10 AAPI Music Executives Making an Impact in 2023

Ahn is currently the senior director of marketing at Epic Records, where she spearheads marketing initiatives for a growing roster that includes BIA, DDG, Flipp Dinero, Oxlade, and more. In the last few years, Ahn has worked on campaigns for BIA’s double-Platinum “Whole Lotta Money” (plus the Nicki Minaj remix), DDG’s Gold-certified “Hood Melody” and “Elon Musk” which featured Gunna.

Ahn began her career in the music industry in 2006, working with Scott Storch’s management before moving to Universal Motown to work as an assistant with then-President Sylvia Rhone. In 2013, she shifted her skills over to the spirits industry, where she joined the culture and partnerships team at Diageo, supporting initiatives for renowned brands such as Don Julio, Ciroc, Ketel One, Johnnie Walker, and Tanqueray. In 2018, Ahn re-entered the music industry as the director of marketing at Def Jam, then quickly jumped to TuneCore’s newly launched artist services division, PIVTL Projects, where she was head of the marketing department leading the strategy and rollout for their independent artists.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

When I first joined the music industry, there was hardly any AAPI representation — especially at major labels. Culturally, we weren’t raised to reach for these types of creative roles or careers, but with the advancement of technology and the emergence of various social media platforms, more opportunities presented themselves and new positions were created.

At the same time, there’s been increased awareness and advocacy for the representation of AAPI artists and musicians. There are more organizations supporting the community that provides resources, mentorship programs, and networking platforms to help individuals collaborate with AAPI artists and industry professionals. Additionally, there has been a shift in the broader cultural landscape, with a growing recognition of the need for diverse representation in not just the music industry, but across all entertainment verticals. 

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

Discrimination and stereotyping are pressing issues — not just for the AAPI community. It’s important to recognize that these issues affect individuals from all backgrounds. These stereotypes and biases limit opportunities, stifle creativity, and perpetuate inequality across the board.

However, by recognizing that these issues affect all of us, regardless of our background, we can work together to challenge them and create a more inclusive and equitable music industry. I strongly believe that it’s essential to encourage collaboration and dialogue between our communities to build strong networks and foster allyship in an effort to create a collective movement for change. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with all of us – industry professionals, artists, fans, and organizations- to advocate for inclusivity and drive meaningful change.

Chen holds the senior director of A&R position at Warner Chappell, where he signs and works with a diverse roster of established and developing talent. Artists he’s worked with in the past include Steve Aoki, Benson Boone, BEAM, Ashnikko, Khamari and Baby Fisher, along with producer and songwriters Ian Kirkpatrick, Sir Nolan, Jason Suwito, Heavy Mellow and J.Lauryn. Throughout his decade-plus career in both label and publishing, he’s also maintained relationships with mainstream acts such as Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Jason Evigan and Jason Derulo.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

I started in the music industry over 12 years ago. At the time, not only was the creative community far less represented by AAPI, but AAPI executives in senior positions were few and far between. Since then, we’ve seen a multitude of talent come from the community with more artists signings, charting records across various genres from songwriters and producers, and executives in leadership positions.

The increased exposure and interest in the global music market through streaming has also helped spotlight and create genuine interest and awareness in East/West Asian cultures in general. Though there is still much room to grow, it’s encouraging to see this shift.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

We need more AAPI role models, whether that’s artists, producers/writers, or executives in the industry, to serve as advocates and leaders – as well as encourage and inspire the next generation and show them that a career path in music is possible.

“Feeling invisible” is one of the common phrases of the AAPI community. In the United States, the AAPI community accounts for around 6% to 7% of the general population, which naturally makes it harder for our voices to break through as a group. With the help of those in highly visible positions, the impact can be very powerful. Much of this cannot be forced, however, with increased exposure and awareness we can create more opportunities for significant change to happen in a much shorter span of time.

A 15-year veteran of Atlantic Records, Cranford holds the position of senior vice president, and head of digital marketing, leading a team of over 30 innovators at the label. The majority of her time is spent on digital branding, content ideation/creation and social media strategy while overseeing campaigns and activations across all major and developing platforms.

