Latin Power Players: Billboard’s 2026 List Revealed

Live Nation’s Hans Schafer — the promoter that has helped Latin artists take on the world — leads Billboard ’s annual list of the genre’s most powerful executives.

Related How Live Nation’s Hans Schafer Redefined Latin Touring’s Global Potential: ‘It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All’ Hilary Duff to Receive Outstanding Pop Tour of the Year Award at 2026 Billboard Live Music Summit Judge Rules Woman Accused of Shooting at Rihanna & A$AP Rocky's Home Mentally Fit to Stand Trial Music Groups Sony Music Latin-Iberia Afo Verde Chairman/CEO María Fernández COO Juan Alfonso Sánchez CFO/senior vp Herb Payan Executive vp of digital strategy and ancillary revenue Guillermo Gutiérrez Leyva Senior vp of A&R Gaby Martínez Senior vp of regional marketing Rafael Madroñal Vp of brand partnerships Verde Rubén Martín From Shakira’s World Cup anthem and Rosalía’s LUX era to new investments in film, documentaries and creative studios, Sony Music Latin-­Iberia chairman/CEO Afo Verde says the company’s greatest achievement has been building a deeper, more versatile ecosystem around its acts.

“We’ve had a year with a very special focus on our roster,” Verde says of the past 12 to 18 months.

“What makes me most proud is the quality, diversity and strength of the projects we’ve been able to develop alongside our artists.” That depth was evident across Sony’s roster, which includes Shakira, Rosalía, Alejandro Sanz, Milo J, Rauw Alejandro, Jorge Drexler, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Mon Laferte, Kany García, Carlos Vives, Trueno and Beéle.

Verde also points to Romeo Santos and Prince Royce’s collaborative album Better Late Than Never (which debuted at No.

1 on Billboard ’s Top Tropical Albums chart), as well as projects from the company’s rock roster, including Arde Bogotá, Dani Martín, Draco, Dante Spinetta, Emmanuel Horvilleur, Fito Páez and Leiva.

Sony continued investing in the next generation — signing Amaia in Spain and Natanael Cano in Mexico through a distribution deal with Rancho Humilde — while maintaining a strong focus on música mexicana .

Sony’s Brazilian operation, led by Fernando Cabral, also had a notable year with artists including Grupo Menos É Mais, Luan Santana, Pedro Sampaio and Gusttavo Lima.

Beyond recorded music, Sony Music Vision has developed a diverse slate of documentary series, movies, concert films and music videos, while a new 5020 Studios location in Los Angeles will soon provide additional creative space for its roster.

Capitalizing on this momentum, rapper Residente began filming Porto Rico , his feature directorial debut.

“Our responsibility as a company is to serve our artists by giving them the tools and support they need to develop their full potential and advance their creative visions,” Verde says.