broke all records for Japanese box-office receipts and confirmed “that Bruno is the No. 1 international artist in Japan.” Hayashi runs the company founded by her father, Hiromichi “Massy” Hayashi, and was recognized last fall in Billboard Japan’s Women in Music interview series. “There aren’t many female concert promoters out there,” she says, “so I’d be happy if people notice me for being the next generation of the business and for being a rare woman in it who can really help shake up the industry.”

Alex Hill President/CEO, AEG Europe Adam Wilkes Chairman/CEO, AEG Asia Pacific; chairman of the board, Frontier Touring Steve Homer CEO, AEG Presents U.K. Jim King CEO of European festivals, AEG Presents John Langford COO, AEG Europe Simon Jones Senior vp of international touring, AEG Presents

Joe Howard Global festival promoter, C3 Presents Huston Powell Promoter, C3 Presents

Global impact is a C3 Presents hallmark, as Lollapalooza consistently showcases robust lineups of local and regional talent along with major global touring acts. Howard has observed an uptick in international artists playing higher positions on festival bills, “from Stray Kids headlining Lolla Paris last summer to the significant slots for Karol G, Tomorrow X Together and NewJeans performing at Lolla Chicago, and The Rose playing five different Lollapalooza festivals in the last year between South America, Chicago, Berlin in 2023 and, most recently, in Mumbai [India] this past January.” Colombian artist Feid’s headlining turns at Lolla Chile and Argentina in March provided another highlight.

Blaine Legere President of international, AXS

The AEG-owned ticketing platform launched AXS New Zealand and AXS Australia with a mix of venue, sports and music clients. Two subsequent high points for the company included the Foo Fighters’ Christchurch gig at Orangetheory Stadium and Paramore’s record-breaking performance at The Domain in Sydney. In Japan, AXS tripled the size of its tech and support teams in running the Valorant Riot Games Championship in Tokyo and supporting World Baseball Classic events in Tokyo and Osaka. “Our presence in [Asia Pacific],” Legere says, “was a key component of AXS winning” the ticketing services deal for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Peter Loxton COO of commercial, ASM Global

Klaus-Peter Schulenberg CEO, CTS Eventim

Europe’s largest ticketing company, CTS Events, enjoyed a second record-breaking year in revenue and profitability with an international expansion that includes the acquisitions, in partnership with Sony Music Latin-Iberia, of Punto Ticket in Chile and Teleticket in Peru. Besides successfully handling the sales for highly anticipated tours such as Taylor Swift, AC/DC and Rammstein, the company was appointed as one of two ticketers for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games alongside AEG’s AXS. “These key endeavors underscore our dedication to worldwide growth,” Schulenberg says, “and strengthen CTS Eventim’s position in global live entertainment.”

Alejandro Soberón Kuri Founder/CEO, OCESA Octavio Padilla Director, OCESA Seitrack Leizer Guss Guss Festivals director, OCESA

In 2023, Soberón Kuri says, OCESA “connected the best artists and bands on the planet with an amazing audience, based on creativity, experience and ­knowledge.” Majority-owned by Live Nation since 2021, the Mexico City-based concert promoter brought fans international superstars like Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rauw Alejandro, Imagine Dragons, Mötley Crüe/Def Leppard and Peso Pluma. “Jointly with Live Nation,” Soberón Kuri says, “we will continue to be one of the most prominent cities in the artistic circuit in the world for artists, promoters and music producers to showcase their talent and connect with the best audiences.”

Sia Aghaiepour Founder/CEO, Heavy Rotation

Emma Banks Mike Greek Co-heads of international touring/co-heads of London office, CAA Chris Dalston Marlene Tsuchii Co-heads of international touring, CAA Andy Cook Music agent, CAA

CAA clients including Harry Styles, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse and Westlife sold out stadium tours throughout Europe, Asia, South America and Australia, while Lana Del Rey, blink-182, Hozier and Noah Kahan embarked on sold-out global outdoor and arena runs, with “even bigger shows ahead in 2024,” Cook says. He also cites the “staggering success” of AC/DC’s forthcoming Power Up tour, the band’s first European tour in eight years, which Cook says sold 1.5 million tickets internationally the day it went on sale.

