The New Bosses 2026

The industry has voted – IQ's annual list of top emerging executives is revealed. Read on to find out who made the cut this year

FEATURED LIST By Lisa Henderson | 30 July 2026

IQ Magazine’s New Bosses is back for its 19th edition, spotlighting the most promising 30-and-unders in international live music.

As always, hundreds of nominations poured in from around the world.

The final list features 20 rising executives from a variety of sectors, all with one thing in common: they’re shaping the future of the business. Without further ado…

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THE LIST

Fergal Looney

Primary Talent International

Looney works across an esteemed roster of established stars and exciting new talent at the London-based talent agency

Christofer Melchior

Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)

Joining AEG in 2022 as booking manager, Melchior is primarily responsible for booking Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin

Bryan Tan

Live Nation Asia

Tan is a Singaporean partnership and media specialist who has been building in the entertainment and events industry since 2016

Aimen Zaman

Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai

At Coca-Cola Arena, Zaman combines her passion for live entertainment with data-driven marketing to connect audiences with experiences

Nic Tepper

Handsome Tours

Originally from Los Angeles, Nic Tepper is a Sydney-based tour promoter and has worked across North America, Europe and Australia

Florian Plakolm

Arcadia Live (FKP Scorpio)

Plakolm joined Arcadia Live in 2022, starting as a junior promoter and gravitating towards international shows and artists

Andrea Blahová

Heartnoize Promotion/Pohoda Festival

Blahová is a Slovak live music production manager based in Prague, active across the Czech and Slovak alternative circuit

Manuela Villazón

Breakfast Live

Villazón is a talent buyer based in Bogotá, Colombia, specialising in international touring, artist development and audience growth

Benji Stoll

Ticketmaster

Stoll has spent over seven years partnering with artists, managers, and promoters to build ticketing strategies that put fans first

Caitlin-Finn Ballard

ROAM

Ballard is a live booking agent in London, where she has spent the past six years representing artists and developing long-term live careers

Solomon Ogunbiyi

Live Nation

Ogunbiyi's path bridges both live music and fashion, giving him a broader, more rounded outlook within his profession

Eabhan Gormley

MCD Productions

After cutting her teeth in various roles across dressing rooms and site office teams, Gormley stepped into an assistant role at MCD

Callum Burke

Superstruct UK

With over 10+ years’ experience in the live music industry, Burke is now lead booker for six major UK Festivals at Superstruct

Katie Morgan

Legends Global

With 15 years in the live music industry, Katie Morgan, Programming Manager, is part of the Concert Halls team at Legends Global

Elektra Banks

The Team

Banks works across the UK and European festival strategy within the agency’s growing global festivals department

Rens Peters

Friendly Fire

Peters is a booking agent and concert promoter at Friendly Fire, one of the Netherlands’ leading concert promoters

Anastasia Klochkivska

UTA

Klochkivska works as a music coordinator and is known for championing the next wave of artists, with a particular interest in their fan communities

Juan Velez

RBK Fusion

Velez joined RBK Fusion in 2024 as a booking agent and promoter, focusing on developing international and Latin artists across the GSA market

Selma Eistrup Madsen

Roskilde Festival

Madsen is helping develop a new concert series with the aim of strengthening collaboration across the Nordic music scene

Lola Loog

FKP Scorpio Sweden

Loog started in the industry in 2017 as a promoter assistant and gradually worked her way up, joining FKP Scorpio Sweden in 2024

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