Tampere Music Award, presented at the Music x Media Industry Awards gala, has been given to Swedish music publisher Lars Karlsson.
Tampere Music Award, which has been presented since 2010, recognizes top experts of the music industry, the people who have contributed to the creative ecosystem of music and built bridges between the Finnish and international music markets. The award is presented by the City of Tampere as part of the Music x Media Industry Awards gala.
This year, the award is presented to Lars Karlsson, the managing director of Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia. Karlsson is one of the long-standing influencers in the Nordic and Finnish music industry and his work has enabled the international breakthroughs of numerous music creators and artists. Karlsson has also played a significant role in the internationalization of Finnish music publishing and songwriting.
Karlsson began his career in music in 1987 working as an A&R at Peermusic Scandinavia. In 1991, he became the managing director of BMG Music Publishing Scandinavia and Karlsson was involved in establishing BMG’s publishing operations in Finland. He led the BMG publishing until 2007. After that he started in his current position at Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia, where he is responsible for operations in the Nordic countries. From 2011 to 2024, his area of responsibility also included Warner Chappell Music’s operations in Germany and the GSA region.
During his career, Karlsson has been involved in promoting several top Nordic and Finnish artists and songwriters, including: Max Martin, Kent, Jaakko Salovaara (JS16), Darude and Lordi. Karlsson’s achievements at Warner Chappell also include collaborations with Wolf Cousins, a partnership between Warner Chappell, MXM and Shellback. He has also been involved in developing the publishing work behind Finnish KAJ.
”I am truly honored and humbled to be named a recipient of the Tampere Music Award. I have been lucky enough to enjoy an amazing career in music, working with incredible artists and songwriters from all over the world and, in particular, the creative hub that is the Nordics. I’ve always been drawn to talent and couldn’t have picked a better place to work than our region, with its seemingly never ending conveyor belt of genius. Throughout my career, I’ve also been very fortunate to work alongside some brilliant music executives who have helped me develop and grow. I’d like to say a special thank you to Guy Moot, Carianne Marshall and the undeniable Warner Chappell Music teams around the world – they really are the best in the business. And a final thank you to the Music x Media team for this recognition”, Lars Karlsson says.
Guy Moot, CEO and Co-Chair of Warner Chappell Music, added: “Lars is an incredible executive and so deserving of this award. He has been at the top of the game for a number of years and still has the drive and passion to deliver for our songwriters. The Nordics has always been home to an abundance of creative talent and Lars has been right at the heart of it. I want to wish him a massive congratulations on this achievement.”
The award was presented at the Industry Awards gala on September 26th, 2025, in Tampere, as part of the Music x Media professional event.