For the third consecutive year, Live Nation sits undisputed at the peak of the Billboard Canada Power Players list. Driven by the executive powerhouse duo of Erik Hoffman and Wayne Zronik, as well as key leaders like Riley O’Connor (who gets a special honour on the Billboard Hall of Fame this year) and Melissa Bubb-Clarke, the live music giant commanded a staggering 3,600 events nationwide over the past year, reaching more than 10 million fans in a Canadian live touring market that is actively booming, especially in Toronto.

Hoffman, who runs national touring and music strategy, masterminded a season that is breaking records for number of shows at the newly rebranded RBC Amphitheatre (80+ this summer, and more to come when it becomes a year-round venue by 2030). He also helped launch the massive 50,000-seat, open-air Rogers Stadium with monumental dates from Oasis, Coldplay and Blackpink and a more recent record-breaking run in season two with Bruno Mars. Zronik supercharged the business side, steering the commercial strategy of that stadium project (which injected a reported $388 million into the GDP) while prepping the expansion of the Drake-partnered History venue into Ottawa this summer.

Despite ongoing criticism over its market dominance — April’s landmark federal antitrust jury verdict against Live Nation and Ticketmaster in the U.S. has triggered some speculation about eventual ramifications north of the border — Hoffman and Zronik continue to pilot the company to new heights.

Sean Cohan is proving that Canadian media doesn't just participate or react to global pop culture — it can actively drive it. Since moving from high-profile executive jobs in the U.S. to become president of Bell Media, he has steered a massive cross-platform empire that spans video, audio, news, sports (including the upcoming FIFA World Cup), out-of-home media, and digital channels like the TikTok expansion of MuchMusic. That footprint also includes the iHeartRadio Canada network alongside heavy-hitting heritage radio stations like CHUM-FM and Virgin Radio. In an industry where CanCon is sometimes (often unfairly) wielded like an insult, Cohan has helped change that narrative. Nowhere is that truer than in the success of the hottest pop culture product of the last year, the Crave original series Heated Rivalry. The show has been a massive success for the country, turning Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams into overnight A-listers and homegrown musical acts like Feist, Wolf Parade and Peter Peter into streaming juggernauts. Bell Media's expansive multimedia network means successes like these are not isolated. They are part of a multiplatform ecosystem that, when leveraged correctly, can wield serious cultural power.

From telecommunications to sports, Rogers is an outsized juggernaut across every facet of the Canadian landscape. Under Tony Staffieri, that immense corporate dominance fully extends into the music and live entertainment space. Staffieri has shifted the telecom giant's focus beyond traditional broadcast assets to command the actual infrastructure of live experiences. The definitive anchor of this strategy came to fruition following a monumental $4.7 billion buyout of BCE’s stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), handing Rogers 75% majority control over a sports, venue, and live entertainment empire that it plans to eventually own in full. This portfolio includes Rogers Centre — the home of the Toronto Blue Jays and multiple concerts a year — alongside a partnership with Live Nation on the city’s other massive stadium, the open-air concert venue Rogers Stadium. The consolidation gives Rogers a definitive hand in the biggest concerts in Toronto, one of North America’s premier touring markets, while the company simultaneously operates a broadcast footprint of more than 40 national radio stations, including Toronto staples KiSS 92.5 and 98.1 CHFI. Staffieri is also an honorary board member of Toronto Metropolitan University and deputy chair of the board of directors of MLSE — proving to be a major player on multiple fronts.

Since being promoted to president and CEO in early 2025, Julie Adam has maintained Universal Music Canada’s position as the strong market share leader among major labels in the country. UMC is home to some of the biggest artists in the world through its international roster, from Taylor Swift to Paul McCartney to Post Malone. Over the last year especially, though, she and UMC’s A&R team have led the label through a noticeable investment in up-and-coming Canadian talent. That includes a handful of inspired signings, including gold-selling Canadian rapper Casper TNG, acclaimed indie-folk singer Braden Lam, R&B singer Kuzi Cee, experimental artist Ebril and jazz singer and classical pianist Elysia Biro. label’s commitment to domestic artist development is further underscored by a recent partnership with hit Canadian songwriter Lowell and another with acclaimed DJ Zeds Dead’s label Deadbeats. That’s not to mention breakout artists like country stars Josh Ross and Owen Riegling and pop artist Sofia Camara, who’ve heightened their rise this year. Adam, who is also the chair of the board of Junos facilitator CARAS and its education charity Musicounts, is a high-powered label executive who prioritizes the well-being of its artists and employees in a stressful and precarious industry, including a recent partnership with Amber Health to provide mental health services to North American artists and songwriters, alongside a range of services and programs in place to support the UMC team. These strategic moves have ultimately solidified UMC’s position, not just on the world map, but firmly within its home base.

Eric Wong became the president of Warner Music Canada in 2025 after the departure of Kristen Burke. Based primarily in New York, Wong maintains multiple roles on both sides of the border — serving as the president of East West Records US and EVP of recorded music at Warner Music Group, where he oversees global marketing campaigns and A&R efforts. Since his appointment, he has made efforts to consolidate and strengthen the relationship between the Canadian label and its global operations with what the label calls a “results-first culture.” That approach has included a significant reduction in staff alongside an effort to elevate Canadian talent. That shift came with a pair of big promotions for Madelaine Napoleone and Julia Hummel to co-general managers of WMC from their roles in marketing, digital strategy and business development and commercial revenue. The team has had global wins with breakout artists like Jade LeMac and Cameron Whitcomb, as well as Billboard Canadian Albums No. 1s for Zach Bryan, Don Toliver, Hilary Duff and Bruno Mars. There’s been a lot of change at the major label’s Canadian office over the last year, but there are also ambitious plans and a shrewd focus on growth.

