Aya Nakamura is officially Billboard France’s first-ever Artist-Entrepreneur of the Year. The award was handed out at the inaugural Power Players ceremony on September 15 at Salle Cortot in Paris, hosted by Julie Gayet and attended by 400 industry professionals. The trophy presentation came courtesy of RnBoi, the first artist signed to Nakamura’s own company, Nakamura Industrie.
The business side is where this gets impressive. Nakamura has been self-producing through Nakamura Industrie since 2025, with Warner Music France handling distribution. Her fifth album, Destinée, is certified platinum in France, and its reissue delivered the diamond-certified single“Sexy Nana”featuring La Rvfleuze. On top of that, she performed three concerts at Stade de France from May 29 to 31, 2026, drawing more than 200,000 spectators.
In her acceptance speech, Nakamura reflected on how far authenticity has taken her, saying she had no idea of the influence it would have and that she’s happy to bring hope to people who look at her and think,“I can make it too.”Between the stadium run and the growing talent division at her label, she’s building something that extends well beyond her own catalog. Which artist would you want to see her sign next?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.