As the stardust settles on the Could merely 15 Billboard Song Awards in Las Vegas — a occasion of the previous year’s top hitmakers — it’s time to search the song groups and labels that released, marketed and promoted the artists and hits that brought home awards. Billboard compiled this rating of the head 40 labels per estimated 2021 earnings (unless in any other case specified), total market portion (for labels) and that non-fungible token of substitute success: cultural affect, in conjunction with a overview of their wins to this level this year. Huge Loud and Rimas, the labels within the inspire of Morgan Wallen and Unfriendly Bunny, respectively, can’t compete by cold, hard numbers, nonetheless their artists possess had this form of pleasant affect within the marketplace portion of their fundamental-stamp distributors all around the last year that such clout, Billboard’s editors agree, deserves larger rankings on this list.
All U.S. earnings estimated by Ed Christman.
1. Lucian Grainge
Chairman/CEO, Universal Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $3.53B
Involves earnings from: Interscope Geffen A&M, Republic Recordsdata, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Song Group, Universal Latino, Universal Song Group Nashville, Universal Song Enterprises, Island, Huge Machine Impress Group, Money Money Recordsdata, Victor Victor Worldwide and Motown Recordsdata, moreover to Roc Nation, and its allotted labels Concord and Disney Song Group, moreover to its indie distributors Ingrooves and Virgin.
Group market portion: 38.20%
The biggest stamp team’s tell public offering modified into the most successful of 2021, striking the song extensive’s valuation at $36.25 billion, as of Could merely 18. UMG-owned labels Interscope Geffen A&M and Republic additionally accomplished the year as the Nos. 1 and 3 labels of the year, respectively, by earnings and market portion.
2022 momentum: In February, UMG launched that it had bought the tune and master recording catalogs of its longtime artist Neil Diamond. Billboard estimates the value of the catalog at $145 million. UMG additionally modified into the home of Aerosmith’s total recorded-song catalog.
2. Buy Stringer
Chairman, Sony Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $2.40B
Involves earnings from: Columbia Recordsdata, RCA Recordsdata, Memoir Recordsdata, Sony Commerical Song Group, Sony Latin Iberia, Sony Song Nashville, Alamo, Arista Recordsdata, RECORDS, Rimas Leisure and The Orchard.
Group market portion: 26.11%
Sony spent 2021 in acquisition overdrive. The stamp team stored Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan within the family by procuring the earlier’s masters and publishing catalog in a $500 million deal in December and the latter’s master recordings earlier within the year. The firm additionally bought Todd Moscowitz’s Alamo Recordsdata and Kobalt’s distribution firm, AWAL, which the U.K. Rivals and Markets Authority cleared in Could merely. And Adele and Lil Nas X had been amongst the artists who helped enhance Sony’s most well-liked market portion.
2022 momentum: Sony’s song operations — which embody Sony Song Leisure, Sony Song Publishing and Sony Japan — posted a 22.1% originate higher in gross sales with earnings increasing to $7.74 billion for the year ended March 31, when compared with $6.34 billion in 2021.
3. Stephen Cooper
CEO, Warner Song Group
Max Lousada
CEO, Warner Recorded Song
Estimated U.S. earnings: $1.77B
Involves earnings from: Atlantic Recordsdata, Elektra Song Group, 300 Leisure, Warner Recordsdata, Warner Nashville, Rhino Recordsdata, Warner Song Latin The united states and its indie distributor the Alternative Distribution Alliance, which is additionally estimated and incorporated in WMG’s total market portion.
Group market portion: 19.17%
WMG expanded its footprint by the acquisitions of both 300 Leisure — the stamp of Megan Thee Stallion and Young Thug — for $400 million and the Doug Morris-founded 12Tone Song, home of Anderson .Paak and Dolly Parton. The stamp team’s late-2020 take care of Mike Caren’s Artist Partner Group additionally moved APG’s existing catalog of recordings and artist roster to Atlantic Recordsdata, which scored the second-absolute top earnings and market portion for a stamp in 2021, while $235 million of the stamp team’s total earnings came from its bets on gaming and social media.
2022 momentum: WMG earnings grew 10.1% to $1.38 billion in its second fiscal quarter consequently of enhance in streaming, physical gross sales and the return of the merchandise and touring sectors.
4. Hartwig Masuch
CEO, BMG
Estimated U.S. earnings: $113M
Market portion: 1.11%
The aspiring “fourth fundamental” punched above its weight closing year, increasing its world earnings, including publishing, by 10% to almost $785 million in 2021, by a partnership with world investment firm KKR to assemble ZZ High’s song pursuits, including the band’s publishing catalog, in a deal reportedly valued at $50 million. Various fundamental rights acquisitions incorporated affords with The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac co-founder Mick Fleetwood and, in November, Mötley Crüe’s total recorded-song catalog. On the stamp facet, BMG signed Duran Duran, Santana, Bryan Adams and Louis Tomlinson, and its metropolis division, urge by Tim Reid, struck a joint venture with Maxwell’s Musze stamp that lured the R&B singer a ways off from his stamp of 25 years, Columbia.
