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Welcome to Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business.
Earlier this week, we released our annual rankings of the music industry’s top executives, however, Thursday brought the shocking news of the passing of one those honorees. Ben Vaughn, president and CEO of Warner Chappell Nashville, died Thursday of undisclosed causes at only 49. “The music community has lost a truly extraordinary executive and human being,” said Troy Tomlinson, chairman and CEO of rival UMPG Nashville.
Read on for this week’s updates.
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Alison Smith, longtime executive vp and chief distribution and publisher relations officer at BMI, announced her retirement after nearly 40 years with the company. Starting in 1985 on a temporary assignment in Nashville, Smith’s career at BMI has evolved through multiple departments, ultimately overseeing all domestic and international royalty distribution and administration services for over 1.3 million affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers. She’s been based in New York since 1987 and will officially step down at the end of March. In her announcement to colleagues, Smith expressed her deep affection for the PRO and said her decision leaned heavily on wanting to spend more time with family and friends. She pointed out the fact she spent her entire career at BMI “says everything about our company, the people, and our mission to support, guide and protect our songwriters, composers and publishers,” adding, “music has always been my passion and will continue to be, and I know BMI will always be a shining star in this business.” Among her numerous industry accolades, Smith was recognized as one of Billboard’s Women in Music for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019, and again in 2023.
BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill commended Smith’s significant contributions to both BMI and the wider music community. He also announced that Smith will serve as a strategic advisor for the next two years, with Shouvik Das, svp of distribution, publisher relations & administration services, assuming her responsibilities and reporting directly to him.
“I have known Alison since I began working at BMI 30 years ago, and she has been a colleague, partner, advisor and friend to me every day that I have been here,” O’Neill said. “Alison is part of the fabric of BMI, and she has helped us become the company we are today. She has touched so many lives in an indelible way, not just internally at BMI but also within the larger music community. She will be missed.”
Meanwhile…
Universal Music Publishing Group welcomed Jamie Kinelski as the publisher’s new senior vice president of A&R, reporting to evp and head of U.S. A&R, Jennifer Knoepfle. Based in New York, Kinelski will focus on signing, developing and mentoring songwriters, artists and producers while helping expand UMPG’s U.S. A&R team. Kinelski previously served as senior vp and head of West Coast creative at Kobalt, where she signed and developed artists like Rogét Chahayed, Cuco, and Father John Misty. She also built key partnerships with Heavy Duty Publishing and 88Rising. Before Kobalt, she was creative director at ASCAP, working with artists such as Big Sean and HAIM. Knoepfle praised Kinelski’s leadership and “fierce” advocacy for songwriters, calling her a “tremendous asset to the dynamic and fresh executive team we are building,” adding, “her vast publishing and leadership experience will be extremely valuable to our company’s continued growth.”
Concord promoted Jonathan Eby to executive vp of information systems and technology. Eby will continue to be based in Concord’s Nashville office, and will oversee the company’s global technology, including infrastructure, development and strategy across all of Concord’s business areas. Eby joined Concord in 2017, and previously served as COO of classical music distributor/label Naxos. –Jessica Nicholson
NASHVILLE NOTES: Former CAA music agent Sabrina Butera launched the artist and influencer management company Collide Talent, offering a full-service platform for artists, influencers and entrepreneurs. The company’s initial roster includes country artist Austin Snell, whom she rep’d at CAA, and DIBS Beauty co-founder Courtney Shields … 615 Leverage + Strategy relaunched as Results Global with its existing partners, chief marketing officer John Zarling and COO Jackie Campbell, remaining atop the organization’s structure. The team, which counts Dolly Parton as its largest client, also includes brands account director Alissa Endres, manager of talent projects and music marketing Dawson Simmons, account coordinator Aden Henke, creative director Frashier Baudry and media planner and strategist Lauren Miskella … Business management firm O’Neil Hagaman added principal Rick Myers. He spent the last three years as Big Machine Label Group svp of finance and IT.
