The Billboard Global Power Players 2026 Awards Ceremony was held on June 12 at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. The event marked only the second time the awards have been staged as a live ceremony, following last year’s event in London, and represented the first edition ever hosted in Asia. The ceremony was presented as part of the wider MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 WEEK.
Serving as master of ceremonies for the evening was mikako, who is fluent in English, German, Korean, and Japanese. She led the approximately 30-minute program in both English and Japanese, honoring executives who are helping shape the global music industry.
Billboard CEO Mike Van opened the ceremony by providing background on the Global Power Players franchise, which is now approaching its tenth year and spans 15 international Billboard editions across five continents. He noted that the Tokyo event was made possible through collaborations with Billboard JAPAN and CEIPA (Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association). Billboard Co-Chief Content Officer Jason Lipshutz then took the stage to introduce the evening’s three special honors.
The first special recognition of the night, the Artist Advocate Award, honors an executive who bridges artists, audiences, and international opportunities while advocating for their clients. The award was presented to Marlene Tsuchii of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) by Miyu, the internationally recognized house dancer and TikTok’s Dance Creator of the Year for 2022.
Reflecting on her relationship with the recipient, Miyu stated, “Marlene Tsuchii changed my life. Thanks to her support, I became the first Japanese dancer to sign with CAA.”
CAA represents global stars including Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Dua Lipa. As a music agent and Co-head of International Touring at the agency, Tsuchii has played a key role in introducing Japanese artists such as YOASOBI, MIYAVI, and BABYMETAL to global audiences. Accepting the honor, Tsuchii reflected on her nearly 25-year journey with CAA and the opportunity to witness her clients’ development firsthand. She also discussed her efforts to broaden the international reach of Asian artists through collaborations with 88rising and SM Entertainment, adding, “My mother was born in Tokyo and my father’s family is from Hiroshima. I feel an inherent responsibility to expand the reach of Japanese artists.”
The Global Growth Award, which recognizes executives who have expanded music’s global impact through innovation, vision, and collaboration, was presented to Avex Inc. Music Group CEO Katsumi Kuroiwa and Avex Music Group USA CEO Brandon Silverstein. Both were honored for raising the international profile of Japan-based independent music and creative talent, particularly through a groundbreaking worldwide publishing partnership with Bruno Mars.
The award was presented by Japanese group ONE OR EIGHT, with member NEO saying, “Every step of the way Katsumi and Brandon from Avex have had our backs, supporting us as we follow our dreams.”
Discussing the partnership, Kuroiwa remarked, “We at Avex started as a small record rental shop and have steadily progressed within the Japanese music scene. However, looking at it from a global perspective, we’re still a young company with a future ahead of us. I don’t think we could have succeeded if we had tried to enter the US market alone. The reason we are standing here today is because of our encounter with Brandon.”
Silverstein commented, “I often say that I came to Avex as a partner, but over time it has become much more than that.” Looking toward the future, he added, “We’re not simply building a Japanese music company with international ambitions. We’re building a global music company headquartered in Tokyo.” He also highlighted the growth of Avex’s global publishing operations, the addition of Bruno Mars to its roster, and the launch of the initial phase of its $100 million catalog investment strategy.
The final special honor of the evening, the Impact Award, recognizes an executive who has reshaped the way music is discovered, experienced, and shared across cultures, regions, and platforms. The award was presented by Mino, a creator, music critic, musician, author, and host of “Tokyo Highway Radio” on Apple Music.
The recipient was Rachel Newman, Co-Head of Music at Apple Music. Newman began her professional career as a music journalist in Australia and later served as programming director for one of the nation’s major television networks before joining Apple. Over more than 16 years, she has helped drive the expansion of Apple’s services. At Apple Music, which is available in more than 160 countries and regions, she has focused on supporting emerging artists while balancing artistic independence with business growth. She is also recognized for spearheading a leading anti-fraud initiative within the industry.
During her acceptance speech, Newman said, “I’ve always believed that music is that magical something that can change us” and added, “We have always aimed to create a feeling of togetherness and global community, to deepen the connections between artists and fans and the music itself.”
Following the presentation of the three special awards, all attendees honored on the Global Power Players 2026 list were welcomed onto the stage to warm applause from the audience.
Among those attending the event in Tokyo were Carlos Souffront (President, Rimas Publishing), Dickon Stainer (Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group UK and Ireland), Gadi Oron (Director General, CISAC), Jasmine Young (Director, Warner Music/ Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University), Jay Mehta (Managing Director, Warner Music South Asia), Kaori Hayashi (President & CEO, Live Nation H.I.P.), Kazumasa Izawa (Director General, JASRAC), Lo Ting-Fai (President, Warner Music APAC), Naoki Shimizu (CEO, Creative Man Productions), Naoshi Fujikura (President & CEO, Universal Music Japan), Paul Smith (Managing Director, YouTube Music, APAC), Satoshi Tanaka (President & CEO, SPACE SHOWER FUGA FUGA), Shunsuke Muramatsu (Chairman, Sony Music Entertainment Japan), Sylvain Delange (President, APAC, Believe), Takeshi Okada (President & CEO, Warner Music Japan), and Yena Kim (Senior Creative Manager, Universal Music Publishing Korea).
Representing MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026, CEIPA Chairman Shunsuke Muramatsu delivered the closing remarks. Recognizing the increasing international influence of Japanese music alongside anime, gaming, and other cultural exports, Muramatsu described the award as “a dream that many in the Japanese music industry have held for many years.” Emphasizing the importance of long-term development, he stated that for MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN to achieve status as a truly global award, “it needs to continue for five years, ten years,” before concluding with an optimistic vision for the future: “When we look back five or ten years from now, I want us to be able to say that this is where it all began, and to that end, we will keep pushing forward.”