2022 momentum: BMG bolstered its reputation as an artist-friendly firm in Could merely, when it released a assertion calling out file corporations and song publishers for his or her early stances to freeze mechanical royalty charges at 9.1 cents for five more years. (The urge was as soon as in the end increased to 12 cents per tune in a negotiated settlement nonetheless has not but been authorized by the Copyright Royalty Board.) It additionally identified as for the unreal to desert unfair and anachronistic deductions, akin to controlled composition clauses that allow labels to pay 75% of the mechanical rate — and freeze the rate at the level that’s in carry out at the time of a title’s free up, regardless of subsequent increases — for artists who write the songs that seem on their recordsdata.
5. John Janick
Chairman/CEO, Interscope Geffen A&M
Steve Berman
Vice president, Interscope Geffen A&M
Estimated U.S. earnings: $937.64M
Market portion: 10.08%
Interscope released albums by two of the largest pop stars of 2021: breakout newcomer Olivia Rodrigo, whose “drivers license” modified into the first tune to hit 1 billion world streams in 2021, and Billie Eilish, whose Happier Than Ever album spent its first three weeks of free up atop the Billboard 200, buoyed by movies for Apple+ and Disney+ that had been co-produced by IGA. Rodrigo scored seven 2022 Grammy Award nominations, including each and every of the Huge Four lessons, while Eilish obtained six. Janick and Universal Song Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge additionally lured BTS a ways off from Sony for a novel licensing and distribution deal by Geffen/Ingrooves/UMG. Moneybagg Yo, by Interscope’s partnership with Yo Gotti’s stamp CMG, and Latin artist Kali Uchis added to the luster.
2022 momentum: The retro hip-hop 2022 Super Bowl halftime demonstrate with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg and other fashion greats set 12 IGA albums on the Billboard 200, and newly minted vital person Olivia Rodrigo took home three Grammys, including most efficient novel artist.
6. Monte Lipman
Founder/CEO, Republic Recordsdata
Avery Lipman
Founder/COO, Republic Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $760.86M
Involves earnings from: Island, Money Money, Victor Victor and earnings and market portion generated by Morgan Wallen, whose song is released in partnership with Huge Loud.
Market portion: 8.28%
Though Republic’s market portion is decrease than Atlantic’s, the stamp ranks larger on this list consequently of its domination of the Billboard charts and its roster of superstars, from Taylor Swift to Drake. Republic accomplished 2021 at No. 1 on the year-pause High Labels chart for the fifth time in seven years thanks in mountainous part to breakthrough artist Wallen’s Harmful: The Double Album, the head album of 2021, constant with Luminate. However the bulk of its success came from the stamp’s established acts: Drake’s Certified Lover Boy landed 21 songs on the Billboard Sizzling 100 in its first week of free up and made Drizzy the first artist to land nine of these tracks within the head 10; The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” modified into the file-holder for heaps of weeks on the Sizzling 100 (90); and Taylor Swift’s rerecorded versions of Plucky and Crimson, both released in 2021, made her most attention-grabbing the second woman to rating no decrease than 10 No. 1 Billboard 200 albums (within the inspire of Barbra Streisand).
2022 momentum: Glass Animals’ No. 1 single, “Warmth Waves,” stays within the Billboard Sizzling 100 top 5, as of Could merely 13, after 68 weeks on the chart. The stamp signed Grammy winner Daniel Caesar and expanded its partnership with JYP Leisure, one of many sphere’s biggest K-pop labels, that can embody fostering boy band Stray Children and girl team ITZY.
7. Craig Kallman
Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Recordsdata
Julie Greenwald
Chairman/COO, Atlantic Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $830.72M
Involves earnings from: Elektra Song Group, 300 Leisure and 12Tone.
Market portion: 9.17%
Atlantic started the year with the free up of breakout rapper Pooh Shiesty’s Shiesty Season album and ended it with 17-year-ragged GAYLE’s No. 1 Billboard world charts hit, “abcdefu.” In between, Cardi B’s “Up” modified into her fifth No. 1 Sizzling 100 hit. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic ruled the summer with “Hunch away the Door Open,” one of many 5 longest-leading No. 1s within the historical previous of the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Rock veterans Coldplay debuted at No. 1 on the Sizzling 100 and the world charts with its BTS collaboration, “My Universe.” And Ed Sheeran notched his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.
2022 momentum: As of Could merely 13, Atlantic had four artists within the head 20 of the Sizzling 100: Jack Harlow at No. 3 with “First Class”; Kodak Unlit at No. 16 with “Super Gremlin”; Sheeran at No. 18 with “Unfriendly Habits”; and Lizzo, on the upward push with “About Rattling Time,” at No. 19. In the intervening time, GAYLE continues to hold within the head 25 after 24 weeks on the chart, and Silk Sonic took home tune and file of the year honors at the Grammys.
8. Ron Perry
Chairman/CEO, Columbia Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $673.06M
Involves earnings from: RECORDS and a share of labels allotted by Sony-owned distributor The Orchard.
