00:00Good evening, everyone. First off, just thank you to Billboard for putting together this incredible event.
00:05It's our distinct honor and privilege to introduce the 2026 Billboard.
00:10Executive of the Year, Janelle Lopez-Genzink.
00:20On the records, we talk a lot about how oftentimes the success of a project correlates.
00:25Directly with the quality of the relationship we have with an artist and their team.
00:28And at Valera Management, Janelle, along with her exceptional team, including Aben Davidson,
00:33who's probably here, and Merce Jesser, has built an environment...
00:38that truly matches the creativity and ambitions of the artists they represent.
00:43It's a team and an ethos emblematic of Janelle herself.
00:47Janelle possesses the qualities you want in a manager.
00:51She's kind...
00:52She's kind, collaborative, intelligent, tough, and most notably, brave.
01:05on the back of Janelle's sacrifice.
01:07Years ago, she made a bold decision,
01:10leaving a-
01:10and pulling all her chips on the table
01:13for a young developing artist named Sabrina Carpenter.
01:15She believed in Sabrina before the world did,
01:18and Sabrina believed in her.
01:19Today, Sabrina-
01:20as a global icon,
01:21but the road to get here was anything but easy.
01:25Through every high and every low,
01:27there was one constant, Janelle.
01:29Standing beside-
01:30protecting the vision,
01:31and helping bring it to life.
01:34In the time we've worked with Janelle-
01:35she has broken a global superstar,
01:38built a powerful business,
01:40all while-
01:40raising an incredible family
01:43with her loving husband, Adam, who's here.
01:45She is our friend, she is our partner,
01:48and she's this year's billboard executive.
01:50at the end of the year.
01:51Please make some noise for Janelle.
01:52.
01:56.
01:57.
01:58.
02:00.
02:05.
02:06.
02:05.
02:10.
02:11.
02:10Thank you so much Justin and Imran for the kind words and for just
02:15really embodying what partnership between an artist, their team, and a label can look
02:20like. It's been a really incredible journey to experience alongside both of you.
02:25We are eternally grateful for your, you and your team's openness.
02:30And openness to supporting every crazy idea, music video vision.
02:35And in general, just having an open mind to creating an artist world in the way that
02:40truly embodies them the best. Also, congrats on being the 2025.
02:45Executives of the year. They never got to accept their honor.
02:50It feels like a full circle moment. And I'm just so honored that you said yes to introducing
02:54me tonight.
02:55It's obviously such a wild time in our city and in the world right now.
03:00One thing that I've been reflecting on in the midst of the insanity, is the opportunity
03:05. . . .
03:05that I've been given to live here in L.A. and live out a dream that I've had since I . . . .
03:10was a child. My grandma came to L.A. with her 11 children from . . .
03:15from Mexico as a newly widowed woman and raised them all in the Frogtown neighborhood not too . . .
03:20far from here. Although I didn't technically grow up in L.A.
03:24I spent . . .
03:25a lot of time here as a child and came to know a city that is very different from the one that I live in now.
03:30My dad and his siblings grew up going to local schools and running around the streets of downtown L.A.
03:35. . .
03:35while my grandma worked double shifts in the garment district. One thing that I know about . . .
03:40. .
03:41. .
03:42. .
03:43. .
03:44. .
03:45. .
03:46. .
03:47. .
03:48. .
03:49. .
03:50. .
03:51. .
03:52. .
03:53. .
03:54. .
03:55. .
03:56. .
03:57.
03:58. .
03:59.
04:00. .
04:01.
04:02.
04:03.
04:04. . .
03:40. . .
04:09and friend. I've spent about 24 collective years in management to get
04:14to this moment today. I'm proud of my journey and the chance I've had to work in every
04:18single role.
04:19From an intern, to an assistant, to a day-to-day manager, to a manager...
04:24to a general manager, to launching my company, Valara, only four years ago.
04:29Even though Valara has had a lot of success in what feels like a...
04:34short amount of time, one thing that I feel is a common denominator between our...
04:39team and the artists that we work with is the fact that none of us have skipped any steps...
04:44to get to where we are. Overall, I do think that's part of the story of women...
04:49in a variety of fields and certainly experience we've collectively had in music.
04:54But I certainly don't see that as a negative. With time comes the building of...
04:59strength, resilience, and the understanding of the industry that you're in.
05:03I can say with...
05:04confidence that we are a team that's prepared for anything that might come our way and that
05:09we've...
05:09we've created an environment where no task seems too large because the collective...
05:14experience we have. I started my company, Valara, to create space for more women...
05:19to be managers in the music industry because I think that there are not enough of us and...
05:24I experience day in and day out the benefit of having a collaborative female artist team.
05:29I'm so happy that Alex just accepted an award before me. I'm just so grateful for the artists...
05:34that have journeyed alongside me and believed in me and the team from the beginning.
05:39to some of our artists. Sabrina, you are one of one and I wish that everyone had...
05:44the opportunity to know you the way that I do. I'm eternally grateful for your trust...
05:49and beyond proud of this world that you have created for yourself. To Marina...
05:54to Alana, Esty, Danielle, Mariah... you have all been part of the...
05:59early days of Valara. There's nothing better to me than a strong woman with a clear...
06:04vision and you all embody exactly who I think women should be looking up to in these times.
06:09who I think women should be looking up to in these times.
06:10Amy, Bianca, Merce, Malia, Daisha... I don't know...
06:14what I would do without any of you.
06:19You are the living, breathing personification of the humans I imagined in my...
06:24head when I was creating PowerPoint presentations and vision boards about Valara, which some of you...
06:29in this room saw four years ago. Thank you for saying yes to me and also to believing in...
06:34what this company could be. And of course, thank you to my husband Adam.
06:39who's right here tonight. Thank you for allowing and encouraging me.
06:44to spend every single dollar in our bank account to start an artist management company.
06:49in the middle of a pandemic. It made tons of sense.
06:52Your confidence and ability...
06:54to see me before I could see myself is what ultimately has made this all possible.
06:59and thank you billboard for having me here tonight and honoring me.
07:03It means the world...
07:04to be able to stand up here and have the opportunity to share about my journey.
07:08This is just the beginning.
07:09for our team at Valara.
Comments