Courtney Stewart discovered a young Khalid through mutual friends on Twitter and heard some of his early SoundCloud demos.

“He didn’t know it at the time, but he was writing a generational album in American Teen,” the Atlanta native Stewart says. Khalid’s management team now includes Stewart, Mame Diagne, Jordan Holly and Relvyn Lopez at Right Hand. They've been right there with him as he rose to global stardom, building a relationship with him that is also a close friendship.

For Stewart, a key to good management is supporting an artist's big ideas, no matter how unrealistic they might seem. In his interview with Billboard Canada, Khalid said his team is so successful in part because they support his "delusion."

"He was being completely honest, and I think that is the key to working with artists," says Stewart. "As management, our goal is to make sure we're able to translate the artist's vision – to keep them grounded as well, but do everything we can to make sure their goals come to life. That's our job here. If we don't have the answer, we're not going to tell him we don't have the answer – we're going to find an answer."

Sonali Singh was the manager behind star actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh, and played a key role in expanding his rise to global stardom. Over the past year, she masterminded Dosanjh’s record-breaking Dil-Luminati tour, which set a record as the biggest North American tour from a Punjabi music artist in history: a reported 215,000 attendees and a gross of more than $27 million USD, according to Live Nation. That included historic stadium shows in Toronto and Vancouver, billed as the biggest ever Punjabi concerts outside of India.

Singh’s management also expanded Diljit’s presence worldwide, overseeing sold-out shows in his home country of India, North America and the Middle East. Beyond music, Singh guided Dosanjh's successful ventures in film, including his notable roles in Amar Singh Chamkila and Jatt & Juliet 3, while boosting his fashion profile with global brand partnerships like Levi’s.

“Always be true to yourself,” Singh told Billboard Canada last year. “It’s easy to get caught up in what others think we should be, but our real power comes from being authentic. Your voice, your story, and your vision are what make you unique – don’t be afraid to share them with the world… Together, we’re not just making music – we’re reshaping the entire industry.”

Pictured: Shubh (left), Shivam Malhotra

Shivam Malhotra brings a background in entrepreneurship, tech and film production – at companies like Snap, Universal Films and his own Malsons Media, where he serves as founder and CEO – to the world of music. Working between Mumbai, India and Southern California, he’s been a major figure in the rise of Shubh – the Brampton-based artist who’s been a key figure in the hip-hop inspired Punjabi Wave. In just a few years, Shubh has amassed more than 6 billion lifetime streams and is about to embark on a debut North American tour that includes stadium dates at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. It’s a close manager/artist relationship, and one that’s propelled Shubh to major heights that he continues to scale.

Key to Malhotra’s strategy has been eliciting deep fan engagement, building fiercely loyal fans in targeted “mini-markets” with diasporic communities that will engage deeply with the music and act as global ambassadors. It’s a focus on cultural resonance rather than casting a wide net, and it’s paying off in a big way.

Malhotra’s advice to new music managers is to “be an unyielding advocate for your artist's vision. Their success is your mission.” Build connections across labels, publishers and promoters by networking strategically and maintaining an “ironclad reputation.” And stay attuned to the rapidly changing industry, staying ahead of trends like AI and new fan engagement models. “It's about relentless passion, business acumen and a future-forward mindset,” he says. “We are now living in a world where the music industry is evolving in a dynamic manner. Stay authentic to your vision – fire cannot kill a dragon.”