*This content was translated by AI.
Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, CEO of Hive Lee Jae-sang, and Chairman and CEO of Hive America Isaac Lee were named side by side in the 2026 Billboard Power 100 (Billboard's 2026 Power 100).
Billboard, a U.S. music media outlet, announced on its official website on the 28th (local time) that the 2026 Billboard Power 100 list selected the most influential people in the world music industry. The list once again proved Hive's strong presence in the global entertainment market, with Chairman Bang, CEO Lee, chairman and CEO jointly selected as the 30th in the "Leaderboard" category, which counts 40 leaders who have had a great influence in the global music industry.
Billboard explained about Hive, "We are building overseas bases through a multi-home, multi-genre strategy and using K-pop artists and fandom development methods in the global market." Chairman Bang and three other Hive executives ranked fifth in the "Multisector" category, which evaluates their influence on various aspects of music production and consumption, including management and performances.
Bang has been selected on the list for a total of six times so far this year, following 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025, showing off his unwavering influence as a leader in innovation in the global music industry beyond the boundaries of K-pop. Billboard praised Bang's K-pop methodology as a localized success model in major global markets, saying, "Hive does not just export artists produced in Korea to overseas markets, including the United States."
In particular, regarding KATSEYE, a global girl group to which Chairman Bang's K-pop methodology is applied, he mentioned, "CatsEye, which was produced with Geffen Records, was nominated for 'Best New Artist' at the Grammy." Cats Eye has also been nominated for the "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" category at the same time, becoming a global group in name and reality.
CEO Lee Jae-sang and Chairman and CEO Isaac Lee, who were on the list for the first time this year, also drew attention. This is interpreted as a result of the recognition of Hive's achievements in securing future growth engines and upgrading its global business.
CEO Lee led the "Hive 2.0" strategy and led the industry's preemptive innovation through the convergence of content and technology, providing fans with a new way of immersion. It is also accelerating its 'multi-home, multi-genre' strategy by leading the establishment of Hive China and Hive India last year. Thanks to these achievements, he was selected as one of the most influential entertainment executives in the world by the "2025 Billboard Power Players" and the U.S. entertainment magazine Variety last year.
Billboard said, "We have established regional bases in China and India, two of the world's most populous countries. Last year, not only new artists but also Seventeen topped the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart with their fifth full-length album 'HAPPY BURSTDAY', and Tomorrow X TOGETHER and ENHYPEN ranked 3rd on Billboard 200."
Chairman and CEO Isaac Lee leads Hive's global strategy in the North American and Latin markets, contributing to Hive's musical territorial expansion. Billboard noted Isaac Lee's achievement, saying, "In Latin America, a reality series gave birth to boy band Santos BRAVOS." Santos Brabos, who debuted in October last year after a reality series of the same name, is considered a successful combination of the K-pop system and Latin pop. Chairman and CEO Isaac Lee was selected as the Billboard Latin Power Players 2025 last year.
Meanwhile, Billboard Power 100 is a list that Billboard selects and announces influential figures in the global music industry every year, and selects leaders in each category, including labels, publishing, and multi-sectors. The list was joined by UMG (Universal Music Group) CEO Lucian Grange, Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer, and Live Nation Chairman Michael Lapino.
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*This content was translated by AI.
