LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 1, 2026 / In a year marked by fragmentation across industries, institutions, and communities, one force continues to unify and shape the future: culture. Today, Gold House, the cultural platform shaping global opportunity, revealed its 2026 Gold100, the annual list of the 100 leaders most responsible for shaping global culture over the past year, underscoring that cultural power is no longer downstream but a primary engine for the modern world. Collectively, Gold100 honorees lead companies worth more than $10 trillion, governments representing tens of millions of citizens, creative works that won and earned the most Oscar nominations in history, and are responsible for the past year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, most-decorated Olympic freeskiing career of all time, and Team USA’s 4th consecutive Paralympic sled hockey gold.
“We are entering an era where culture is not just expression-it is infrastructure,” said Gold House CEO Bing Chen and COO Jeremy Tran. “The leaders in the Gold100 are proving that the ability to shape culture is the ability to shape markets, movements, and the future itself.”
The Gold100, previously known as the A100, is curated by leading Asian Pacific organizations and top creative and business leaders. Gold House will celebrate the Gold100, alongside several awards for special achievement, at the Gold Gala – the definitive annual Asian Pacific cultural celebration – on May 9, 2026 in Los Angeles.
In entertainment, the Gold100 are driving a fundamental shift: stories that were once considered niche are now global blockbusters. This is not a moment-it is a redefinition of what “mainstream” means. Sinners – produced by Sev Ohanian and Zinzi Coogler, with cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw – is now the most-nominated film in Academy Award history and has achieved unparalleled commercial success; BEEF Season 2, created by Lee Sung Jin and starring Charles Melton, has captivated global audiences; and Kehlani won their first two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, cementing their place among modern R&B’s most influential voices. The ensembles behind Chief of War and The Pitt add to a year in which Asian Pacific storytellers shaped the most-watched stories.
In technology, the Gold100 are not just participating in the AI revolution-they are defining its architecture. Alexandr Wang joined Meta as its first-ever Chief AI Officer, leading Meta Superintelligence Labs at just 28 after building Scale AI to a $29 billion valuation. Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for AlphaFold, which has since been used by more than two million researchers across 190 countries. Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams expanded Canva’s AI capabilities with a generative coding assistant and an AI photo editor, making professional-grade creativity accessible to over 240 million monthly users. Morris Chang and Dr. C.C. Wei led TSMC past $90 billion in annual revenue and a $1 trillion market cap, with 2nm chip production, the foundation of next-generation AI, on the horizon.
In gaming and sports, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa oversaw the resounding success of the Switch 2 launch – the fastest-selling Nintendo console ever – and celebrated the 40th anniversary of one of the most popular global brands in history. Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu rewrote history with their Olympic gold medals, while hockey players Kayden Beasley, Jen Lee, and Brett Bolton brought home Team USA’s fourth consecutive Paralympic gold in sled hockey.
In social impact, Zohran Mamdani became the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York in a race that drove the city’s highest voter turnout since 1969, Michelle Wu was re-elected mayor of Boston with 93% of the vote, and the Walk for Peace Venerables became a global sensation with their message of nonviolent reconciliation.
In fashion and lifestyle, Sandy Liang has become the defining independent voice of New York Fashion Week, her girlhood-meets-downtown aesthetic driving sold-out collaborations with Gap, Baggu, and Beats by Dre. Arthur Sze was named the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate and the first Asian American to hold the title. Neil Shah drove SharkNinja to $6.4 billion in revenue in 2025, expanding the brand across 36 product categories and into markets worldwide.
Finally, ten rising leaders are named Gold100 New Gold honorees, recognizing the next generation of cultural trailblazers. This year’s class includes Heated Rivalry breakout star Hudson Williams, music group KATSEYE, Ro co-founder and CPO Saman Rahmanian – whose telehealth company achieved unicorn status -, and NFL Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan.
Reflecting the Gold100’s ethos that impact is built together, this year’s honorees were selected by a coalition of leading Asian Pacific organizations and cultural icons. Judges include Olympic legends Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi; acclaimed creatives Daniel Dae Kim, Lisa Ling, David Henry Hwang, Janet Yang, and Jim Lee; YouTube co-founder Steve Chen; TV Academy Chairman Cris Abrego; Recording Academy Chairman Harvey Mason Jr.; industry leaders Miky Lee and Rich Ross; and community organizations including CAPE, The Asian American Foundation, Indiaspora, NAACP, and the Center for Asian American Media – a judging body as expansive and interconnected as the community it celebrates.
The Gold100 will be the centerpiece of the Gold Gala, the definitive annual multicultural gathering, with special on-stage moments led by Gold100 honorees EJAE, Theresia Gouw, HUMAN MADE, Tejasvi Manoj, Brett Bolton, and Jen Lee. The Gold Gala will also feature special awards given to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Charles Melton, Eileen Gu, Jet Li, Simu Liu, and Revathi Advaithi.
Across North America, iconic landmarks will light up in Gold Lights in celebration of the Gold100 and the Asian Pacific community. Participating cities and landmarks include: Chicago (Willis Tower), Las Vegas (LV City Sign), New York City (Empire State Building, Nasdaq Tower), Seattle (Columbia Center Tower), and Vancouver (BC Place & Olympic Cauldron). The honorees will also be featured in billboards across the United States, generously donated by New Tradition, Branded Cities, and Outfront Media.
See the full list at goldhouse.org/gold100.
ABOUT GOLD HOUSE
Gold House is a platform where culture shapes global opportunity. Operating with the heart of a nonprofit and the reach of a world-class enterprise, Gold House brings people together through cultural experiences, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. We believe culture is the foundation for change: it forms who we are, who we know, how we love, what we build, and what becomes possible.
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SOURCE: Gold House
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