Market portion: 7.15%
The stamp shook off key departures — A&R leaders Justin Eshak and Imran Majid left to urge Island Recordsdata, and metropolis song co-head Shawn Holiday departed to launch a stamp with Irving Azoff — to rule the Sizzling 100 No. 1 space for a blended 33 weeks, the most in a year by the stamp since Luminate started holding rating in 1991. (Holiday’s co-head Phylicia Fant additionally left in January.) Adele’s “Easy on Me” spent eight weeks there, and her album 30 scanned the biggest annual gross sales of any album since 2018. Lil Nas X and BTS additionally took the head space, nonetheless Columbia’s year was as soon as outlined by the successes of novel artists including Polo G, The Kid LAROI and 24kGoldn. Executive vp/GM Jenifer Mallory led the promoting and marketing ideas with Perry and the Columbia team for heaps of of these hits and breakthroughs all around the last year, including Adele’s 30, Rosalía’s Motomami, and Harry Kinds’ Stunning Line and most well-liked shatter Harry’s Dwelling.
2022 momentum: Kinds is exhibiting staying vitality as an worldwide pop vital person. As of Could merely 14, his “As It Became” single spent its fifth week at No. 1 on both of Billboard’s world charts.
9. Michelle Jubelirer
Chairman/CEO, Capitol Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $639.20M
Involves earnings from: Motown and distribution divisions Virgin and Capitol Christian Song Group.
Market portion: 6.81%
The promotion of respected CMG outmoded Jubelirer in December, after the brief reign of Jeff Vaughn, has reenergized the stamp team that counts Halsey, Katy Perry and Sam Smith amongst its artists. Final year, Halsey scored her third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with If I Can’t Bear Like, I Need Energy and took home songwriter of the year honors at the BMI Pop Awards. Perry’s collaboration with Alesso, “When I’m Long previous,” hit No. 4 on the Sizzling Dance/Electronic Songs chart in January. And Mooski, who signed with Capitol closing year, and former 2019 Eurovision winner Duncan Laurence additionally charted songs on the Sizzling 100.
2022 momentum: Jubelirer wasted no time in refreshing CMG’s executive ranks, promoting Arjun Pulijal to president, Jeremy Vuernick to president of A&R and Rebecca “Dimplez” Ijeoma to senior vp of digital marketing and marketing and negate development.
10. Peter Edge
Chairman/CEO, RCA Recordsdata
John Fleckenstein
COO, RCA Recordsdata
Impress Pitts
President, RCA Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $485M
Market portion: 4.89%
Billboard’s No. 4 Most attention-grabbing Pop Superstar of 2021, Doja Cat, all around the place closing year, thanks in mountainous part to RCA, which has dominated the resurgence of R&B on the charts. A TikTok trouble catapulted “Sultry,” from her 2019 album, Sizzling Crimson, into the head 20 of the Sizzling 100, and collaborations with Saweetie (“Handiest Friend”) and Ariana Grande (the “34+35” remix) stored her at the head of pop till the June free up of her most well-liked album, Planet Her, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and ended in seven Grammy nods. Labelmate H.E.R. picked up eight, while Nigerian Afrobeats artist Wizkid had a crossover hit with “Essence” (featuring Tems) that topped R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The departure of A&R senior vp Tunji Balogun, who left to urge Def Jam Recordings and was as soon as all in favour of RCA’s signing of Wizkid and additionally worked with Doja Cat, might well well ratchet up the rivals within the impending years.
2022 momentum: For the first time in 10 years, RCA held the head four spots on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart in March with hits by Doja Cat, SZA, Chris Brown and Latto. Plus, Jazmine Sullivan, Doja Cat, H.E.R., SZA and Lucky Daye won Grammys.
11. Aaron Bay-Schuck
Co-chairman/CEO, Warner Recordsdata
Tom Corson
Co-chairman/COO, Warner Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $578.06M
Involves earnings from: Rhino, Warner Nashville and Warner Song Latin The united states.
Market portion: 6.16%
Dua Lipa set an pause to the stamp’s sluggish year for high 10 Sizzling 100 hits when her shatter “Levitating” modified into the No. 1 tune on Billboard’s year-pause Sizzling 100 chart. Warner’s development of Saweetie additionally paid off with the No. 14 hit on that chart with the Doja Cat-assisted “Handiest Friend” and Grammy nominations for heaps of efficient novel artist and most efficient rap tune. The hiring of veterans Karen Kwak and Steve “Steve-O” Carless to urge the stamp’s A&R department portends a resurgence of chart-climbers.
2022 momentum: Signed breakout Afrobeats vital person Pheelz, who had a surprise hit with “Finesse” (featuring BNXN). Lipa’s “Levitating” obtained the 2022 Billboard Song Award for high radio tune.
12. Sylvia Rhone
Chairman/CEO, Memoir Recordsdata
Ezekiel Lewis
Executive vp/head of A&R, Memoir Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $254.2M
Market portion: 2.38%
While established hitmaker Camila Cabello’s “Don’t Hunch Yet” peaked at No. 17 on the Pop Airplay chart, DJ Khaled scored his third No. 1 Billboard 200 album with Khaled Khaled and 21 Savage had three top 5 singles on the Sizzling R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, including the No. 1 “my.lifestyles” with J. Cole and Morray. Three of Memoir’s novel artists additionally had a factual year: A remix of rapper BIA’s “Entire Lotta Money” that added Nicki Minaj hit No. 6 on Sizzling R&B/Hip-Hop Songs; Giveon guested on Justin Bieber’s a pair of Grammy-nominated track “Peaches” and counted 2.5 billion on-search recordsdata from world streams for his possess songs; and British pop singer Mimi Webb’s viral TikTok tune, “Staunch Without,” ended in an area on the High 40 Airplay chart.
