Times Music Group CEO Mandar Thakur, AAM Co-Founder Mark Beaven to Be Honored at 2025 MUSEXPO

UPDATE (Oct. 21): Mandar Thakur, CEO, Times Music Group (India), will be named international music person of the year at MUSEXPO 2025. Thakur is the first executive from the Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia regions to receive this award.

Thakur will receive the award at luncheon on Tuesday, March 19, 2025, the closing day of MUSEXPO 2025, which will be held from March 16-19 in Burbank, California.

Thakur has played a transformative role in developing India’s music ecosystem, overseeing Times Music’s evolution into a leading force within the music, digital, and publishing sectors. Under his leadership, Times Music, a joint venture between The Times Group and Primary Wave, has expanded to include record labels, music publishing, and artist management. The company’s sub-labels, Junglee Music (Bollywood soundtracks) and ffs (indie music), showcase India’s rich musical diversity beyond the Bollywood sphere.

Before Times Music, Thakur was part of the founding team at Soundbuzz, the pioneering digital music distribution company in Asia/India, which was acquired by Motorola in 2008.

“Mandar’s significant contributions to the music industry, both in India and globally, make him a deserving recipient for the International Music Person of the Year at MUSEXPO 2025,” Sat Bisla, president and founder, A&R Worldwide and MUSEXPO, said in a statement. “His work has not only transformed India’s music ecosystem but has also paved the way for the region to become one of the most formidable players on the world music stage.”

PREVIOUSLY (Aug. 26): Mark Beaven, co-founder/co-CEO of Advanced Alternative Media (AAM), Inc., is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th global edition of MUSEXPO. The award will be presented during a luncheon on Monday, March 17, 2025, at Castaway in Burbank, Calif.

Beaven and business partner Andrew Kipnes played a transformative role in the music and entertainment industries with their pioneering work at AAM. Founded in New York City in 1982 as a marketing company, AAM championed such artists as The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads and Prince. This initial success led to an evolution into producer, artist and eventually songwriter management. AAM has represented such top names as Dr. Luke, Serban Ghenea, Andy Wallace and Justin Tranter.

AAM has been at the forefront of defining industry practices and creator rights advocacy. The company’s innovative approaches to deal-making and compensation have set new standards that continue to influence industry norms. AAM has also been instrumental in managing high-profile transactions, including the sale of over 40 music catalogs.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, Beaven will receive official proclamations from the city of Burbank, the county of Los Angeles and the California State Assembly at MUSEXPO. This recognition celebrates his role in shaping the industry’s evolution, advocating for artists’ rights, and fostering an environment where creative talent can thrive.

Last week, it was announced that Mom + Pop Music founder Michael Goldstone would receive the 2025 Seymour Stein Global A&R Award at MUSEXPO.

For more information about MUSEXPO 2025, visit www.musexpo.net.