Music Industry Moves: Daddy Yankee Named Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year; Atlantic Strikes Deal With Fader Label; MusiCares Opens 2026 Wellness in Music Survey

The Latin Recording Academy will honor Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez — a.k.a. Daddy Yankee — as the 2026 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. The legendary Puerto Rican musician, a pioneer and driving force behind the globalization of reggaeton music, will be honored for his nearly three-decade career as a singer, songwriter and performer, as well as for his humanitarian efforts.

“This recognition from The Latin Recording Academy is a dream come true,” Daddy Yankee said. “It means a lot because it represents more than just a successful career; it’s recognition of years of discipline, struggle, faith and commitment to our culture. Receiving something like this is to honor Puerto Rico, to honor all Latinos, and specifically to that entire generation that believed in our music when no one else understood it.”

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Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud added, “Daddy Yankee has been a defining force in the global rise of Latin music,” said “His leadership, discipline and vision opened the doors for a genre and inspired an entire generation of creators, and he remains as relevant today as ever. We are proud to honor him as our 2026 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.”

Daddy Yankee will be celebrated at a private gala on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in Las Vegas, as part of Latin Grammy Week. The tribute concert will feature renditions of his renowned repertoire performed by an array of international artists and close friends.

+ Atlantic Music Group and Fader Label have announced a multi-level partnership with three key components, according to the announcement: a 50/50 joint venture — merging Fader Label’s “singular taste and aesthetic with AMG’s expertise and global reach” — to sign and develop the careers of new and established artists; distribution and support services for the independently operated Fader Label’s roster and catalog; and expansion of the services that Fader Label’s independent distribution arm, Fader Distribution, can offer to developing artists.

The Fader magazine was established in 1999 by founders Jon Cohen and the late Rob Stone as a media arm of their successful Cornerstone Agency. Fader Label was launched three years later. Over the years the company has released early recordings by Clairo, Yuna, Matt and Kim and others.

“Fader Label has established itself as an artist-forward home to a thoughtfully curated roster of creatives,” said Elliot Grainge, chairman and CEO of Atlantic Music Group. “Through the years, it has solidified itself as a reputable tastemaker with a proven track record for artist development. This partnership is important to Atlantic Music Group as we have a shared spirit—identifying and nurturing artists who are intentional in their craft that will continue to shape music in new and exciting ways.”

“We are excited to join the Atlantic Music Group family,” says Jon Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Fader Label. “They are fearless in a business that needs more leaders brave enough to break the rules. Above all, they put the artists first and show endless commitment to artist development, and that is what the Fader is built on.”

+ MusiCares has opened its 2026 Wellness in Music survey, which asks the simple yet urgent question every year: what does it take to sustain a life in music today? Since 2020, the Wellness in Music Survey has served as a year-over-year temperature check on the health, financial stability and overall well-being of music professionals across the United States. Last year, a record of nearly 3,200 music professionals responded, and the responses help shape how MusiCares shows up for the community.

Over the years, MusiCares has provided more than $135 million in assistance to music professionals. Last year alone, the organization distributed over $17 million in support, spanning both its year-round services and disaster relief efforts. This support included mental health care, addiction recovery services, emergency financial assistance, plus resources for touring professionals and those working behind the scenes.

The 2026 survey is now open from April 6–17. It is:
•    Open to music professionals across all roles and genres
•    Available in English and Spanish
•    Completely anonymous

To access the survey in English, click here.
To access the survey in Spanish, click here.

+ Sony Music Publishing U.K., in partnership with JV partner Second Songs, has announced a new global publishing agreement with songwriter Bastian Langebaek, which includes future works. Langebaek has worked extensively with Grammy best new artist winner Olivia Dean, which includes six co-writes across her most-recent album, “The Art of Loving.” His credits also include songs with Anderson.Paak, Aurora, Jessie Ware, Nilufer Yanya and more.

+ Private equity platform Round Hill Music has appointed Chad Doerge as president and deputy chief executive officer. Doerge brings more than 30 years of experience spanning institutional finance, investment research and financial technology.

Working in close partnership with Round Hill’s Founder and CEO Josh Gruss, Doerge will serve on the company’s executive management, investment and valuation committees, and will oversee key operational areas, including acquisitions, portfolio management, investor relations and data analytics.

Prior to joining Round Hill, Doerge was President and Chief Revenue Officer of Aiera, the AI-powered financial intelligence platform he helped build over eight years as a member of its founding team, growing the company from four employees to more than 70. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly two decades in investment banking and capital markets, including as a founding member of Deutsche Bank’s Global Capital Sales group before becoming a Partner at Evercore ISI.

+ Virgin Music Group has announced a global distribution partnership with music curator and executive Ari Elkins and A&R executive Joey McCarthy for their new label Suede Records. Virgin Music Group will provide global distribution and marketing services for the label.

Jacqueline Saturn, VMG’s president of North America and EVP of global artist relations, said, “We were fans of Ari before we even got to sit together last year due to his online presence and knowledge of music and ‘what’s next,’ but after meeting we immediately knew that his passion for music discovery and engaging with digital audiences would be an amazing fit with our ethos at Virgin Music Group.”

Elkins began his career at Warner Music Group and later co-founded and ran an independent label in partnership with Avex Music Group before launching Suede Records. McCarthy began his career at Adidas, developing brand campaigns, before transitioning into A&R and later building the music division at management company Fourward.

+ Creative Artists Agency has promoted Noah Bryles, Andrew Dominijanni and Rachel Green to music agent in the Global Touring division. Bryles, based in Los Angeles and will specialize in supporting CAA’s roster of artists in the electronic and dance space. Dominijanni, based in Nashville, has been promoted to music agent, where he will support artists across CAA’s country music roster. Green, based in Los Angeles, will book private and corporate event performances for CAA’s roster of artists. She joined CAA in 2022 and previously worked at PwC and the Bullitt Agency (Bryles and Dominijanni both started at CAA as interns).