From boardrooms to grassroots activism, these are the women helping redefine power across the modern music business.
When Billboard unveiled its 2026 U.K. Power Players list, much of the conversation naturally centred on superstar artists, billion-stream campaigns and record-breaking tours. But underneath the headlines sits a different story.
One that is arguably far more important.
Because while artists may be the faces of the industry, the machinery behind music is increasingly being shaped by women occupying positions of influence across management, publishing, streaming, advocacy, rights organisations, artist development and cultural policy.
For decades, women in the music business were often confined to support roles, expected to work around systems largely built and controlled by men. The reality in 2026 is more complicated. Progress has happened, but unevenly. Women remain under-represented in executive leadership across major labels, festival programming, production and technical sectors. Yet some of the industry’s most significant cultural and structural shifts are now being led by women.
Looking through Billboard’s latest Power Players list, several names stand out not simply because of their titles, but because of the impact they are having on how the industry functions.
At the rights and policy level, Andrea Czapary Martin at PRS for Music continues to oversee major changes to songwriter payments and royalty transparency. Annabella Coldrick at the Music Managers Forum has become one of the most respected voices advocating for artist managers and sustainable careers. Gee Davy at AIM remains a central figure in defending the independent sector, particularly around the growing threat posed by AI and copyright erosion.
Meanwhile, Dr. Charisse Beaumont through Black Lives in Music continues pushing conversations around racial equity beyond performative statements and into measurable industry accountability. Her work has increasingly become part of wider discussions about structural reform across music institutions.
In publishing, figures such as Jane Carter at Universal Music Publishing have spent years championing female composers and addressing long-standing disparities behind the scenes. Natasha Baldwin’s work across classical, jazz and screen music is helping expand visibility for sectors that often receive less mainstream attention despite their cultural significance.
Streaming platforms, often criticised for opacity and algorithmic gatekeeping, are also seeing women take on influential leadership positions. Safiya Lambie-Knight at Spotify, Lizzie Dickson at YouTube and Laura Lukanz at Amazon Music are helping shape how artists connect with audiences in an era where discovery increasingly happens through platforms rather than traditional media.
Management remains one of the most powerful sectors in music because it is where careers are often won or lost. Emily Braham’s work with Olivia Dean demonstrates what modern artist development can look like when growth is allowed to happen organically rather than being forced through short-term viral cycles. Caroline Downey’s stewardship of Hozier’s global success continues to show the value of long-term strategic management rooted in artistic identity.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Billboard’s list is not simply the number of women featured.
It is where they appear.
Women are no longer only visible in marketing departments or communications teams. They are leading labels. Running rights organisations. Negotiating policy. Managing global touring operations. Building publishing catalogues. Influencing legislation. Defending creators’ rights in an increasingly complex digital economy.
Yet the list also raises uncomfortable questions.
Who remains absent?
How many independent campaigners, researchers, activists and culture-change leaders are still operating outside traditional industry power structures despite influencing public debate?
How many women are shaping conversations around equity, safety, inclusion and accountability without holding executive titles?
And how do we measure power in an industry increasingly driven by data, influence and cultural impact rather than simply job titles?
The music industry has spent years celebrating diversity initiatives. The next challenge is ensuring that representation translates into lasting structural power.
Because visibility is one thing.
Decision-making power is another entirely.
The women appearing across Billboard’s 2026 Power Players list represent significant progress. But they also serve as a reminder that the future of music will not simply be shaped by the artists on stage.
It will be shaped by the people deciding who gets heard in the first place.
Writer’s note: Having spent years researching gatekeeping, gender disparity and structural inequality within music, one thing becomes consistently clear: representation is not the finish line. Real change happens when women are present where decisions are made, budgets are allocated, artists are signed and policy is shaped.
Words: Linda Coogan Byrne
The Industry Review 
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