Loudest & Music Inc. 40 Under 40 Awards: Early Bird Nominations Closing Soon

India’s music industry is entering a defining phase of growth, powered by a new generation of entrepreneurs, artists, executives and innovators transforming every corner of the business. Recognising the people driving this evolution, Loudest & Music Inc. has officially opened nominations for the inaugural edition of the 40 Under 40 Awards, a platform dedicated to celebrating outstanding professionals under the age of 40 who are shaping the future of India’s music economy.

The awards aim to honour individuals creating measurable impact across recorded music, publishing, live entertainment, artist management, marketing, music technology, rights management, education and the creator economy.

Professionals from across the industry,including artist managers, marketers, entrepreneurs, creators, singers, composers, producers, music-tech founders and business leaders,can now nominate themselves or recommend deserving peers for recognition.

The awards will be evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising some of the most respected names in the Indian music and media business. The jury is co-chaired by Dr. Anurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld and exchange4media Group, and Devraj Sanyal, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music India & South Asia and SVP Strategy – Africa, Middle East and South Asia, Universal Music Group.

Joining them on the jury are Blaise Fernandes, President & CEO, Indian Music Industry (IMI)-IFPI; Mandar Thakur, CEO, Times Music; Sujal Parekh, Chief Business Officer, Zee Music Company; Vinod Bhanushali, CMD, Bhanushali Studios; Rajeev Raja, Founder, BrandMusiq; Shamir Tandon, Music Director; Hamza Kazi, Head of Artist Relations & Development, The Hello Group India; Shibani Kashyap, singer and composer; Sukhbir; Jasbir Jassi; Lloyd Mathias, former marketing leader at PepsiCo, Motorola and HP; Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS; Ruhail Amin, Senior Editor, exchange4media and BW Businessworld; Vineet Singh Hukmani, Founder & CEO, GreatSong.World; and Manpreet Singh Kochar, Founder & Managing Director, A&M Studio Collective Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The inaugural edition features 30 award categories spanning the entire music value chain. These include honours for Artist Manager of the Year, Talent Development Leader, Independent Artist Entrepreneur, Music Producer/Composer, A&R Leader, Artist Relations Professional, Music Concert & Festival Professional, Live Music Events Entrepreneur, Touring & Talent Booking Specialist, Experiential Marketing Leader, Music-Tech Entrepreneur, Music Startup Founder, Legal & Policy Professional, Music Educator & Community Builder, Regional Music Ecosystem Leader, Women in Music Leadership and Young Executive of the Year.

Creative excellence will also be recognised through categories including Music Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Singer of the Year, Female Singer of the Year, Music Composer of the Year, Independent Singer of the Year, Lyricist of the Year, Song Producer of the Year, Best Jingle of the Year, Best Music Campaign of the Year, Best Audio Campaign/Tech Company of the Year, Best Music Event of the Year, along with the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Contribution.

Nominations are now open, with an early bird fee of Rs 9,000 plus GST per nomination available until July 10. Thereafter, the regular nomination fee of Rs 12,000 plus GST will apply.

The organisers have invited music professionals from across the country to be part of what they describe as an exclusive community of changemakers driving the next chapter of India’s music industry.

Nominate Here: https://e4mevents.com/loudest-40-under-40-2026/