2022 momentum: All 16 songs from the well-liked edition of Future’s novel album, I Never Most well-liked You, charted on the Billboard Sizzling 100 (dated Could merely 14). Taking the No. 1 space: “Dwell up for U,” featuring Drake and Tems. Memoir is slated to free up a novel Travis Scott album, Utopia, later this year, which might gauge whether there will be any lengthy-period of time fallout from the stampede that left 10 other folk useless at the rapper’s Astroworld Competition in Houston in November 2021.
13. Tunji Balogun
Chairman/CEO, Def Jam Recordings
Nicki Farag
GM, Def Jam Recordings
Estimated U.S. earnings: $203.32M
Market portion: 2.25%
Final year Def Jam released good albums by Kanye West (Donda) and Justin Bieber (Justice) and underwent a serious restructuring of the stamp that had been on withhold since Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg departed in 2020 and Universal Song Group total counsel/executive vp of substitute affairs Jeff Harleston took over within the intervening time. Balogun was as soon as hired a ways off from RCA, where he worked with the stamp’s roster of hitmakers; Farag was as soon as promoted to her most well-liked space; Dara Michelle and Noah Preston had been named the novel heads of marketing and marketing and A&R, respectively; and Snoop Dogg came on board as a inventive executive and strategic consultant.
2022 momentum: Signed Muni Prolonged, whose “Hrs & Hrs” was as soon as one of many breakout indie singles of 2021. The stamp’s worldwide growth continued in February when parent firm UMG launched it was as soon as setting up the Def Jam India sublabel, which provides to efforts to capitalize on local hip-hop in Southeast Asia and Africa.
14. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter
Founder/chairman, Roc Nation
Jay Brown
Vice president, Roc Nation
Desiree Perez
CEO, Roc Nation
Estimated U.S. earnings: $45.84M
Market portion: 0.52%
Roc Nation and Jay-Z’s substitute clout and affect over a extensive spectrum of entertainment, sports and media in 2021 outweighed its earnings and market portion as a stamp. The firm booked the Pepsi Super Bowl LV halftime demonstrate featuring The Weeknd (and scored an Emmy Award nomination for it), produced the 10th anniversary of the Made in The united states Competition — and don’t neglect these Tiffany commercials with Beyoncé and the Basquiat painting. That said, Roc Nation administration helped DJ Khaled and Moneybagg Yo rating No. 1 Billboard 200 albums while J. Cole topped the chart for its recorded-song division.
2022 momentum: The 2022 Super Bowl halftime demonstrate that Roc Nation set collectively starring a team of hip-hop heroes that incorporated Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar drew 112.3 million viewers at some level of tv and streaming, constant with NBC Universal, the most in 5 years.. Roc Nation additionally promoted Brett Yormark to COO of the firm. He’ll continue to feature as co-CEO of Roc Nation Unified, which affords infrastructure solutions for events, venues and types. Earlier than joining the firm in 2019, Yormark was as soon as CEO of BSE Worldwide, parent firm of the Brooklyn Nets and their home arena, Barclays Center.
15. Ethiopia Habtemariam
Chairman/CEO, Motown Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $82.52M
Involves earnings from: Quality Wait on a watch on.
Market portion: 0.90%
March 2021 signaled a sea substitute for Motown as it modified into a stand-alone stamp below the Universal Song Group umbrella and Habtemariam was as soon as named chairman/CEO. A novel COO, Alison Finley, and marketing and marketing head, Brian Nolan, possess adopted. Thanks to its partnerships with Quality Wait on a watch on, Blacksmith Recording, Zero Fatigue and other boutique labels, Motown chanced on success with releases by Vince Staples, Migos and the hit Lil Baby-Lil Durk collaboration album The Screech of the Heroes, which landed 16 tracks on the Sizzling 100 in its first week of free up.
2022 momentum: The stamp signed a one-time album take care of Sean “Diddy” Combs to launch his R&B label, Like Recordsdata.
16. Scott Pascucci
CEO, Concord
Bob Valentine
President, Concord
Estimated U.S. earnings: $159.55M
Market portion: 1.68%
Along with an executive wobble that promoted Valentine to president, Concord extended its world distribution take care of Universal and started checking out the market for a sale or refinancing in October that would seemingly top $4 billion per Billboard estimates. As a stamp that affords largely in catalog song, none of Concord’s releases positioned amongst the head 200 most consumed albums of 2021, constant with Luminate, on the opposite hand it landed 13 — including albums by Billy Gibbons, Gov’t Mule, St. Vincent, Manchester Orchestra, Steve Perry and Rise Against — on Luminate’s top 100 “other” year-to-date chart, which tracks album gross sales. That’s more than any other self sustaining stamp.
2022 momentum: Grew to develop to be down a $5 billion buyout offer, constant with Bloomberg. Expanded its worldwide footprint by promoting Fred Gillham, who beforehand ran Concord’s U.K. substitute, to oversee all of Europe.