Joseph Morrison and Amy Hart, veterans of Eliot Grainge’s 10K Projects, teamed up with tech entrepreneur Scott Lewis to launch prairy (prairy.xyz), a remote-only label focused on speed in closing deals and servicing artist needs. The prairy team is strategically located across the U.S. and Canada, including Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and Atlanta. Operating without a physical office, prairy uses a San Francisco venture-style model that emphasizes speed, iteration and flexibility. The label has already signed a diverse roster of artists, including Dylan Espeseth, .idk., Ri Wavey, Nicole Amoroso, yurms and has partnerships with TRENCH HOUSE and others. Lewis emphasizes prairy’s commitment to operational agility, saying the “system is broken, and we think there’s a better way. The music industry is accustomed to schedules set by the month – we prefer to get things done in days, not weeks.”
BOARD SHORTS: The MLC appointed four new members to its advisory committees. Jennifer Falco of Hipgnosis Songs Group joins the Dispute Resolution Committee, while Iwona Wyrzykowska of Universal Music Publishing Group, Jessica Richling O’Malley of Warner Chappell Music, and Kristina Johnson of Kobalt Music have been named to the Operations Advisory Committee … NAMM elected eight new board members to three-year terms during its 2025 Show. The newly elected board members are Mayumi Allison, Betty Bennett, Jenna Day, Jeremiah Manriquez, Tim Pratt, Thomas Ripsam, Tom Tedesco and Hans Thomann … The Worldwide Independent Network held aboard meeting on Jan. 23, confirming Zena White and Maria Amato for a third term as chair and treasurer, respectively. New members include Felippe Llerena as director, with Cecilia Crespo and Ian Harrison joining as observers. Tony Kiewel transitioned from observer to director. Outgoing members Alejandro Varela, Sandra Rodrigues and Garry West were thanked for their contributions. A full list of WIN board members is here.
ShopKeeper Management, founded by Marion Kraft in 2009, promoted Crystal Dishmon to co-manager of Miranda Lambert alongside Kraft, while continuing to manage Tenille Townes. Dishmon, with extensive industry experience, including senior roles at AEG and Dale Morris, has been with ShopKeeper since 2010. Additionally, Laura Spinelli has been promoted to day-to-day manager for Lambert and continues as digital marketing manager. Spinelli has led innovative marketing campaigns and brand partnerships during her nearly decade-long tenure at ShopKeeper. Based in Nashville, ShopKeeper represents Lambert, Townes and Pistol Annies. The promotions highlight ShopKeeper’s commitment to mentorship and empowering female leaders in the music industry.
Ross Anderson, a former Warner Music communications executive, has launched Dept. of Connection, a New York-based PR agency focused on helping next-gen artists and brands build lasting cultural connections. The agency’s celestial roster includes Deafheaven and Superheaven, no relation, with more projects t/b/a soon. Anderson previously served as vp of public relations at Elektra Entertainment, leading campaigns for Turnstile, Slipknot, Gojira, Twenty One Pilots and more, until his departure in September of last year. He began his career at Atlantic Records in 2007, working his way up to vp. You can reach Ross here.
Rough Bones, a boutique label based in London, launched a new office in Lagos, Nigeria, to expand into the Afrobeat genre. Leading the office is senior A&R exec Jeffrey Onuoha, operations manager Daisy Ogunlana, digital strategist Eskor Umo, and A&R rep Samuel Mark.
