As Latin music continues to expand its global footprint, the individuals driving that growth are making their mark across touring, recorded music, publishing and beyond. On Monday night (Oct. 19), Billboard Latin Music Week brought many of those influential figures together at the Faena Theater for its annual Latin Power Players celebration, with the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami returning as a partner.
The invite-only event, held during the 2026 edition of Billboard Latin Music Week, brought together leading artists, label executives and industry decision-makers for an evening recognizing the people helping shape the business behind Latin music’s biggest moments. For Frost School of Music, the partnership represented an ongoing commitment to drive the industry forward as it cultivates the next generation of music business leaders.
With Miami serving as a global hub for Latin music, the school’s presence at the celebration was particularly fitting. As one of the top music schools in the world, the Frost School was recently named, once again, to the Billboard list of Top Music Business Schools. The recognition speaks to its efforts to continue to prepare students to navigate an industry where creative vision and business strategy increasingly go hand in hand – something that’s successfully been done by several of its esteemed alumni named as Latin Power Players this year. This intense focus on helping to ensure the next generation of Frost School students will shape the sound of what comes next can be seen in its appointment of industry veteran Matt Serletic, who attended the event, as its new dean.
“It’s a fantastic year for music, more than ever,” Billboard’s co-chief content officer Leila Cobo said during the ceremony. Citing Luminate data, she noted that one in every 10 streams is now in Spanish… double the share recorded six years ago. “We are so proud to honor [the Latin Power Players] tonight.”
Hans Schafer, senior vice president of global touring at Live Nation, was named Executive of the Year, recognized for his work in a touring landscape where Latin artists are increasingly filling stadiums around the world.
“We move so quickly that we rarely stop to take a moment for the things we’ve achieved,” Schafer said while accepting the honor, reflecting on his decade at Live Nation. Pointing to the stadium success of Shakira, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida and Grupo Firme, he added, “Today, we’re seeing Shakira, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Grupo Firme do stadiums, and it’s becoming the norm.”
His remarks underscored a defining shift in the live music business: Latin acts are no longer simply breaking into new markets; they are helping define the scale and ambition of the global touring industry.
The ceremony also recognized the companies powering Latin music’s continued ascent. Universal Music Latin America took home Top Regional Mexican Label of the Year, presented to Angel Kaminsky; Rimas Entertainment earned Top Hot Latin Songs Label of the Year; Sony Music U.S. Latin received Top Latin Airplay Label of the Year; and Double P Records was named Top Regional Mexican Albums Label of the Year. Street Mob Records, led by Fuerza Regida frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz, received Publisher of the Year.
Ortiz Paz was among the evening’s special guests, alongside reggaeton star Ozuna and salsa icon Tito Nieves, whose appearance brought a multigenerational perspective to the celebration.
The Latin Power Players celebration captured an industry in the midst of global expansion, with Latin artists reaching new heights on the world’s biggest stages, labels strengthening their influence and a new generation of executives shaping the future of the business.