17. Afo Verde
Chairman/CEO, Latin-Iberia, Sony Song Leisure
Alex Gallardo
President, U.S. Latin, Sony Song Leisure
Estimated U.S. earnings: $105.69M
Market portion: 1.15%
Sony topped Billboard’s year-pause Latin stamp charts without relying on reggaetón consequently of Maluma and breakout Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo, who was as soon as nominated for 10 Latin Grammy Awards in September, including album of the year for Mis Manos. Farruko’s “Pepas” topped nine Billboard tune charts including Latin Airplay and Sizzling Latin Songs, and Rauw Alejandro’s “Todo de Ti” was as soon as No. 1 on Latin Airplay for two weeks, hit No. 3 on Sizzling Latin Songs and crossed over to the Sizzling 100. Sony is additionally home to Natti Natasha, Becky G and a cadre of up-and-coming young stars, including Nathy Peluso, Tini and Nicki Nicole.
2022 momentum: Acquired a stake in manager Walter Kolm’s like a flash-increasing indie stamp, WK Recordsdata, in March and signed sizzling regional Mexican vital person Christian Nodal the the same month. Sony’s Latin legacy artists — Shakira, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin — possess released a every day circulate of novel song. Albums are additionally anticipated from stars Alejandro and Romeo Santos, amongst others.
18. Jesús López
Chairman/CEO, Universal Song Latino The united states & Iberian Peninsula, Universal Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $128.11M
Market portion: 1.33%
UMG’s Latin division tops Sony’s, nonetheless, with the exception Karol G and J Balvin — who ranked at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively, on Billboard’s year-pause High Latin Artists chart — doesn’t boast a extensive resolution of marquee acts. Following the departure of Universal Latino, Machete and Capitol managing director Alejandro Duque to Warner Song Latin The united states, where he is now CEO. Universal subsequently promoted outmoded Angel Kaminsky, who played key roles within the enhance of Balvin, Karol G and Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra, to president of Universal Song Latino.
2022 momentum: Karol G continues to be the dominant feminine artist on the Latin charts, replacing herself at No. 1 on Sizzling Latin Songs in Could merely — the first time a girl has carried out so for the reason that chart launched in 1986. Yatra had a breakthrough 2021 that carried into 2022, when his tune on the Encanto soundtrack, “Dos Oruguitas,” hit No. 36 and No. 2 on the Sizzling 100 and Sizzling Latin Songs, respectively.
19. Mike Dungan
Chairman/CEO, Universal Song Group Nashville
Cindy Mabe
President, Universal Song Group Nashville
Estimated U.S. earnings: $181.84M
Market portion: 2.04%
UMG Nashville claimed Billboard’s High Country Albums Impress honor for 2021 consequently of the efficiency of releases by stamp stalwarts Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church and Luke Bryan, who logged his 25th Country Airplay No. 1. UMGN additionally partnered with Interscope to free up and market Kacey Musgraves’ 2021 album, Superstar-Crossed, which helped it debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on High Country Albums. Despite the fulfillment, the Recording Academy deemed the album ineligible for the most fundamental nation album category.
2022 momentum: Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard signed a solo take care of EMI Nashville, which falls below the UMGN banner, and is planning to free up novel song.
20. Randy Goodman
Chairman/CEO, Sony Song Nashville
Estimated U.S. earnings: $174.87M
Market portion: 1.99%
Luke Combs continued to swear in 2021: He was as soon as Billboard’s No. 2 top nation artist and top male nation artist of the year within the inspire of Morgan Wallen, moreover to the all-fashion No. 20 top streaming songs artist. And he took home the head prize at the 2021 Country Song Affiliation Awards: entertainer of the year. Miranda Lambert won a Grammy for heaps of efficient nation album, and the stamp won the most 2021 Academy of Country Song Awards, with 5. The recognition bodes successfully for Sony Nashville’s head of A&R, Taylor Lindsey, who worked with Combs and Maren Morris early of their development at the stamp.
2022 momentum: SMN realigned and expanded its promotion groups — Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville, RCA Nashville and SMN Nationwide Toughen — to embody a broader artist development form out an area and regional level. Combs scored his 13th Country Airplay No. 1, and Ragged Dominion won its fifth consecutive team of the year honor at the ACM Awards.
21. Richard Memoir
President, Commercial Song Group, Sony Song Leisure
Estimated U.S. earnings: $176.77M
Market portion: 1.91%
Below Memoir, CMG, which comprises Sony’s catalog stamp, Legacy Recordsdata, and its SyncShop licensing department — the latter’s earnings isn’t counted within the stamp’s total earnings estimate — posted a file-high market portion for its sixth straight year. Legacy’s 2021 releases incorporated the movie and soundtrack to Bruce Springsteen’s vaunted 1979 No Nukes concert events at Madison Sq. Garden; Billy Joel’s The Vinyl Series, Vol. 1; Prince’s Welcome to The united states, by its partnership with the artist’s property; expanded versions of The Jacksons’ Triumph and Victory albums; and a field space series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia Worldwide Recordsdata.
2022 momentum: In February, Sony Legacy reissued 12 Prince albums that the late vital person recorded between his top reputation years of 1985 to 1993.