Indie distributor IDOL appointed Camille Floch as international marketing and label services coordinator. Floch, previously a label manager at [PIAS], will work under Constance de Bosredon, promoted to head of international, marketing and label services in 2024. In comments, De Bosredon welcomed Floch and highlighted IDOL’s commitment to labels and artists. IDOL also announced this week that it has partnered with Mexican Summer and Dom Recs for global digital distribution, marketing and audience development.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Former Billboard-er Andrew Hampp is now managing director of music and consumer partnerships at Variety. Since joining the PMC publication in 2022, he has created partnership opportunities with brands like TikTok, Sony Audio and Cash App. Hampp’s priors in the branding space include founding 1803 LLC, where he consulted for clients across media, advertising and music, and a two-and-a-half year tenure as vp at MAC Presents. In a past life, Hampp was Billboard’s senior correspondent, covering branding, sponsorships and tech during much of the 2010s.
ICYMI:
David Field
Warner Records upped Mike Chester to general manager … Arwen Hunt will lead Various Artists Management‘s new office in Australia … AEG promoted Adam Wilkes to president/CEO of AEG Presents, Europe and Asia-Pacific and elevated Alex Hill to president/CEO of AEG International … Wasserman Music hired five key executives … David Field stepped down as president/CEO of Audacy … Katie Welle is now head of U.S. A&R at SMP … Eve Konstan is out as Spotify‘s general counsel … and the longtime president of the Kennedy Center is passing the torch. [Cont.]
Last Week’s Turntable: WMG Changes Things Up in Hong Kong
Country group Alabama frontman Randy Owen will be celebrated as a BMI Icon during the upcoming 72nd annual BMI Country Awards slated for Nov. 19 in Nashville.
The accolade recognizes Owen’s prolific songwriting and significant contributions to country music. The invitation-only BMI Country Awards will be held at the BMI Nashville office and hosted by BMI president/CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI’s Nashville VP of creative Clay Bradley.
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“Randy Owen’s impact on country music is immeasurable, and his songwriting has left an undeniable mark on the genre,” Bradley said in a statement. “His talents have solidified Alabama as one of the most successful country bands of all time, and his memorable melodies and relatable lyrics continue to influence countless artists that follow in his footsteps. We are honored to present him with this year’s BMI Icon Award.”
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The BMI icon award has previously been bestowed on artist-writers including Matraca Berg, Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Dillon and Hank Williams Jr., in addition to multi-genre artist-writers including Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Janet Jackson, Bo Diddley, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Peter Gabriel, Al Green, Van Morrison, Sting, Bryan Ferry, Carlos Santana and Los Lobos.
Additionally, the BMI Country Awards will reveal BMI’s annual country songwriter of the year, country song of the year and country publisher of the year, and will honor the songwriters and music publishers behind the 50 most-performed songs in country music over the past year.
Since first affiliating with BMI in 1974, Owen has earned over 25 BMI Million-Air Awards, earned the 2000 BMI President’s Award and was feted with the BMI country song of the year honor in 1989 for “Fallin’ Again.” Starting with the group’s 1980 hit “Tennessee River,” Alabama has earned 33 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. Owen is a co-writer on at least half of the group’s chart-toppers, including “Tennessee River,” as well as 1981’s “Feels So Right,” 1982’s “Mountain Music” and “Close Enough to Perfect,” and 1989’s “Song of the South.”
In addition to being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Alabama has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. They were also named the Country Music Association’s entertainer of the year for three consecutive years.
BMI is taking SiriusXM to court after the two sides failed to reach a deal on royalty rates during more than two years of negotiations, arguing that the satcaster is “no longer a startup” and must pay more to songwriters.
In a petition filed in court today, BMI asked a Manhattan federal judge to uphold a higher royalty rate it has asked SiriusXM to pay – citing increased revenue for the radio giant and a shift toward more lucrative digital streaming.
“SiriusXM’s financial performance, and its expansion of its digital offerings, make clear it is no longer a startup in a nascent industry,” lawyers for the rights group wrote. “Yet, despite achieving its secure and successful position, Sirius has continued to pay songwriters — who create the music essential to SiriusXM’s business — at rates that are below those negotiated decades ago when satellite radio was an infant industry with an uncertain future.”
A spokeswoman for SiriusXM declined to comment on BMI’s case.
