African music execs make Billboard’s 2023 International Power Players list

They include YNBL Nation founder and CEO Olamide, Gallo Music general manager Rob Cowling, Warner Music South Africa managing director Temi Adeniji, Sony Music managing director of South Africa Sean Watson and EMPIRE Africa regional head of West Africa Mobolaji Kareem and the company’s vice-president of market and strategy development Ezegozie Eze Jr.

The list, released every year by the American music and entertainment publication, recognises leading executives that are helping to drive the growth of the global recorded music business.

Billboard says the executives are nominated by their firms and peers and chosen by its editors from selected industry sectors.

“All have primary responsibility for markets outside the United States, which account for the overwhelming majority of the world’s recorded-music sales,” Billboard said. It added that this year’s selection constitutes the most geographically diverse group of honourees yet.

Olamide is recognised for his role in the rise of Afrobeats stars such as Fireboy DML and Asake under his YBNL Nation label, which he established in 2012. “We’ve celebrated a decade milestone as a label, and it’s only the beginning, with the recent massive global success of Fireboy DML’s smash ‘Peru’ with Ed Sheeran. His success and the rising stardom of Asake has been gratifying to watch,” Billboard quotes Olamide.

Cowling stands at the helm of one of Africa’s oldest record companies with a catalogue sitting at over a billion annual streams. “Gallo has made efforts to modernise its business over the past year,” Cowling told Billboard. “This included a project to digitise the label’s archive of out-of-print recordings to further increase our local market share.” 

Cowling, who has more than 23 years of experience in the music industry, was also featured in the same list in 2019, 2021 and 2022. He sits on the boards of the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), RiSA Audio Visual (RAV), the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) and the Music Publishers’ Association of South Africa (MPASA).

Temi Adeniji, Warner Music South Africa’s managing director and senior vice-president of strategy and special projects in sub-Saharan Africa, played a key role in the signing of the legendary South African artist Big Zulu.

Meanwhile, EMPIRE’s vice-president of international marketing and operations, Jonathan Jules, says Kareem and Eze Jr have played a crucial role in implementing the label’s ambitious international growth strategy in the African market. The two Nigerians are credited for overseeing EMPIRE’s growth in the region and for the success of artists like Black Sherif, BNXN and Kizz Daniel.

Billboard notes that under Watson in South Africa, Sony entered into agreements with three labels – New Money Gang, Piano Hub and Black Is Brown Entertainment – each leading the development of the hot dance-driven amapiano genre.

The list also highlights non-African players working to drive growth on the continent, including Boomplay director of content and strategy Phil Choi, Audiomack senior vice-president of marketing and brand strategy Jason Johnson, Hall Media Group founder Ava L Hall, and Platoon co-founder and CEO Denzyl Feigelson. 

View the full Billboard 2023 International Power Players list here.