British and Irish music industry leaders are set to be celebrated in the Power Players list, as nominations open for 2026. The prestigious list will recognize executives driving change at the forefront of the region's music scene.
Nominations for the highly anticipated list are now open, with a deadline of February 3, 11:59 p.m. GMT. Companies and peers can submit nominees through the official link. The inaugural Power Players list was launched in 2025 and received huge names attending an accompanying Global Power Players event that took place in London.
The next edition is expected to be published in May 2026, with nominations selected by the Billboard U.K. team. British and Irish music continues to set the pace globally, not just creatively but commercially. The return of the Power Players list highlights executives who are driving that momentum forward.
A huge year for British and Irish acts on the world stage follows a period of significant growth in the U.K.'s recorded music market, which saw a 5% increase in 2025 according to the BPI announcement. Other notable names making an impact on the Billboard Hot 100 include Hozier, Ed Sheeran, Lola Young, Myles Smith and Olivia Dean.
Major cultural moments are also expected this year, including performances by Dean at London's O2 Arena, while Lily Allen and RAYE will embark on huge arena tours across the U.K. and Europe in the coming months. The BRIT Awards is set to leave London for the first time, and Reading & Leeds Festival will return with all headlining acts being exclusively British and Irish names.
For any queries regarding the Power Players list, interested parties can contact [email protected].
Nominations for the highly anticipated list are now open, with a deadline of February 3, 11:59 p.m. GMT. Companies and peers can submit nominees through the official link. The inaugural Power Players list was launched in 2025 and received huge names attending an accompanying Global Power Players event that took place in London.
The next edition is expected to be published in May 2026, with nominations selected by the Billboard U.K. team. British and Irish music continues to set the pace globally, not just creatively but commercially. The return of the Power Players list highlights executives who are driving that momentum forward.
A huge year for British and Irish acts on the world stage follows a period of significant growth in the U.K.'s recorded music market, which saw a 5% increase in 2025 according to the BPI announcement. Other notable names making an impact on the Billboard Hot 100 include Hozier, Ed Sheeran, Lola Young, Myles Smith and Olivia Dean.
Major cultural moments are also expected this year, including performances by Dean at London's O2 Arena, while Lily Allen and RAYE will embark on huge arena tours across the U.K. and Europe in the coming months. The BRIT Awards is set to leave London for the first time, and Reading & Leeds Festival will return with all headlining acts being exclusively British and Irish names.
For any queries regarding the Power Players list, interested parties can contact [email protected].
! The fact that they're recognizing executives who are driving change is super inspiring. I mean, can you think of anyone else who's pushing the boundaries of British and Irish music? From Hozier to Ed Sheeran, those guys are putting the region on the map 
. And with the return of the Power Players list, it's clear that they're not slowing down anytime soon. I'm hyped for the upcoming events, like Dean's performance at the O2 Arena - can't wait to see her slay the stage 
!
i wish our school could do something like that for our student leaders lol but for real though, its gonna be so cool to see these execs get recognized! anywho, cant wait to see what other amazing things british music has in store for us in 2026 
. like, sure, they're good at what they do, but can't we just let them keep doing it without all the fuss? and what's with the commercial aspect, tho? shouldn't music be about art and expression or something? anyway, if its gonna happen, i guess ill submit a nominee... or maybe not... 
. think it's great that they're highlighting the execs driving change in the industry, those are the real game changers 
. fingers crossed someone from beyond london gets a shoutout this time 
. And with the U.K.'s recorded music market growing by 5% last year, I know there are so many talented artists on the rise - I've got my eye on Hozier, Ed Sheeran, and Olivia Dean for sure! 
Can't wait to see who makes it onto this year's list 
. I mean, have you seen some of the talent coming out of the UK and Ireland right now? Hozier, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Dean - they're killing it on the Billboard Hot 100! 
just saw that there's a 5% increase in U.K.'s recorded music market in 2025 but you know what that really means? It means the artists are getting paid less for their work, the industry is still super exploitative... and it's all about those major hits vs actual fair compensation
That would be a major cultural moment! And did you know that British and Irish music is killing it globally right now? It's crazy how much growth we've seen in the U.K.'s recorded music market, 5% increase in 2025? Mind. Blown 
Can't wait to see who's going to be on this list! 
And with the BRIT Awards and Reading & Leeds Festival making a comeback with all those amazing headlining acts... it's just going to be another epic year for music! 
it felt like just yesterday we were all talking about how iconic that was... and now its time to do it again! i'm not surprised to see those british and irish acts killing the game globally, but what's crazy is that their growth is really starting to show - a 5% increase in the u.k.'s recorded music market? thats no joke! 
gotta give it to them for makin' a mark on the global music scene. but what I think is cool is how the power players list acknowledges all the behind-the-scenes folks who are drivin' that momentum forward 
those execs who are helpin' make Brit and Irish music a household name deserve some recognition 
]
I'm still getting used to these new faces in the music industry! Remember when it was just about the big four record labels? 
Now we've got so many talented artists breaking through and making waves globally. Love that Hozier's on the Billboard Hot 100, he was a major part of my discovery playlist back in the day 
... wait nope! British music is literally changing the game right now and it's awesome to see them getting recognized for it 