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BMI is a so-called performance rights organization that collects copyright royalties owed to publishers and songwriters when their songs are performed publicly, offering blanket licenses that allow for the use of more than 22 million tracks. When BMI cannot agree with a licensee like SiriusXM, either side can ask a federal judge to decide the dispute and set a reasonable rate.
In doing so on Thursday, BMI pointed to what it sees as key shifts in SiriusXM’s business model since the two last negotiated a licensing deal in 2018 – namely, an increasing reliance on internet streaming rather than old-school satellite radio.
“As a result of these changes, SiriusXM’s business has shifted and is becoming more akin to a music streaming service than a traditional satellite radio or broadcast radio,” BMI’s attorneys wrote. “Digital music services pay higher rates to BMI than satellite radio, and the new SiriusXM rate should reflect this expansion of digital performances.”
The specific terms of the royalty rate that BMI is seeking from SiriusXM were not disclosed in court filings because BMI said it was “competitively sensitive.” The new rate would cover the period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.
In a statement announcing the case on Thursday, BMI said that songwriters “should not have to accept an outdated rate that significantly undervalues their music.”
“After attempting to negotiate with SiriusXM in good faith for more than two years, we were compelled to file this action given their insistence on underpaying the creators of the music that drives the majority of their business,” BMI president Mike O’Neill wrote. “We will continue to fight for fair and appropriate rates when we believe the music created by our songwriters and composers is being significantly undervalued.”
The filing of the new case was celebrated Thursday by the National Music Publishers’ Association, with president and CEO David Israelite saying the group was “extremely pleased” with BMI’s decision to “demand what’s fair.”
“Companies like SiriusXM have massive profit margins fueled by music creators,” Israelite said in a statement. “We fully support BMI in their fight for the value of songs.”
BMI isn’t the only rights group in a dispute with SiriusXM over its shift toward streaming. In a lawsuit last year, SoundExchange accused the company of using bookmaking trickery – namely, manipulating how it bundles its satellite and streaming offerings – as part of a scheme to “grossly underpay” royalties by more than $150 million. SiriusXM later fired back, denying the lawsuit’s “misguided allegations.” That case remains pending.
Go read BMI’s full petition against SiriusXM here:
BMI named Martijn Tel to be its new chief financial officer on Wednesday, the performing rights organization said in a statement. Tel joins BMI from the global data & information services provider Gerson Lehrman Group, where he also served as CFO. He will report to BMI’s president and CEO Mike O’Neill. Since being acquired by the private […]
Singer-songwriter John Oates will be feted for his contributions to the art of songwriting when he is honored with BMI‘s Troubadour Award on Sept. 16 in Nashville. The accolade recognizes a songwriter who has made “a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow,” according […]
BMI’s C-suite continues to grow with the appointment of Tom Kershaw as chief technology officer and Justin Rohde as chief transformation officer. The respective CTOs, both new hires with 40-plus years of experience between them, will report to BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill. Kershaw arrives from travel retail platform Travelport, where he served as […]
Phil Wickham was named songwriter of the year at the 2024 BMI Christian Awards, which were held Tuesday (June 18) at BMI’s Nashville’s office. BMI’s AVP of creative, Nashville, Leslie Roberts hosted the invitation-only ceremony.
Wickham, 40, had a hand in writing four of this year’s award-winning songs — “Holy Forever,” “Hymn of Heaven,” “Then Christ Came” and “This Is Our God.” Wickham has received three Grammy nominations in the past two years, including one for his album I Believe at the Feb. 4 ceremony. He has amassed 11 top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, including “House of the Lord,” which reached No. 1 in 2022.
Wickham performed an acoustic rendition of his song “Hymn of Heaven” at the event.
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“Gratitude” was named the 2024 song of the year. Written by BMI songwriters Dante Bowe and Ben Hastings (APRA) and recorded by Brandon Lake, the song logged 28 weeks at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs. The track, featured on Lake’s album, House of Miracles, received nominations from the 2023 GMA Dove Awards for song of the year and worship recorded song of the year.