For the past few years, Cranford has assisted in transforming the digital marketing team at Atlantic into a digital powerhouse for developing A-List acts such as Lizzo, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Skrillex, Melanie Martinez, Gayle and more.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

Although gradual, there has been growth and progress in AAPI representation and recognition in music, which is exciting to see. More of our industry partners and platforms are giving AAPI artists increased visibility through new programs and partnerships, which is invaluable in helping to spread awareness of our communities. There are more AAPI artists being signed and there are more AAPI executives with a seat at the table.

Despite this increased awareness, we still have an incredibly long way to go as there are still challenges to overcome – we’re one of many underrepresented groups that need to work together to make our staff truly reflective of the music that we put out. We need continued opportunities for more inclusive hiring across the industry.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

AAPI discrimination and hate crimes are still on the rise. As the music industry has a large cultural influence, we need to continue to use our platforms (as well as artists) to vocalize and keep taking a stand against these issues. Every donation to an AAPI org, support for AAPI employees, and increased diversity across the industry are all extremely helpful to raise awareness and support the AAPI community against this fight.

Hayashi is the CEO of HIP (Hiyashi International Promotions), the leading Japanese concert promoter that serves as the go-to for reeling international artists into the Japanese concert market. With the borders to Japan only reopening in October 2022 after the pandemic, Hayashi celebrated three stadium gigs with Maroon 5 and five more with Bruno Mars.

Recently, she sold out Japan’s first-ever Knotfest (Slipknot’s music fest) with 45,000 tickets in Tokyo and was the first to bring Ozzfest to the country. Born and raised in Japan, educated in London, and now living in Los Angeles with her family, Hayashi has the unique ability to understand and communicate the needs of all those involved, including the talent, their reps, and the local Japanese government and frontline workers.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

In Los Angeles, I regularly meet with talent agencies and managers to negotiate tours in Japan. Although AAPI representation among talent agencies has historically been low, I have noticed they are working to improve it.

There are new agents such as Annie Chung of WME, as well as very well-established ones such as Marlene Tsuchii of CAA. Shiz Suzuki is the global head of music partnerships for Amex, a major role that supports the music industry.

From the artist’s side, the success of K-pop has meant a major increase in shows in the USA from the AAPI community. Other Asian countries are trying to emulate the success of Korea with acts from Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan regularly performing on the U.S. touring circuit. I do believe this explosion of Asian artists globally is laying the groundwork to inspire a new generation of Asian executives in the music industry.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

The challenge faced by the AAPI community is in some ways a result of its own diversity. For the Latin community, there is a wide variety of music such as reggaeton, Tejano, merengue, salsa, but there is a common language — Spanish. The common language encourages the growth of specialized media companies focused on clearly defined communities. Given the variety of Asian languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, etc., there cannot be major media networks that easily encompass all these communities other than using English as a common denominator.

It’s not just about languages, I believe culturally there are more disparities among the APPI group than within, say the Latin community. The challenge, therefore, is to work together within the APPI community to achieve common goals rather than just rely on help from your own ethnic groups.

A first-generation Chinese/Burmese American in her family, Ho holds the title of director of digital marketing at RCA Records. Leading multiple digital marketing campaigns at one time, Ho is proud of her work on Steve Lacy’s Grammy-winning album “Gemini Rights,” which featured his chart-topping smash hit “Bad Habit.” Also on the RCA roster, she heads digital strategy for Fousheé, Eyedress, Davido, Rex Orange County, Kenny Mason and UMI. Previously, Ho led digital at Def Jam for artists such as 070 Shake, Kaash Paige, DaniLeigh and Nasty C. Her biggest passion to date is bringing an artist’s vision to life so that it can be heard globally.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

This means a lot to me, especially being the first generation American in the family and the first one to pursue a career that wasn’t in the medical or finance field. The progress inspires me to work harder, and I am looking forward to seeing AAPI’s representation in the industry progress even further. I’m also very grateful to have organizations like the Asian American Collective that empower and support us to move forward as AAPIs in the music industry.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

The most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing right now is still the stigmatization of AAPIs in the music industry. A lot of my peers and sometimes myself often feel overlooked or undermined in certain opportunities in and out of work, and we still have a long way to go to continue building a strong network of community and allies to help navigate and uplift us through certain situations.

