WME
Yusuf/Cat Stevens Signs With WME
WME has signed Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Yusuf/Cat Stevens in all areas. Yusuf is embarking on a global tour in 2023 and is working on myriad other creative endeavors, including a new album that will mark his first set of new music since 2017’s Grammy-nominated The Laughing Apple. Over the last few years, Yusuf has focused on revisiting his catalog as projects reach their 50th anniversary. In 2020, he released a re-recorded version of 1970’s Tea for the Tillerman as Tea for The Tillerman 2 and put out a boxset heralding the album, which includes his breakthrough U.S. hit, “Wild World.” Following the release of 50th-anniversary boxsets for Mona Bone Jakon and Teaser and the Firecat, a newly remastered 50th-anniversary edition of his 1972...
J Balvin Returns to WME After Leaving Three Months Ago
J Balvin has returned to his longtime agency WME, sources tell Billboard. The move follows a short stint with UTA that started in May. No reason was given for his departure from or return to WME. Balvin left WME for UTA in May after postponing his 25-date José tour. The move was surprising considering Balvin’s long and storied history with the agency. WME began booking Balvin when he still an emerging artist, and the agency played an integral role in his global touring and branding, securing early placements for him in major festivals. UTA never formally announced its deal with Balvin, but the agency has been growing its Latin roster and currently represents several high-profile Latin stars. Bad Bunny, Balvin’s Universal Music labelmate Karol G and Brazilian powerhouse Anitta are...
Stormzy Signs With WME In All Areas
WME has signed Stormzy in all areas. The British grime artist is an icon in his homeland, with two best-selling albums to his name and a heaving trophy cabinet, which includes six MOBO Awards, an MTV Europe Award, and the 2020 BET Hip-Hop Award for best international flow. Born Michael Owuo in Croydon, south of London, the rapper, producer and musician led the Official U.K. Albums Chart with both releases to-date, Gang Signs & Prayer (2017) and Heavy Is The Head (2019), the former earning a nomination for the coveted Mercury Prize. In 2019, he became the first solo Black British artist to headline Glastonbury Festival, a moment that was captured for the documentary Stormzy: Road to the Pyramid Stage, which premiered this month on BBC One. Outside of music, he’s a tireless campaigner ag...
Jordan Hallpike Joins WME UK Office as Crossover Music Agent
WME today announced that Jordan Hallpike has joined the company as a crossover agent in the music department, based in London. In his role, Hallpike will focus on forging new creative opportunities on behalf of WME’s client roster in addition to serving as a lead for business development projects. Hallpike comes to WME with over 10 years of experience across the music and creative sectors in Europe. He has served as the director of music at the Ibiza Rocks Group where he was responsible for talent booking, event programming, and creative direction. Hallpike is also the co-founder of the creative studio Midnight Movement, where he worked with Live Nation, Island Records, Sky, ITV, and Warner Music Group. Hallpike’s hire comes on the heels of several key promotions in the agency’s musi...
‘La La Land’ Composer Sues WME, Says Agency Cheated Him Out of Concert Profits
The Oscar-winning composer behind the music to La La Land is suing his former talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, for “cynically and systemically” defrauding him out of profits for live concerts of the movie’s score. In a blistering complaint filed Monday (Jan. 10) in Los Angeles court, attorneys for Justin Hurwitz accused his former agency of “deceiving” the composer with secret agreements and other “shocking conduct” in order to unfairly pocket the money from a series of so-called live-to-film performances. “Given WME’s underhanded actions and its unrepentant behavior subsequently, Hurwitz has no choice but to bring this lawsuit so that he can expose WME’s blatant conflict of interests,” wrote Hurtwitz’s attorneys, Bryan Freedman and Tamar Yeghiayan of the law firm Freedman + Taitelm...
Executive Turntable: AWAL Restructures Global Team, Trio of WME Agents Move to UTA
AWAL has announced the launch of a newly structured global team that will focus on audience development. London based Aaron Bogucki is moving from his role as vp, marketing to the new position of global head of audience development to spearhead the department. Bogucki will report jointly to Paul Trueman, general manager, U.K. & international and president, North America Ron Cerrito. AWAL’s new audience development team will specialize in identifying, targeting and engaging artists’ audiences as well as developing and executing digital-focused strategies and fan-focused marketing initiatives. The team will work with AWAL’s frontline marketing, creative and catalog teams. Bogucki said, “Having been a part of AWAL’s incredible growth and success over the past four years, I can confidently...