The longest-tenured president of a major label in Canada, Shane Carter has seen the evolution of the country’s industry firsthand. The label continues to develop and grow Canadian artists, including homegrown acts like Aqyila, Tyler Shaw, standout Indigenous acts like Tia Wood and Snotty Nose Rez Kids and rising country artist Sacha, who made her debut last year at Nashville’s storied Grand Ole Opry. He works with legends too, including one of Canada’s biggest global icons, Celine Dion. Carter was an executive producer on last year’s acclaimed Prime Video documentary I Am: Céline Dion and has worked collaboratively with the Sony Music Canada and global Sony Music team to orchestrate her comeback, including long-awaited new music and a hotly anticipated return to the stage in a Paris residency in 2026 that is sure to be one of the highlights of the year. He’s also a passionate philanthropist with his support of charities like Canadian Music Therapy Fund, MusiCounts and Unison and the Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation in his birthplace of Jamaica. After nearly two decades at the helm, he continues to lead an eventful and decorated label career.

In a tumultuous year for arts funding, Meg Symsyk has been at the forefront of ensuring that Canadian talent and creative businesses have the support they need to thrive. Throughout the last two years, the president and CEO of FACTOR — one of the most important funders of music in the country — has been a fighter for the Canadian music industry and Canadian culture. That support hasn’t wavered amidst multiple challenges, including the theft of nearly $10 million from its Scotiabank account. The music industry rallied to support while Symsyk fought in court for corporate accountability, ultimately securing a settlement with the bank. Throughout it all, Symsyk has ensured that FACTOR has continued — and in many ways, expanded — its support. She advocated to ensure the renewal of the Canada Music Fund, announced $2 million in funding for live music through its Promoter Program and Festival Program and fought for Canadian curators and Canadian content during the implementation of the Online Streaming Act. After much debate, the federal government announced last week that it will invest $600 million in audio and audiovisual sectors, including FACTOR, marking the importance of investing in Canadian culture and IP amidst threats to sovereignty. She’s also a vital member of the team behind Rush, whose massive reunion tour is one of the most anticipated live events of the summer.

Golnar Khosrowshahi was at the vanguard of the music rights explosion, investing in song catalogues since 2007. Now, she and her company Reservoir are part of a more crowded market in the very valuable music publishing field, but remain major players, consistently ranking in the top 10 of Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly market share report with $158.7 million revenue in the 2025 fiscal year. Based in the U.S., Khosrowshahi remains a proud Canadian, with Reservoir holding a seat on the board of Music Publishers Canada. She also maintains special partnerships with national treasures like k.d. lang and Joni Mitchell, who received a special lifetime achievement celebration at this year’s Juno Awards. Khosrowshahi renewed Reservoir’s deal with the icon in 2025 and continues to usher her immortal catalogue with projects like the Grammy-winning Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4. That’s not the only legend in their orbit. The company has signed recent deals with artists like Snoop Dogg and the late Miles Davis. Reservoir acquired his publishing catalogue, master rights and non-exclusive name, image and likeness rights ahead of his centennial year in 2026 and will partner with his estate on music releases, concerts, brand collaborations and more. Khosrowshahi sees the global future of music, and is making inroads in the MENA region and South Asia through partnerships and subsidiaries PopArabia and PopIndia. She is planning for a future where hits will transcend borders, languages and cultures. It wouldn’t be the first time she was ahead of the curve.

From the home ice of the Bell Centre to the concert stage, France Margaret Bélanger wields serious influence across Quebec’s sports and culture sectors. Fresh off a thrilling playoff run that saw the Groupe CH-owned Montreal Canadiens make a Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference finals, Bélanger has expanded her nationwide footprint as part of the ownership group behind the WNBA’s inaugural Canadian franchise, the Toronto Tempo. But while it’s been a big year for her sports portfolio, her executive oversight of Groupe CH’s music arms, evenko and Équipe Spectra, reinforces her powerhouse status in Quebec. Under her strategic stewardship, the organization continues to anchor the province's live ecosystem, drawing millions annually to flagship festivals like OSHEAGA, the Montréal International Jazz Festival, Les Francos, LASSO and îleSoniq. The company’s market leverage is on display this summer, with Montreal as the exclusive Canadian stop for massive international tours like Ariana Grande and the return of The Vans Warped Tour for the first time in 12 years.

Mark Redmond masterminded SiriusXM Canada’s national launch in 2005 after serving as president and CEO of Sirius Canada, and he has guided the broadcaster through some major shifts in the digital media landscape. Today, he commands a highly profitable media operation with more than 2.6 million Canadian subscribers, securely anchoring the dashboards of millions of vehicles and connected devices nationwide. Despite the corporate scale, Redmond has ensured SiriusXM remains an engine for Canadian talent. The digital audio company pours heavy infrastructure and investment into artist discovery programs like the annual Top of the Country contest and cultural initiatives like SiriusXM Music Town. That’s without sacrificing corporate culture — in May 2026, SiriusXM Canada clinched its 17th consecutive Canada's Best Managed Companies designation. In a fragmented audio market where audience loyalty is notoriously difficult to capture, Redmond has shown a media giant can maintain long-term prominence without forgetting the music that got it there.