Billboard U.K. Launches Inaugural 40 Under 40 List, to Be Celebrated at Beyond The Music in Salford
Billboard U.K. is launching its first 40 Under 40 list, honouring young executives across the British music business, with the inaugural edition set for publication in early October 2026. The list will be celebrated with an exclusive event at the Beyond The Music conference in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Oct. 7 as part of the conference's official programming. Billboard
Nominations are open now via a SurveyMonkey form and close on Aug. 19 at 11:59 p.m. BST. To be eligible, executives must be under 40 on Oct. 7, 2026 and based in the U.K. Nominees are put forward by peers and companies, with final selections made entirely by Billboard U.K. editors — the same model used for the U.S. 40 Under 40 franchise, which most recently named its 2026 honorees on July 30. Billboard
The list will recognise difference-makers across labels and distributors, management, publishing, streaming companies, the live business and rights associations — the bodies that shape how music reaches the public, from the signing of an artist to the ticketing of a tour.
Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard U.K., said the list will honour rising and established executives shaping the future of the U.K. music market. The franchise has already expanded to Canada, where a 40 Under 40 list launched in November 2025, and the U.K. edition follows the same editorial template Billboard uses for its annual U.S. Power Players rankings.
Beyond The Music returns to MediaCity in Salford from Oct. 6–9, 2026. The conference opens on Oct. 6 with a 24th anniversary premiere of 24 Hour Party People, ahead of the film's 4K re-release, accompanied by a keynote conversation with director Michael Winterbottom and actor Steve Coogan. Panel discussions will cover AI, regional investment in the arts, the creative wealth gap and the live sector. The conference closes with the All Content AI Summit, convened by newly appointed prime minister and former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
Confirmed speakers include Tommas Arnby, manager of Yungblud; Stacey Tang, co-president of RCA U.K.; Dr. Jo Twist, CEO of the BPI (the trade body behind the BRIT Awards and the Official Charts); and Tom Gray, chair of The Ivors Academy, which represents songwriters and composers. Billboard
For a music industry still working through what AI licensing means for performers and songwriters, the pairing of a rising-executives list with a conference closing on an AI summit gives the week a practical edge. The people on the 40 Under 40 list will be the ones navigating those questions in the years ahead — and Beyond The Music is putting the conversation in front of them.