22. Bruce Resnikoff
President/CEO, Universal Song Enterprises
Estimated U.S. earnings: $58.06M
Market portion: 0.63%
Universal Song Group’s catalog division closed 2021 with a “file-high catalog song portion for the sixth consecutive year,” constant with Resnikoff. High performers incorporated Chris Cornell’s posthumous album No One Sings Like You Anymore and the 50th-anniversary reissue editions of George Harrison’s All Things Need to Circulation. Every albums had been nominated for 2022 Grammys.
2022 momentum: Releases and rereleases incorporated The Rolling Stones’ vaunted live demonstrate El Mocambo 1977, restricted-edition half of-urge master recordings of fundamental Who albums and the soundtrack to the Sheryl Crow documentary Sheryl.
23. Kevin Liles
Chairman/CEO, 300 Leisure
Estimated U.S. earnings: $67.31M
Market portion: 0.74%
Liles moved plenty of ranges up within the unreal meals chain when Warner Song Group bought 300 — the stamp within the inspire of Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug and Gunna — for $400 million in December and gave him the further tasks of chairman/CEO for Elektra Recordsdata.
2022 momentum: The manner forward for Gunna — whose No. 1 Billboard 200 album DS4Ever was as soon as an early-2022 shatter — Young Thug and the latter’s YSL label was as soon as thrown into quiz in Could merely when the two artists had been arrested in Atlanta and charged with racketeering.
24. Seth England
Partner/CEO, Huge Loud
Joey Moi
Partner/president, Huge Loud
Craig Wiseman
Partner/songwriter, Huge Loud
Estimated U.S. earnings: $52.30M
Market portion: 0.61%
Huge Loud scored successes with Jake Owen, HARDY, MacKenzie Porter and Lily Rose, nonetheless the firm’s extensive name was as soon as Morgan Wallen. The outrage over a TMZ video that captured Wallen uttering a racial slur did not dampen the efficiency of his Harmful: The Double Album, which was as soon as released alongside with Republic Recordsdata. (The earnings from the album is additionally counted as part of Republic’s total earnings on this rating.) Harmful spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the first time since Whitney Houston’s 1987 Whitney — and ended the year as the head album on that chart.
2022 momentum: Wallen’s success carried over to this year when Harmful spent a file-breaking 51st week on the High Country Albums chart for the week of April 2, besting Luke Combs’ 50-week urge with his 2017 album, This One’s for You, and Shania Twain’s 1997 free up, Come on Over. And his single “Belief You Could merely smooth Know” modified into his fifth Sizzling Country Songs No. 1 after debuting atop the chart on the Could merely 21-dated list.
25. Kevin Gore
President of world catalog/president of arts song, Warner Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: N/A
Market portion: N/A
Gore oversees WMG’s Rhino catalog division, which its parent firm no longer breaks out on Luminate’s Connect Song size platform, making it almost about most not going to search out out the legacy and reissue label’s market portion and total earnings. That said, Gore made some high-profile affords in 2021, including world partnerships with David Bowie’s property and Madonna for his or her catalogs. Its 40-plus-quantity Grateful Uninteresting live album series, Dave’s Picks, continues to rack up significant gross sales with each and every novel free up.
2022 momentum: The division infamous the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and the 25th anniversary of The Infamous B.I.G.’s Existence After Demise with particular rereleases.
26. Justin Eshak
Imran Majid
Co-CEOs, Island Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $151.75M
Market portion: 1.63%
Eshak and Majid took over the stamp in January after departing Columbia’s A&R department, and they possess some work to carry out. In 2021, two of Island’s marquee artists, Shawn Mendes and Demi Lovato, did not crack the head 40 of the Sizzling 100 with their respective singles “Summer season of Like,” and “Dancing with the Satan” and “Met Him Final Evening” (featuring Ariana Grande).
2022 momentum: Made early headway by signing pop artist Lauren Spencer Smith, whose “Fingers Crossed” was as soon as a viral hit this year, and rapper SleazyWorld Hunch, whose “Sleazy Circulation” track additionally connected with listeners.
27. Martin Mills
Founder/chairman, Beggars Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $51.59M
Market portion: 0.49%
After a year at some level of which Beggars-owned labels 4AD, Matador, Tough Commerce, XL Recordings and Young set out a pair of of indie song’s most seriously lauded releases, including Dry Cleaning’s Original Prolonged Leg, Mustafa’s When Smoke Rises, shaded midi’s Cavalcade and Snail Mail’s Valentine, Mills set in novel blood at the head, promoting 4AD U.S. stamp manager Nabil Ayers and Beggars head of product administration Claire Taylor to U.S. president and U.S. GM, respectively, of the indie-stamp team.
2022 momentum: Beefed up its streaming division by hiring former FUGA executive Matthew Gawrych as U.S. streaming director and promoting Brandon Becker to world head of streaming and Shaun Delaney to senior streaming lead.
28. John Esposito
Chairman/CEO, Warner Song Nashville
Estimated U.S. earnings: $81.93M
Estimated market portion: 0.93%
WMN broke two novel artists in 2021: Gabby Barrett and Cody Johnson. Barrett topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “The Staunch Ones,” making her the first woman to land two occupation-starting up No. 1s on the chart since Kelsea Ballerini did in 2015. (Barrett’s “I Hope” topped the chart in 2020.) And former rodeo rider modified into singer-songwriter Johnson’s “’Til You Can’t” topped Sizzling Country Songs and Country Airplay this year after a lengthy climb that started in 2021. WMN additionally infamous 20 years of getting Blake Shelton on its roster.