WME Adds Waylon Jennings’ Estate to Legends Division
“The WME Legends team looks forward to working with the family to holistically manage Waylon’s name, image, likeness, life and IP rights and assets worldwide to grow his legacy with a new generation.” Jennings died in 2002, a year after being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. During his 40-year career, he scored approximately 70 top 40 hits on Billboard’s country charts, including such monumental classics as “Rainy Day Woman,” “Luckenbach, Texas,” “Amanda,” “Theme from the Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys)” and countless others. Wanted! The Outlaws, featuring Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Colter, and the 1976 release became the first country album to be certified platinum. Jennings and Nelson, who du...
TOKiMONSTA Announces “Every Woman” Livestream Featuring Tinashe, Aluna, More
A longtime advocate for gender equity in music, Grammy Award-nominated producer TOKiMONSTA has announced “Every Woman,” a special streaming event to close out National Women’s Month. Curated by the artist herself, the stream is scheduled for March 26th to 27th, 2021. You can tune in via Lost Resort TV on Twitch. In addition to a performance from TOKiMONSTA, “Every Woman” will also host an eclectic all-woman lineup featuring Tinashe, Aluna, and Tygapaw, among others. Rochelle Jordan and Gavin Turek, who will also appear, have previously been supported by TOKiMONSTA’s Young Art Records imprint. The stream will also integrate a series of panels, which will cover topics such as “Momming Hard in the Music Biz,” ...
WME’s Brett Murrihy Explores the State of Touring In Asia Pacific, ‘Electrifying’ India & More
In 2015, William Morris Endeavour acquired Artist Voice in a deal that saw Murrihy join the powerhouse U.S.-based talent and media agency, and take on duties for expanding and managing its presence in the music space throughout the region. Today, its clients include Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Nine Inch Nails and chart-leading newcomers Olivia Rodrigo, 24kGoldn and The Kid Laroi. To date, WME is the only global agency representing the Asia Pacific market. The pandemic has called a halt to pan-Asian touring, for the time being. Murrihy, however, anticipates the region’s touring circuit will open-up once vaccinations roll out, with Australia and New Zealand positioned to emerge earlier than its neighbors. Billboard caught up with Murrihy for a glimpse at the Pan...
Former CAA Music Agent Aaron Tannenbaum Joins WME
He joins the Hollywood talent agency as a partner, based in Nashville. Veteran music agent Aaron Tannenbaum has joined WME as a partner, based in its Nashville office. The former CAA agent represented country music artists within the touring industry while with the rival Hollywood talent agency since 2010. Before that, Tannenbaum worked at Paradigm. “Aaron has earned a reputation in our business as an agent who has a strong ability to identify talent and takes the long-view in building an artist’s career, making him a great fit for us,” Scott Clayton, WME’s co-head of music, said in a statement. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and ma...
Stephanie LaFera, WME’s Head of Music, on Racial Injustice and Planning Concerts During a Pandemic [Q&A]
2020 will certainly go down in the annals of music history as not only one of the most difficult, but also among the most seminal. The music community—and the entertainment industry at large—have had to completely rethink their strategies in order to stay afloat. AEG, Live Nation, and a number of other music industry giants have struggled to remain in business. But deep within the roots of music, innovators like Stephanie LaFera, WME’s Head of Music, have used these unprecedented times to reshape the music industry. LaFera oversees a team of agents whose roster includes major dance music acts such as Calvin Harris, Kygo, Steve Aoki, TOKiMONSTA, Martin Garrix, Marshmello, Eric Prydz, Grimes, and many more. In the midst of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, LaFera has succeedi...
Hip-Hop Agent Brent Smith Out at WME Following Investigation
Hip-hop agent Brent Smith is out at WME, weeks after he was suspended for reported behavioral issues. “Following an investigation based on complaints of bullying behavior by Brent Smith, WME and Brent have mutually decided to part ways,” reads a statement from the agency. Smith, 55, represents Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator and John Legend. Smith did not respond to a request for comment from Billboard. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
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