Universal Music Group’s Chairman & CEO Becomes the First Executive to be Honored by the Publication a Record Five Times

Universal Music Publishing Group Chairman & CEO Makes History as Award’s First Music Publishing Executive and First Woman Recipient

SANTA MONICA, January 25, 2020 —Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group (UMG), has been named “Executive of the Decade” and Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), has been named “Executive of the Year” on the 2020 Billboard Power 100 list of the most influential executives in the industry.

Grainge is the first executive ever appointed “Executive of the Decade,” having previously appeared at No. 1 on the Billboard Power 100 in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. He is the only executive to appear at No. 1 more than once and in consecutive years.

In presenting the award to Grainge, Billboard wrote that he was “early to embrace the idea that streaming would transform the music business and return it to growth. When he licensed UMG music to Spotify for its 2011 launch in the United States, Grainge had already laid the groundwork to take advantage of the new, more global music ecosystem.”

Gerson is the first music publishing executive and first woman in the magazine’s history to receive the “Executive of the Year” honor. In 2015, Gerson was named as Billboard’s Women in Music “Executive of the Year.” In honoring her, Billboard noted Gerson “has lifted revenue to record levels while navigating a fast-changing market — and lifting up women along the way.”

Continuing a tradition of social giving that Grainge began as Billboard’s 2019 “Executive of the Year,” Gerson announced Universal Music will donate $50,000 to She Is The Music, a global nonprofit working to increase the number of women in the industry.

Mitchell Shymansky, UMG’s Vice President of Data Analytics, became the first executive to be honored with the Jay Frank Award for leadership in digital music, an annual distinction created by Billboard to honor the life and legacy of UMG executive Jay Frank, who passed away in October. Frank’s wife and daughter attended the Power 100 event and presented the award to Shymansky.

In 2019, Universal Music Group built on its track record of being the most successful company in the music industry. In the U.S., UMG released seven of the top 10 singles and albums. UMG and UMPG are home to the year’s top three recording artists/songwriters: Post Malone, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish.

Additional Universal Music executives honored on Billboard’s Power 100 list include Executive Vice President Michele Anthony, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and President of Operations Boyd Muir, General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs Jeffrey Harleston, Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy Michael Nash, Executive Vice President of Creative Dave Rocco and Celine Joshua, General Manager of Commercial, Content & Artist Strategy.

Billboard recognized many of UMG’s label heads and partners including Republic Records Co-Founder and Chairman Monte Lipman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records Chairman and CEO John Janick, Republic Records Co-Founder and President Avery Lipman, Capitol Music Group Chairman and CEO Steve Barnett, Universal Music Group Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan, Def Jam Recordings Chairman and CEO Paul Rosenberg, Island Records President Darcus Beese, Universal Music Enterprises President & CEO Bruce Resnikoff and Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula Chairman and CEO Jesús López.

At Roc Nation, Billboard recognized founder Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Jay Brown and CEO Desiree Perez, as well as Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and Chief Operating Officer Kevin “Coach K” Lee. The list includes Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Cash Money Records, as well as Big Machine Label Group Founder, President and CEO Scott Borchetta. At Concord Music Group, Billboard honored CEO Scott Pascucci, Chief Label Executive Tom Whalley and Chief Publishing Executive Jake Wisely.

Billboard additionally recognized Marc Cimino, Chief Operating Officer of Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Music Group President Ashley Newton and Chief Operating Officer Michelle Jubelirer, Motown Records President Ethiopia Habtemariam and Jacqueline Saturn, President of Caroline and Harvest Records. Interscope’s Vice Chairman Steve Berman and Executive Vice President Joie Manda, as well as Republic EVP & General Manager Jim Roppo and Head of A&R Wendy Goldstein, Island’s Chief Operating officer Eric Wong were recognized, along with Cindy Mabe, President of Universal Music Group Nashville.