Mavin Records founder and CEO Don Jazzy has added another major international honour to his already legendary career — being named on Billboard's 2026 International Power Players list, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the global music industry, cementing his status as one of the most influential music executives in the world today.
Billboard — the American music industry bible founded in 1894 and the definitive authority on global music charts, trends, and business — released its 2026 International Power Players list this week, honouring executives, producers, and industry leaders from around the world who have made the most significant contributions to shaping the direction of the international music business. Don Jazzy was among the select group of global music powerbrokers named on the list — a remarkable achievement that places the Umuahia-born music mogul in the same conversation as the biggest names in the worldwide music industry.
Don Jazzy shared his excitement about the recognition on his social media platforms, showing off the honour to his millions of followers across Instagram, X, and TikTok — sparking an outpouring of congratulations from fans, fellow artists, and industry colleagues across Nigeria and the global Afrobeats community.
Who Is Don Jazzy — The Man Behind The Music Empire
For younger readers who may only know Don Jazzy from his hilarious social media presence and his meme-worthy reactions to Rihanna's latest posts, it is worth pausing to understand the full scale of what this man has built — and why Billboard's recognition is so well deserved.
Michael Collins Ajereh — known to the world as Don Jazzy — was born on November 26, 1982, in Umuahia, Abia State. He grew up in Ajegunle, one of Lagos's toughest neighbourhoods, where his father worked as a teacher and his family scraped together a living in one of the city's most challenging environments. Yet from those humble beginnings, Don Jazzy built one of the most successful and influential music empires in African history.
His journey began when he relocated to London as a young man and worked as a session musician and record shop assistant before breaking through as a producer. His partnership with D'Banj — forming Mo' Hits Records in 2004 — produced some of the biggest Nigerian hits of the 2000s, including Tongolo, Why Me, and the crossover smash Oliver Twist. The Mo' Hits era transformed Nigerian music from a local cottage industry into a business that could compete regionally and, gradually, globally.
In 2011, Don Jazzy's talent was recognised at the very highest level of the global music industry when Kanye West personally recruited him to work as a producer at Very Good Beatz in Los Angeles. During that period, Don Jazzy contributed to the production of Lift Off featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z on the legendary Watch The Throne album — one of the most commercially and critically acclaimed rap albums ever recorded. The experience gave him an inside view of how the world's biggest music machine operated — and he brought those lessons home to Nigeria.
When Mo' Hits dissolved in 2012 following his well-publicised split with D'Banj, Don Jazzy did not slow down. He launched Mavin Records on May 7, 2012 — assembling a roster that included Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Dr SID, Di'ja, Korede Bello, and Reekado Banks. In subsequent years he signed Rema in 2019 — a decision that would prove to be one of the most commercially successful talent signings in African music history — followed by Ayra Starr in 2020, Magixx in 2021, and a steady stream of carefully selected artists who have helped establish Mavin as the most consistently successful record label on the African continent.
Rema's Calm Down — The Song That Changed Everything
The full global impact of Don Jazzy's vision became undeniable when Rema's Calm Down — later remixed with Selena Gomez — became one of the biggest songs in the world. The track spent weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked at Number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, and became the most-streamed Afrobeats song in history — accumulating billions of streams across platforms and introducing Afrobeats to audiences who had never previously engaged with Nigerian music.
Don Jazzy signed the teenage Rema from Benin City and guided his development from a raw young talent into a global superstar. That journey — from a local signing to a Billboard Hot 100 phenomenon — is perhaps the single clearest illustration of what sets Don Jazzy apart from other music executives in Africa: his ability to identify exceptional talent, develop it patiently, and position it for maximum global impact.
Ayra Starr has followed a similar trajectory — releasing critically acclaimed albums that have earned international recognition and cemented her status as one of the most important female voices in Afrobeats. Her 2024 album and the hit single Commas have continued to expand Mavin's global footprint.
Also Named — Tega Oghenejobo
Don Jazzy was not the only Mavin executive on Billboard's 2026 International Power Players list. Tega Oghenejobo — who became President and Chief Operating Officer of Mavin Records in 2024 — was also named on the list for her role in strengthening Mavin's business structure and positioning the company for sustained long-term global growth.
Oghenejobo's inclusion alongside Don Jazzy signals something important: Mavin is no longer just a one-man show built entirely on Don Jazzy's personal genius. It is becoming a genuinely institutional record label — with a management structure, business strategy, and operational depth that can sustain and grow beyond any single individual. That transformation from founder-dependent startup to enduring institution is one of the hardest things to achieve in the music business — and its recognition by Billboard confirms that Mavin has achieved it.
What The Recognition Means For Nigeria
Don Jazzy's inclusion on Billboard's International Power Players list is not just a personal achievement. It is a statement about Nigeria's music industry — and about what is possible when African talent, African investment, and African vision operate without apology on the global stage.
When Don Jazzy started Mo' Hits in 2004, Nigerian music was largely invisible on the global stage. Today, Afrobeats is one of the fastest-growing genres in the world — streamed by hundreds of millions of people across Europe, America, Asia, and beyond. Nigerian artists headline festivals in London, New York, Toronto, and Paris. Nigerian producers are credited on international hits. Nigerian labels are discussed in the same breath as Atlantic, Columbia, and Universal.
Don Jazzy did not build all of that alone. But he built more of it than almost anyone else. And Billboard — the institution that has been tracking the global music industry for over 130 years — has now formally acknowledged that fact.
In Pidgin: Don Jazzy Don Enter Billboard's Most Powerful Music List For 2026!
Mavin Records boss Don Jazzy don make Nigeria proud again! Billboard — the most respected music industry magazine for the whole world — don name am as one of the 2026 International Power Players. Na the kind recognition wey show say the whole world don see the work wey Don Jazzy don do for African music.
From Ajegunle boy wey go London hustle, to working with Kanye West and Beyoncé, to signing Rema and Ayra Starr and watching them conquer the world — Don Jazzy journey na the kind of story wey dey inspire every young Nigerian wey get dream.
Mavin Records COO Tega Oghenejobo also make the list alongside am — showing say Mavin na serious institution now, not just one man show.
Congratulations Don Jazzy! 🇳🇬🔥 Nigeria dey proud of you!
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Sources: YNaija, TooXclusive, Megastar Magazine, Billboard, Wikipedia — March 13-14, 2026