Billboard Brasil Names Luiz Oscar Niemeyer Executive of the Year in Inaugural Power Players List
Billboard Brasil has named 50 music-industry professionals across the country in its first national Power Players list, with veteran promoter Luiz Oscar Niemeyer taking the top honour as Executive of the Year. The announcement was made at a ceremony on Thursday, 13 August at Hotel Unique in São Paulo, and the full list of winners was published on Billboard Brasil's own domain billboard.com.br.
Niemeyer, 70, has spent four decades in music entertainment. He served as general coordinator of the first Rock in Rio festival in 1985, and led Paul McCartney's show at Maracanã Stadium — a concert that drew 184,000 people and entered the Guinness Book of World Records. He currently leads Bonus Track, the company behind the Todo Mundo no Rio platform, alongside Luiz Guilherme Niemeyer. Folha de S.Paulo's Monica Bergamo column described him as the businessman behind Madonna and Lady Gaga concerts in Rio de Janeiro Folha de S.Paulo. Billboard confirmed his Executive of the Year title in its own coverage published the same day Billboard.
The Power Players honorees were selected through independent editorial curation by Billboard Brasil, weighing each professional's relevance, recent work and impact on the music production chain.
The 50 winners span every corner of the business. From the major labels, Ana Bueno serves as vice president of marketing at Universal Music Brasil, while Bruno Batista holds the same rank in A&R — artists and repertoire, the department that signs and develops acts — at Filtr Music, part of Sony Music Entertainment Brasil. Flavia Cesar, director of licensing and synchronization at Warner Chappell Music Brasil, the publishing arm that manages songwriting rights, also made the list.
Streaming platforms are represented by Carolina Alzuguir, head of music at Spotify Brazil, and Danillo Ambrosano, head of Apple Music Brazil. On the live side, Dody Sirena co-founded Grupo DC Set, which brought Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Coldplay to Brazil; Bete Dezembro founded Fábrica de Eventos, responsible for bringing major national and international tours to Manaus; and Bruno Rego is a leading show producer in Northeast Brazil behind events such as São João de Petrolina and Expocrato.
Brazilian independent music has its advocates on the list too. Felippe Llerena, president of the Brazilian Association of Independent Music (ABMI), is described as a pioneer in digital distribution in Latin America. Eliane Dias, CEO and co-founder of Boogie Naipe, manages the careers of Racionais MC's, Mano Brown and Duquesa. Arleyde Caldi founded Grupo Caldi, which handles communications for artists including Luan Santana, Ana Castela and João Gomes.
Producers recognised include Dudu Borges, a Latin Grammy winner who has worked with Gusttavo Lima and the late Marília Mendonça; Alexandre Kassin, a music producer named on the billboard.com.br winners list; and Felipe Vassão, part of the team behind Jota.Pê's album that won three Latin Grammys in 2024.
Copyright and collection bodies also feature. Isabel Amorim is executive superintendent at Ecad, Brazil's central body for collecting and distributing music performance royalties; Gustavo Gonzalez directs Abramus Digital, working on copyright collection and distribution; and Monique Gardenberg created the Free Jazz Festival, TIM Festival and C6 Fest.
The ceremony at Hotel Unique brought the 50 honorees together under one roof — a cross-section of the people who build, stage, sell, protect and distribute music in the world's fifth-largest country.
