IGA laid the groundwork for 2019’s biggest
wins “years ago,” says Janick, 41, about a
success streak that has included Selena
Gomez’s career-first Hot 100 No. 1, “Lose
You to Love Me,” in November and first-
time Billboard 200 chart-toppers from
J. Cole’s Dreamville collective and the
late Juice WRLD. Likewise, Grammy-
nominated best new artist Billie Eilish
actually joined IGA in 2015 through
label group partner The Darkroom (see
page 128) — only to become one of this
year’s biggest breakthrough acts, along
with rapper DaBaby and R&B singer
Summer Walker. “Any year where you can
break an artist is a great one, but we did
it three times in three different genres,”
says Janick. Adds Manda, 45, “We’re
motivated by discovering groundbreaking,
disruptive artists and being hyper-focused
on creating opportunities for them to push
culture forward in meaningful ways.”
Craig Kallman
Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records
Julie Greenwald
Chairman/COO, Atlantic Records
Michael Kyser
President of black music, Atlantic Records
Kevin Weaver
President, West Coast, Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records ranked as the No. 1 label
on the Billboard 200 in 2019 and, for the
third year in a row, the leader in cur-
rent market share (at 12.12%). Under the
leadership of Kallman and Greenwald,
Atlantic achieved that success thanks to
breakouts from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
(whose Hoodie SZN achieved 1.2 million
album equivalent units) and Lizzo (whose
Cuz I Love You tallied 1.1 billion on-demand
streams). Weaver achieved dozens of
placements for Lizzo (including the Netflix
rom-com Someone Great), but the triumph
of the genre-spanning artist — including
eight Grammy Award nominations — was
a true team effort. “She’s everyone’s artist,”
says Greenwald.
Kevin Liles
Co-founder/CEO, 300 Entertainment
300 Entertainment, led by Liles, 51, enjoyed
success across its roster in the past year.
Young Thug scored his first Billboard 200
No. 1 with So Much Fun in August. Rising
rap rookies Megan Thee Stallion and Gunna
also showcased their mainstream appeal by
nabbing Hot 100 hits, with Megan’s earworm
“Hot Girl Summer” (with Nicki Minaj and Ty
Dolla $ign) peaking at No. 11 and spawning
an eponymous meme. “Finding artists who
people want to be like, talk and walk like is
our sweet spot,” says Liles.
Monte Lipman
Founder/CEO, Republic Records
Avery Lipman
Founder/president, Republic Records
Jim Roppo
Executive vp/GM, Republic Records
Wendy Goldstein
President of West Coast creative,
Republic Records
Driven by five of the biggest albums of the
year — Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next,
Taylor Swift’s Lover, Post Malone’s Holly-
wood’s Bleeding, Jonas Brothers’ Happiness
Begins and Drake’s Scorpion (released in
- — Republic was named top label
for the fourth year (of the past five) on
Billboard’s 2019 year-end chart. Getting to
that pinnacle was a “balanced attack” and
“tremendous responsibility,” says Monte
Lipman. “Our company is experimental
and embraces change. The one thing we
do know in this business is that change is
nearly constant.”
Jesús López
Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin America
and Iberian Peninsula
Under López, Universal reported a rising
market share in international Latin markets
and in the United States (through Univer-
sal Music Latin Entertainment), driven by
global crossover stars like J Balvin, the most
listened-to Latin artist on Spotify, with over
58.7 million monthly listeners, according
to the streaming service; and Karol G, who
was named Billboard’s year-end top Latin
female artist, as well as the strong showing
of new acts like Sebastián Yatra. But López
says the growth of his management and live
division, GTS, which booked, produced or
promoted over 1,600 shows in the region,
stood out most. “We opened the door to
the global Latin boom with ‘Despacito,’ and
we’ve kept it up,” he says.
David Massey
President/CEO, Arista Records
Massey is leading a revival at Arista Re-
cords, thanks to artists like Israel’s Dennis
Lloyd, whom he reports has achieved some
300 million global on-demand streams in
2019; Ant Saunders, whose TikTok-exposed
“Yellow Hearts” reached No. 81 on the
Hot 100; and singer-songwriter JP Saxe,
whose single “If the World Was Ending”
features co-writer Julia Michaels. Saxe is
signed to the Work of Art publishing com-
pany, which Massey oversees, along with
Work of Art management. And in Septem-
ber, Massey launched Arista’s dance-music
imprint Last Nite, featuring acts Sigala,
Dom Dolla and Dynoro. “Like Clive Davis,
I want to be here at 87,” says Massey. “I’m
never going to stop.”
“It is a responsibility, but certainly not a burden, to bring
talented, diverse people along.”
—In an interview with Billboard shortly before taking the reins as Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman/
CEO, JON PLATT spoke about the need for more diversity and inclusion in the music industry. He then set
an example, over the past year hiring three women for high-level positions: senior vp global human resources
ELICIA FELIX-HUGHEY, senior vp broadcast and media rights CATHY MERENDA and senior vp corpo-
rate communications DANA BAXTER. And though women are woefully underrepresented in the songwrit-
ing and production ranks of the industry, according to the second investigation by the University of Southern
California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (released in February 2019), there were some positive develop-
ments in the industry’s C-suites: In April, SYLVIA RHONE was promoted to chairman/CEO of Epic Records.
M. LIPMAN
LILES
A. LIPMAN
ROPPO
GOLDSTEIN
LÓPEZ
MASSEY
KALLMAN
KYSER
GREENWALD
WEAVER
POWER MOVE
Women Take Bigger Music-Biz Titles
Rhone (left)
and Felix-
Hughey
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110 BILLBOARD • JANUARY 25, 2020
KALLMAN:^ JIMMY^FONTAINE.^ G
REENWALD:MATT^FURMAN.^ K
YSER:^ NOAGRIFFEL.^ W
EAVER:CAROLANDREWS.^ L
ILES:^ JASONGOODRICH.LIPMAN^(^2 ),^ ROPPO,^ GOLDSTEIN:^ COURTESY^OFREPUBLIC^RECORDS.LÓPEZ:JUAN^LUISVELAMASSEY:MIKE^COPPOLA.