Sony Japans Shunsuke Muramatsu Named Billboard Global Power Player as He Leads Music Awards Japan 2026
Shunsuke Muramatsu, the chief architect behind Sony Music Entertainment Japan’s recent surge, has been named a Billboard Global Power Player. On 12 June 2026, the Japanese executive joined a select group of leaders whose impact reaches beyond the United States, according to Billboard’s annual list. Muramatsu’s trajectory began in 2005 as president of Sony Music Records, advanced to president of Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 2019, and in 2026 he took the helm of SMEJ as chairman.
Under Muramatsu’s direction, a string of domestic and international hits has emerged. YOASOBI, Creepy Nuts, and Kenshi Yonezu have topped Japan’s charts while breaking into overseas markets. SMEJ’s approach blends record‑making with anime, games, live events, and venue operations—a model Muramatsu calls a “comprehensive entertainment company.” The synergy has expanded fan engagement and broadened revenue streams across media platforms.
Japan’s music market reflected the strength of this strategy. In 2025 the industry grew 8.9 percent, the highest rate worldwide, largely thanks to a rebound in physical media sales. Muramatsu explained that packaged products—CDs featuring exclusive artwork and bonus items—continue to resonate with fans, while streaming delivers long‑term listening data that informs future releases. The dual model keeps the domestic fan base robust while tapping global listening habits.
The Japanese government’s cultural export ambitions add another layer to Muramatsu’s agenda. Aiming for 20 trillion yen in overseas content sales by 2033, Japan currently records roughly 6–7 trillion yen in foreign revenue. Muramatsu has called for a national content organization that would align anime, games, and music under a single umbrella, citing Korea’s KOCCA as a successful precedent. Such coordination could accelerate the country’s climb toward its export target.
Music Awards Japan (MAJ), organized by the Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association (CEIPA) in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, has become a key platform for Muramatsu’s outreach. The 2026 ceremony, slated for live streaming on YouTube with a Premiere and Grand Ceremony, will showcase Japan’s top talent. Muramatsu said the MAJ’s purpose is to reignite public interest in music, noting a 2025 survey that recorded a dip in engagement since 2019 but a recent rebound. Creepy Nuts, the most awarded act at the 2025 MAJ, performed at Coachella in 2026 and was named one of Billboard’s best ten acts of the festival, underscoring the international reach of Japan’s domestic stars.
On 15 May, the Cabinet approved a bill amending Japan’s Copyright Act to address royalty payments for overseas public performances. The amendment ensures that artists and performers receive compensation when their music is played in foreign venues such as shopping malls and restaurants. Muramatsu hailed the legislation as a step toward positioning the content industry as a core Japanese sector. He also serves as co‑chair of the Japan Business Federation’s Committee on the Creative Economy since 2022, emphasizing that cross‑sector collaboration is essential and that the government’s doubled supplementary budget must be deployed effectively.
The 2026 Billboard Global Power Players ceremony, held at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya, Tokyo, saw Muramatsu deliver a speech on behalf of the MAJ, highlighting the event’s growing international recognition. As chairman of SMEJ, the Recording Industry Association of Japan, and CEIPA, he continues to guide Japan’s music industry toward global expansion while preserving a loyal domestic fan base. The upcoming MAJ ceremony and the new copyright legislation represent pivotal milestones in that effort.