Essential Music Publishing took home the accolade for publisher of the year. Essential is responsible for 12 of the 25 most-performed songs of the year — “Cornerstone,” “God Is in This Story,” “Heart of God,” “Holy Forever,” “I Thank God,” “I’m So Blessed,” “Perfectly Loved,” “Same God,” “Thank God I Do,” “Then Christ Came,” “This Is Our God” and “Who I Am.”
In addition, the ceremony named 21 first-time winners for their role in writing the top 25 most-performed Christian songs of the previous year. They included pop powerhouses P!nk and Jeff Bhasker, who co-wrote the Lauren Daigle hit “Thank God I Do,” which topped Hot Christian Songs for 20 weeks.
Three first-time winners were double winners on the night — Jonathan Jay (“Fear Is Not My Future” and “Rest on Us”) and Jacob Mills and Levi Mills (“God Is Real” and “Never Not God”).
The complete winners list can be found here.
Wickham wasn’t the night’s only performer. Anne Wilson, 22, offered a stripped-down version of her hit, “Strong,” accompanied by BMI’s 2023 songwriter of the year, Jeff Pardo. Newcomer Charly Beathard made her BMI performance debut with “Hallelujah Anyway.”
Taylor Swift took pop songwriter of the year at the 2024 BMI Pop Awards, which were held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Tuesday (June 4).
Swift had a hand in writing 10 of BMI’s most-performed songs of 2023 – “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Cruel Summer,” “Karma,” “Lavender Haze,” “Maroon,” “Midnight Rain,” “Snow on the Beach,” “Vigilante Shit” and “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” Swift has received a total of 65 BMI Awards, including the BMI President’s Award in 2009.
On Nov. 10, 2023, Swift received her seventh Grammy nomination for song of the year for “Anti-Hero,” which enabled her to set a new record for the most nods in the category.
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Miley Cyrus, Gregory ‘Aldae’ Hein and Michael Pollack won the BMI Pop Award for song of the year for Cyrus’ megahit, “Flowers.” The smash entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 and remained there for eight nonconsecutive weeks. It won Grammys for record of the year and best pop solo performance on Feb. 4 (and was nominated for song of the year).
Sony Music Publishing received publisher of the year for the seventh year in a row. The company represented 34 of the previous year’s most performed songs, including “Anti-Hero,” “Barbie World,” “Eyes Closed,” “Flowers,” “Trustfall” and “Unholy.”
As previously announced, Benny Blanco, 36, received the BMI President’s Award. Blanco has won 55 BMI Awards, was named songwriter of the year four times, and won pop song of the year in 2013 for co-writing “Moves Like Jagger” performed by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera.
Blanco has received two Grammy nods for song of the year, for the Julia Michaels hit “Issues” and the Justin Bieber smash “Love Yourself.” Blanco has gone 0-11 at the Grammys over the years, so this BMI recognition was probably especially meaningful.
Blanco was presented with the award by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill, who praised the songwriter as an “unstoppable creative force who has shaped the sound of popular music.” Some of Blanco’s top collaborators, including Lil Dicky, John Janick, Blake Slatkin and Ed Sheeran, sent in video congratulatory messages. Sia then hit the stage to perform Rihanna’s 2012 hit “Diamonds,” which she co-wrote with Blanco.
On receiving the honor, Blanco said, “We have the best job in the world, and we are so thankful and lucky to be in this room. We have the opportunity to make things better through music and help people. We’re giving the soundtrack to peoples’ lives.”
Previous recipients of the BMI President’s Award include Luis Fonsi, Noel Gallagher, Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Ludacris, P!nk, Willie Nelson, Pitbull, Taylor Swift, Brian Wilson, and Dwight Yoakam.