2022 momentum: Confirming months of speculation, Esposito will plod to chairman emeritus place in early 2023, paving the fashion for executive vp of A&R Cris Lacy and executive vp/GM Ben Kline to bewitch over day-to-day tasks running the stamp.
29. Noah Assad
Founder/CEO, Rimas Leisure
Estimated earnings: $25.5M
Estimated market portion: 0.28%
Rimas’ crown jewel is Unfriendly Bunny, the world song and media vital person, who’s on the leading fringe of Latin song’s crossover allure and whose affect over the song substitute a ways outweighs his stamp’s market portion. He was as soon as Spotify’s most streamed artist globally in 2020 and 2021, has racked up billions of video views on YouTube and has develop to be a well-liked figure at WWE wrestling events. Rimas’ roster, which is allotted by The Orchard, involves Arcángel; Tommy Torres; newcomer Eladio Carrión, whose novel album debuted at No. 2 on High Latin Albums in December; and outmoded reggaetonero Miky Woodz.
2022 momentum: Unfriendly Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti broke Spotify’s file for heaps of streams in a single day and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, most attention-grabbing the second all-Spanish album to bewitch the head slot (his El Último Tour del Mundo was as soon as the first). In accordance with Luminate recordsdata, the week ending Could merely 12 was as soon as the Latin fashion’s absolute top streaming week with over 1.8 billion weekly on-search recordsdata from audio streams, and Unfriendly Bunny’s novel album accounted for 18% of them.
30. Todd Moscowitz
Founder/CEO, Alamo Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $70.11M
Market portion: 0.77%
Moscowitz, who co-founded 300 Leisure prior to placing out on his possess with Alamo in 2016, had a banner 2021. Sony Song bought a reported 75% stake within the stamp, and albums by Alamo artists Rod Wave (SoulFly) and Lil Durk (his The Screech of the Heroes collaboration with Lil Baby) topped the Billboard 200. Every artists additionally accomplished within the head 10 of total on-search recordsdata from video streams for the year.
2022 momentum: Moscowitz can bewitch some credit for reenergizing the occupation of Lil Durk, whose 7220 album knocked the Encanto soundtrack from the No.1 space on the Billboard 200.
31. Scott Borchetta
Founder/president/CEO, Huge Machine Impress Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $84.81M
Market portion: 0.96%
As well to to No. 1 nation hits from Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line and Brett Young, Huge Machine’s breakout vital person closing year was as soon as Carly Pearce, whose seriously acclaimed album, 29: Written in Stone, reached the head 10 of the High Country Albums chart, and who was as soon as inducted into the Large Ole Opry and named feminine vocalist of the year at the Country Song Affiliation Awards in November.
2022 momentum: In Could merely, BMLG and Blac Noize! Recordings launched a joint venture to signal and promote hip-hop and R&B acts. Their first free up: Hitkidd and Glorilla’s “F.N.F. (Let’s Hunch).”
32. Mike Easterlin
Gregg Nadel
Co-presidents, Elektra Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $160.14M
Market portion: 1.71%
Impress vital person Brandi Carlile picked up 5 Grammy nominations and breakthrough rapper Masked Wolf broke the 1 billion world streams barrier, nonetheless the good recordsdata was as soon as Warner Song Group’s acquisition of 300 Leisure and its resolution to place Kevin Liles guilty of Elektra.
2022 momentum: Elektra’s partnership with Travis Barker, DTA Recordsdata, had a Billboard 200 No. 9 debut with Avril Lavigne’s first album since 2019, Like Sux.
33. Ken Bunt
President, Disney Song Group
Estimated U.S. earnings: $130.78M
Market portion: 1.40%
The stamp’s soundtrack for Encanto modified into a shatter late-2021 hit that has topped the Billboard 200 for three nonconsecutive weeks in 2021. The firm additionally launched a SiriusXM partnership for Disney Hits.
2022 momentum: Encanto’s success continued successfully into the first quarter. The soundtrack in the end spent nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — joining Morgan Wallen’s Harmful: The Double Album as the suitable two albums to attain that milestone within the closing 5 years (Wallen within the raze spent 10 weeks at No. 1). There’s more: All songs on the Encanto soundtrack charted on the Sizzling 100, with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” spending 5 weeks at No. 1. These blended successes propelled Disney into the head 10 of Billboard’s Sizzling 100 publishers rating for the first quarter.
34. Alejandro Duque
President, Warner Song Latin The united states
Estimated U.S. earnings: $26.50M
Estimated market portion: 0.29%
Warner Song Group is making a wager on Duque, who, at 39, is the youngest head of a multinational Latin song firm, to originate the stamp more competitive with its rivals Sony and Universal, where he closing worked as managing director. Wins embody the signing of emerging acts love Colombia’s Blessd and sierreño singer-songwriter DannyLux, moreover to a partnership with metropolis artist development venture Rapetón Current.
2022 momentum: The stamp, in partnership with Large Transfer Recordsdata, signed Tiago PZK, whose fusion of R&B, reggaetón and different rock ended in 5 Billboard Worldwide 200 hits in 2021.