Based in Los Angeles, Imamura serves as the vice president of global communications at Universal Music Group where she facilitates communications and brand strategy for their film and TV divisions, Polygram Entertainment and Mercury Studios; merchandise company, Bravado; and content marketing division, 1824. She also supports the company on events and special projects.

Imamura is a huge advocate for equality and social justice both internally and externally, sitting as a member of the executive committee for UMG’s Task Force for Meaningful Change (TFMC) while holding the co-chair position at TFMC’s Aid and Charitable Giving Committee. She’s also an executive advisor for UMG’s AAPI employee resource group, UTOPIAA (UMG’s Team of Pacific Islanders & Asian Americans).

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

We still have a long way to go, but I’m proud of the progress that is being made. Remember that TV show “California Dreams”? I watched it as a kid and was in awe that they had an Asian character in the show’s band. My kids get to grow up with artists such as Blackpink, Jhene Aiko, and Rina Sawayama at the forefront of popular culture; see Marvel bring its Asian superheroes to the screen and watch films with all AAPI casts.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

Visibility — which brings representation, and attention to issues and amplifies voices. My late great-uncle’s image was on a stamp (“Go for Broke” in 2021) that honored the Japanese American Soldiers of World War II. He didn’t live to see it, but the stamp came out and brought recognition to a vital chapter in this country’s history. A complicated story on a stamp: their enthusiastic participation in the fight for freedom while representing our ongoing struggle to be seen, heard and respected. To make progress and ensure meaningful change, we must continually keep that spotlight aglow.

A proud Chinese-American, Lam holds the position of senior director of publicity at Columbia Records, hand-crafting publicity strategies for some of music’s most exciting, sought-after, emerging and established acts. For two decades now, Lam has worked on campaigns for household names such as Little Mix, Chloe x Halle, Grace VanderWaal, James Arthur and more. Based in the New York office, she currently handles publicity for a budding roster of diverse talent including Chlöe, Lil Tjay, IVE and Ella Langley, among others.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

I’ve seen immense progress in AAPI representation compared to when I first started. There weren’t many of us with a seat at the table then. Today, we see many more AAPI artists thriving and AAPI professionals working both behind the scenes and in executive positions. It’s encouraging to see the direction we’re headed and how the next generation has role models to guide them. I never had anyone to look up to when I started and now there are organizations like the Asian American Collective, where the networking and mentoring in the community helps nurture the next wave of music executives.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

Our community still confronts the stereotype of the model minority myth, which overlooks the individual differences and varied cultures of Asian communities. It is important to recognize the vast diversity among AAPI communities and acknowledge that we are not a monolithic group.

Each one of us has a distinct narrative and cultural background that should be appreciated and celebrated. I really encourage people to explore and learn more about the abundant history, cultural complexities, and traditions of the diverse groups within the AAPI community.

After 16 years at the label, Landig was promoted to senior VP of marketing at Warner Records in April. Throughout his tenure, Landig has notably handled campaigns for breakout star Joji’s double-Platinum hit “Glimpse of Us” and top 5 album “Smithereens,” as well as Mac Miller’s double-Platinum “Swimming” album and posthumous, Grammy-nominated “Circles” album.

First starting as an A&R intern and radio promotion assistant in 2006, Landig has proven his skillset as an expert marketer: to take a hit and turn it into a moment. The Los Angeles native currently serves on the executive team for City of Hope’s music charity fundraising group, Future Hope.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

Absolutely, but we definitely still have a ways to go. We’ve seen significant progress across the board whether it’s on the executive side, or with emerging new artists and up-and-coming talent. It’s meaningful to see more AAPI representation in the brand and advertising world too and across all entertainment And I want to do my part in continuing to push that representation forward in every way possible.