Matt Bates CEO/agent, Primary Talent International Rick Levy Partner/board member, Primary Talent International

After announcing a surprise split with CAA in March 2023 — less than a year after CAA acquired Primary Talent through its purchase of Primary’s parent company, ICM Presents — the U.K. booking agency has continued to grow as a “reestablished independent,” Bates says. Since the decoupling, according to the agency, it has booked over 6,000 shows internationally — and sold 400,000 headline tickets for The 1975 in the United Kingdom alone. Last April, the company also welcomed former ICM agent Pete Nash as a partner, gaining his clients including Kings of Leon, Pet Shop Boys, Regina Spektor, Steve Winwood and Travis.

Jeff Craib CEO, The Feldman Agency Rob Segal President of TFA brands and partnerships, The Feldman Agency

Lucy Dickins Partner/global head of contemporary music and touring, WME Josh Javor Partner/co-head of London music department, WME James Rubin Partner/co-head of hip-hop/R&B, WME Brett Murrihy Partner/head of music Asia Pacific, WME Shannon Saunders Agent, WME

Teams in Latin America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region have made WME “the only major music booking agency with multiple regional servicing groups,” Dickins says. This reach made it possible to book “a wide range of truly global tours this year” with runs including a 214-show Backstreet Boys outing that visited six continents and, Dickins says, sold over 2 million tickets. Usher held a residency in Paris; Luis Miguel launched a 121-show tour in North, South and Central America; Bruno Mars played seven sold-out shows at Japan’s Tokyo Dome; Zach Bryan played his first European headlining shows; and J Balvin played his first headline dates in Australia. Adele’s upcoming residency in Munich will also mark the first time an artist has had a stadium purposely built for a show.

Ulises Gasparini General director of GTS Brazil, Global Talent Services Gaby Gómez Director of GTS Live Mexico, Global Talent Services Mari Cruz Laguna Santos GTS Live director/corporate representative, Global Talent Services

Hady Hajjar Co-founder/managing director, HuManagement

Representing clients and celebrities from the Middle East and North Africa, HuManagement has had significant growth in the last year through its talent representation business and celebrity marketing work. “Our strategic partnership with Warner Music further solidifies our world position, enabling us to amplify local talent, global superstars and world-class events to the region including F1, Joy Awards and the Red Sea International Film Festival,” Hajjar says. “With the entertainment market expected to grow in the region 9.41% by 2029, we’re excited to be a part of shaping the future of film, music, sports and cultural events.”

Keith Naisbitt Executive vp of global touring, Independent Artist Group Peter Pappalardo Executive vp/head of global touring, Independent Artist Group

Pappalardo calls 50 Cent’s Final Lap European tour a highlight last year for the company, which was created from the merger of the Agency for the Performing Arts and Artist Group International in June. He says the 50 Cent run boasted a “near 100% sellout rate,” including more than 30,000 tickets sold in Paris and the “fastest sellout” in the history of Riga, Latvia. The tour, which was originally scheduled for 25 shows, garnered such “overwhelming demand,” he adds, that the number of dates swelled to 38 across the continent.

Jon Ollier CEO, One Fiinix Live

Brent Smith Executive vp/managing executive, Wasserman Music Tom Schroeder Executive vp/managing executive, Wasserman Music (U.K.) Jesse Fayne Vp of international festivals, Wasserman Music Anna Bewers Ryan Penty Agents, Wasserman Music (U.K.)

The agency continued representing major stars including SZA, Nothing but Thieves and Fred again.. along with “many of the most promising new artists around the world,” Schroeder says. He says the essential element driving Wasserman Music’s international growth has been “fostering innovation and integration across all the services we provide globally,” from talent booking, brand partnerships and artist marketing to “cross-pollinating all aspects of entertainment, sports and culture.” But, he says, it’s the company’s “core characteristics — passion, creativity, authenticity, industriousness — that have set us apart and always will.”

Neil Warnock Co-head of UTA U.K./head of global touring, UTA Obi Asika Co-head of UTA U.K., UTA Anna Gregorek Senior director of music brand partnerships and strategic marketing, UTA Carlos Abreu Agent, music, UTA James Gartshore Boulter Agent, endorsements and voiceover, UTA

Honorees in this sector were chosen solely by Billboard ’s editorial team and not through industry nominations.