35. Ronald “Slim” Williams
Bryan “Birdman” Williams
Co-founders/co-CEOs, Money Money Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $69.01M
Market portion: 0.79%
The hip-hop stamp that was as soon as as soon as home to Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj has been relying on its catalog as of late. Its fledgling Latin division promoted Luis Armando’s “Chica Mala.”
2022 momentum: In April, the RIAA licensed two singles that Minaj recorded while at the stamp — “Megatron” (2019) and “Yikes” (2020) — both gold and platinum.
36. David Massey
President/CEO, Arista Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $27.74M
Market portion: 0.31%
The stamp upped its cred with Italian rockers Måneskin, whose platinum cloak of The Four Seasons’ “Beggin’” logged 11 weeks atop Alternative Airplay, the most of any tune in 2021, and scored a coveted space on Saturday Evening Are dwelling in January.
2022 momentum: Arista/Disruptor artist Emmy Meli, whose single “I Am Lady” modified into a TikTok sensation and a Billboard Sizzling 100 hit, is readying a debut EP.
37. Steven Victor
Founder/CEO, Victor Victor Worldwide
Estimated U.S. earnings: $20.7M
Estimated market portion: 0.28%
The free up of two posthumous Pop Smoke albums in 2020 (Shoot for the Stars, Neutral for the Moon) and 2021 (Faith) ended in inspire-to-inspire Billboard 200 No. 1s, with the earlier album named High Billboard 200 Album at the 2021 Billboard Song Awards.
2022 momentum: Pusha T’s It’s Nearly Dry debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the rapper’s first time atop the chart — and landed seven of the album’s tracks on Sizzling R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
38. Chris Taylor
President/CEO, MNRK
Estimated U.S. earnings: $17M
Market portion: 0.20%
MNRK modified into the novel name of eOne Song after its April 2021 acquisition by investment administration firm Blackstone in a deal that valued the stamp and digital indie distributor at $385 million. Releases from Cypress Hill, Juicy J and Pop Impolite had been amongst its good titles. If its indie distribution operation is incorporated, MNRK had an total estimated $41 million in U.S. earnings closing year.
2022 momentum: Sold Demise Row Recordsdata — which Billboard estimates generated $10 million in U.S. earnings in 2021 — to Snoop Dogg in February. Looking out at for album releases from Blueface, RZA, Wu Tang, Ace Frehley and DJ Drama.
39. Barry Weiss
CEO, RECORDS
Estimated U.S. earnings: $16M
Estimated market portion: 0.16%
Longtime fundamental-stamp executive Weiss brought RECORDS to Sony as a joint venture in 2017 (where it’s allotted by Columbia) and has constructed success by signing such established acts as Nelly and breaking artists love Lennon Stella. RECORDS’ biggest success was as soon as 24kGoldn’s “Mood” (featuring iann dior), which rode a mixture of TikTok virality and radio airplay to attain the head of the Sizzling 100 in late 2020 and early 2021. The stamp additionally helped Noah Cyrus to a most efficient novel artist Grammy nomination in 2021.
2022 momentum: Cyrus’ debut album, The Hardest Section, is slated for the summer.
40. Daniel Glass
Founder/CEO, Glassnote Recordsdata
Estimated U.S. earnings: $9.0M
Market portion: 0.01%
Glass’s standing and affect as an substitute éminence grise and a master marketer of such indie finds as Aurora, Chvrches, Jade Fowl, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club and Hamilton Leithauser — especially at some level of the pandemic — a ways outweigh the scale of his stamp. (Glass says Billboard’s earnings estimate is unsuitable.)
2022 momentum: Signed hard-touring Boston funk-soul-jazz band Ripe.
METHODOLOGY:
Market-portion percentage is from Luminate Connect for the year ending Dec. 30, 2021, other than where infamous as estimated. Estimated stamp earnings is per U.S. recordsdata the spend of the unit-depend likelihood — CD and vinyl scans as reported from shops, and streams reported by digital products and providers — for these labels tracked on Connect’s market-portion page for the the same period. The earnings estimates replicate how labels demonstrate themselves to the unreal by Connect, not basically how they track earnings internally. Every stamp estimate additionally makes spend of a multiplier to extrapolate for codecs love song movies and earnings not counted in Connect’s market portion, nonetheless these estimates might well well not accurately replicate labels’ synchronization, merchandise, licensing and tell-to-client gross sales. Estimates additionally carry out not embody earnings that the labels fetch from territories delivery air the US.
All recordsdata makes spend of blended charges — physical per RIAA 2021 numbers; streaming per substitute sources — so particular person labels can possess a fashion of streaming or physical blended wholesale charges than these vulnerable (e.g., for vinyl). This skill that, labels with the the same percentage of market portion can possess a fashion of earnings totals if one of many labels is more carefully invested in vinyl or has a larger per circulate rate from a digital carrier supplier. For a more detailed explanation of how earnings and market portion had been determined, contact Ed Christman (ed.christman@billboard.com). Labels which might well be ranked by components as adverse to earnings and market portion had been determined by a consensus of Billboard editors.
Extra reporting by Leila Cobo, Frank DiGiacomo, Buy Levine, Gail Mitchell, Melinda Newman, Dan Rys and Colin Stutz.