At WMG in particular, we have a team solely focused on DEI initiatives and within the last few years, I have noticed a difference here across the team on all levels as well as various activations and community building within our company.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

Compartmentalization to me is an issue that all of us will continue to work through. While AAPI initiatives and representation has increased since I started in the music industry 16-plus years ago, there’s always room to improve with further representation reflected across all genres and throughout our daily lives.

I’m pleased to see the mainstream progress in areas of fashion, style, food, travel, and culture which further highlights the endless possibilities for representation in the world of music. I do however view the issue as a positive challenge and opportunity for me to use my influence to help.

With more than two decades of experience in media and technology, including companies like Disney, EMI, and Time Warner/Turner, Lee is a strategy, business development and operations executive. She’s currently director of business operations and planning at Spotify, where she is approaching seven years with the company.

Projects include implementing Spotify’s $100M Creator Equity Fund, a multi-year investment to highlight and uplift artists and creators from underrepresented communities within the audio industry. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, Lee previously lived in London and France before relocating to Los Angeles with her husband and three kids.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

In the early stages of my career, there was very limited AAPI representation in positions of decision-making. Not only that, nobody really talked about it or the importance of having diverse views both at leadership levels and throughout the industry.

We have made massive progress for AAPI representation in the past few years in both artists releasing music and on the business side. We’re now seeing AAPI artists impacting culture on a mass scale and having global fan followings. AAPI representation has transcended to other creative and media channels like film, television and publishing. Also importantly, there is more discussion and recognition of representation than ever before – the fact that there is a Variety AAPI list speaks volumes.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

Anti-Asian rhetoric is still alive and well, fueled initially by the COVID-19 pandemic and surged recently by the potential US ban and congressional hearings for TikTok. It’s hard to ignore this rhetoric because it affects people’s daily lives. I fear for my elderly mother who may fall victim to potential hate crimes and for countless AAPI mothers and fathers who are afraid to walk on the streets. This means we need to keep up the momentum; not only for the 30 days in AAPI Heritage Month but throughout the year. It needs to be top of mind, all the time, for everyone.

Toy is a music, tech, and culture media professional with 10-plus years of U.S. and Asia-based experience. Based in San Francisco, she currently holds the position of senior manager of Music Community for Twitch’s growing music department. Her passion lies in building that community with diversity and inclusion in mind, exploring emerging markets, and storytelling, formerly leading Twitch’s Asian ERG (she’s currently a committee member).

Her past work includes culture marketing, talent relations, partnerships, East-West music crossover strategy, original content creation and event production for the Fader, Red Bull, 88rising, CAA and WME. She’s also co-founder of Lions Share, which uplifts and provides opportunities to AAPI creatives on their weekly podcast — which features new Asian artists in each episode — and through events and community building via social media and online forums like Discord.

Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?

I started working in the industry before the early 2010s in NYC, and it’s hard to believe how much has changed for the better in terms of AAPI representation. Walking into a room today with people who look like me dispersed across job functions and levels of seniority is something I simply didn’t see back then, let alone events and initiatives like APAHM that center our community specifically.

I think these changes are due in large part to the pioneers in the business who pushed for them and supported other members of our community tirelessly, often as a means of survival as a very small minority. As a larger one today, it’s inspiring to see this mutual support multiply instead of fall by the wayside.

What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?

As much as I appreciate APAHM or playlists and opportunities that are specific to our community, the support of AAPI artists and industry shouldn’t end there. To be an artist who only gets good looks every May or Lunar New Year is tokenizing at best, but it happens all the time and suggests to audiences that our music is “niche” or for our community only.

That may be representation, but what we want is inclusion. In other words, it’s not about having an “Asian stage” at Coachella. It’s about having Asian artists on the main stage, marketed to fans in the same way any other artist would be.

Until the industry is ready to view our artists as artists first and Asians second, I worry that more of the success stories from our community will distance themselves from “the Asian thing” to avoid being limited by it. That said, we’re well on our way to smashing the bamboo ceiling! Progress takes time, and our momentum is better than ever.