BMI celebrated 53 first-time Pop Award winners including Sabrina Carpenter (“Nonsense”), Ice Spice (“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2”), Jelly Roll and Rob Ragosta (“Need a Favor”), Kamille (“I’m Good (Blue)”) and Stephen Sanchez (“Until I Found You”).
The private event was co-hosted by O’Neill and BMI vice president, creative, worldwide, Barbara Cane.
For the full list of 2024 honorees, visit https://www.bmi.com/award-shows/pop-2024/
Composer Ramin Djawadi is set to receive the BMI Icon Award at the 40th annual BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards on June 5 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Emmy-winning composer will receive the accolade for his body of work across film, television and video games. The ceremony will also salute the composers of the previous year’s top-grossing films, top-rated primetime network television series, and highest-ranking cable and streamed media programs.
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The event will be hosted by BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI vice president of creative, film, TV & visual media, Tracy McKnight.
Previous BMI Icon Award recipients include Terence Blanchard, Mychael Danna, Alexandre Desplat, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Christopher Lennertz, Thomas Newman, Rachel Portman (PRS), Mike Post, Alan Silvestri, Brian Tyler and John Williams.
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Djawadi has received 15 BMI Awards for outstanding scores for films, cable TV programs and streamed media. He won back-to-back Primetime Emmy Awards in 2018-19 for outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for Game of Thrones. He has received five other Primetime Emmy nods for Game of Thrones, Prison Break, FlashForward and Westworld. In addition, Djawadi has received three Grammy nods.
“We’re excited to honor Ramin Djawadi and celebrate his outstanding musical achievements,” McKnight in a statement. “Ramin’s innovative compositions for films, TV shows, and video games have captivated audiences worldwide, exemplifying his remarkable range and talent.”
Djawadi collaborated with Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy on Amazon Prime’s Fallout and partnered with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on the Netflix series 3 Body Problem.
Djawadi, 49, got his start by collaborating with Hans Zimmer on such films as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Batman Begins. (Both composers were born in what was then known as West Germany.) Djawadi went on to score such films as Iron Man, Eternals, A Wrinkle in Time, Clash of the Titans, Pacific Rim and Blade:Trinity.
In addition, Djawadi, has composed music for several video games including “Medal of Honor,” “Gears of War 4” and “Gears 5.”
BMI celebrated songwriter, composer and producer David Foster at the 74th annual BMI/NAB Dinner held Tuesday (April 16) at Encore Las Vegas. The private event was sponsored by Xperi.
BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill presented Foster with the award, praising Foster’s “extraordinary creativity and the singular impact he’s made as a songwriter, a producer, an artist, a mentor and a philanthropist.” Foster joined BMI in 1978.
The annual BMI/NAB dinner recognizes the mutually supportive relationship between the songwriting community and the broadcast industry. Past recipients of the BMI honor include Paul Anka, John Fogerty, Graham Nash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Mike Post, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Carrie Underwood and John Williams.
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Following a video of career highlights, Foster performed. He was joined on stage by his wife, singer-actress Katharine McPhee, and classically trained vocalist Daniel Emmet.
Foster has received many accolades over the years, including 16 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy and three Oscar nods for best original song.
His Grammys include three wins for producer of the year (non-classical), three for album of the year and two for record of the year. He has won 11 of his 16 Grammys for producing, four for arranging and one for songwriting (his first Grammy, for co-writing Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1979 smash “After the Love Has Gone,” which was voted best R&B song). His other Grammys are for work with Jennifer Holliday (on the Dreamgirls cast album), Chicago, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Michael Bublé.
His Emmy was for co-writing a song for The Concert for World Children’s Day, an ABC special in 2003. He has been nominated three times for outstanding music direction for those endlessly replayed Great Performances specials on PBS.
Foster was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. He was honored as a BMI Icon the following year. He has won 42 BMI Awards and was named BMI pop songwriter of the year three times.