Casper Bjørner CEO, STIM

The Swedish collective management organization (CMO) celebrated its 100th anniversary last year and collected a record 2.7 billion krona ($267.3 million) in 2022, a 25.6% increase over 2021. According to STIM, it will set another record with its 2023 results, partly thanks to processing and licensing hub ICE, which it runs as a joint venture with PRS for Music and GEMA. “Sweden is once again punching above its weight as one of only three net music exporters in the world,” Bjørner says, referring to nations whose repertoire sells outside of its borders. “Laser focused on transparent and fast payments to our members, we are all set for another century of great music-making.”

Tobias Holzmüller CEO, GEMA

Peter Leathem CEO, PPL

According to PPL, the U.K. performance society that collects neighboring rights royalties for artists and labels, total revenue grew yet again in 2023, while payouts in 2022 increased by 14.3% to 279.6 million pounds ($350.6 million) from 244.7 million pounds ($306.9 million) in 2022. PPL continues “to grow the value of the global neighboring rights market through supporting the development of the rights landscape outside of Europe,” Leathem says, “including landing a new deal for performers in India and engaging with policymakers in China and Japan to further open up public performance licensing.”

Andrea Czapary Martin CEO, PRS for Music

In 2022, U.K. rights collection organization PRS for Music collected a record high 964 million pounds ($1.2 billion), a 22.9% increase over 2021, and cut its cost ratio to a new low of 9.3% — a major focus for Martin. PRS also accomplished “the migration of our distribution systems to the Oracle cloud, the first CMO to do so,” Martin says. That “has accelerated our ability to process even more data so we can pay out more royalties, more accurately and more quickly.”

Gadi Oron Director general, CISAC

Cristina Perpiñá-Robert CEO, SGAE

Perpiñá-Robert took the top job at SGAE in April 2023 in time for the organization’s 125th anniversary this year. She is in the process of restoring SGAE’s reputation after some troubled years, and the organization collected 349 million euros ($367 million) in 2022, an increase of 35% over the previous year. In May, the organization will announce that its distributions will rise almost 12%. Perpiñá-Robert is also making SGAE more of a hub for Latin music, representing 16 societies for Pan-European online collection. “We added Argentina in late 2023 and Chile a few months before,” she says. “And our biggest composers make really young, urban music.” She also helped organize an important AI conference in March, with an event on collective management to follow in June.

Cécile Rap-Veber CEO, SACEM

In 2022, the French CMO collected 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) and distributed 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion), and Rap-Veber says 2023, for which results are forthcoming, “was once again a record-breaking year.” Last year, she says, SACEM expanded its blockchain-based Musicstart service, ran a study with Deezer on its pioneering “artist-centric streaming” royalty model and, on the AI front, exercised “the right to opt out of generative AI training databases to ensure fair remuneration for our members” and published a study with GEMA on its impact in music. “I remain convinced that AI needs to be made more virtuous and more transparent,” Rap-Veber says. “That’s why we [were] in dialogue with policymakers” about the European Union AI Act.

Methodology: Billboard ’s International Power Players recognizes executives whose primary responsibilities are outside the United States, solely within the industry sectors shown. Nominations for all of Billboard ’s industry-sourced executive lists open no less than 150 days in advance of publication, and a submission link is sent by request before the nomination period. (Please email [email protected] for inclusion on the email list for nomination links and for how to obtain an editorial calendar.) Honorees on International Power Players among rights organizations were chosen solely by Billboard ’s editorial team and not through industry nominations. Honorees were chosen by editors based on factors including their industry impact, as measured by Billboard charts; sales and streaming performance; market share; revenue or, where not available, Billboard revenue estimates, which may be aided by company guidance; social media impressions; and radio audiences reached, using data available as of April 1. Where required, U.S. record-label market share was consulted using Luminate’s current market share for albums, plus track-equivalent and streaming-equivalent album consumption and Billboard ’s quarterly top 10 publisher rankings. Unless otherwise noted, Billboard Boxscore and Luminate are the sources for tour grosses and sales/streaming data, respectively. Luminate is also the source for radio audience metrics. The source for radio metrics is monitored station airplay from Mediabase provided by Luminate.

This story originally appeared in the April 27, 2024, issue of Billboard.

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