Island Records
In recent years, the Grammys have served up several decisive sweeps (and head scratching omissions) that have dominated the conversation and led to some record labels celebrating huge wins in the Big Four categories of record of the year, song of the year, album of the year and best new artist. Within the past decade, Interscope Records emerged victorious in all four categories when Billie Eilish swept the top honors in 2020, while Atlantic’s Bruno Mars took three of the four in 2018, Columbia’s Adele did the same in 2017 and Capitol, through Beck (AOTY) and Sam Smith (BNA, ROTY and SOTY), swept them all in 2015.
What makes the full Big Four sweep particularly difficult is the best new artist aspect, in that rarely does an artist make such an impact with their initial breakthrough that they can win, or even get nominated in, the record, song and album of the year categories. It’s not unheard of — Eilish, Smith, Lizzo, Olivia Rodrigo, Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones have all been nominated in the Big Four categories in a single year this century, with Eilish and Jones sweeping the wins — but it’s not exactly common, either.
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Which makes this year particularly notable: Both Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan received nominations in each of the Big Four categories for the 2025 Grammy Awards, marking just the second time that two artists have achieved that in the same year. (Eilish and Lizzo both received them in 2020.) Even more, they’re both signed to Island Records, a historic achievement for a historic label.
With those eight nods — for Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” (record and song); Roan’s The Rise & Fall of a Midwest Princess (album); Carpenter’s Short N Sweet (album); Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” (song); Carpenter’s “Espresso” (record); and BNA for both — Island leads all labels in Big Four nominations, a huge moment for a label that had not been at that table at all in years.
Following Island is Interscope, which racked up seven Big Four nominations through a combination of Kendrick Lamar (record and song for “Not Like Us”), Billie Eilish (record and song for “Birds of a Feather,” album for Hit Me Hard And Soft), Jacob Collier (Interscope distributes his Hajanga label, which put out his album of the year-nominated Djesse Vol. 4), and Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile” (song), which came out on Interscope (Mars’ label Atlantic did play a role, but Interscope is the credited label).
Beyond Island and Interscope, many of the rest of the nominations were spread out among several labels. Receiving three nods apiece were Republic (album, record and song for Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department and “Fortnite”) and Columbia (album, record and song for Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER and “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”). Elsewhere, EMPIRE (best new artist for Shaboozey and song for Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”) received two, as did Warner (best new artist for both Benson Boone and Teddy Swims), Atlantic (album for Charli XCX’s BRAT and record for Charli’s “360”) and Capitol (best new artist for Doechii and record of the year for the Beatles’ AI-assisted “Now and Then”). Lastly, Epic (album for Andre 3000’s New Blue Sun), dead oceans (best new artist for Khruangbin) and Human Re Sources (best new artist for RAYE) all received one nomination each.
Among the label groups, that means that the Universal Music Group — home to Island, Interscope, Republic and Capitol — racked up 20 of those Big Four nominations, far and away leading the sector. (Given UMG’s recent reorganization, the REPUBLIC Corps Collective claimed 11 nominations, while the Interscope Capitol Labels Group had nine.) Finally, Sony Music had five, Warner Music landed four, while the indie sector claimed three.
As the third quarter of 2024 comes to a close, a familiar label is atop the current market share standings: Republic, which for the second straight quarter maintains a market share north of 15%, a remarkable achievement.
But while the story of Republic’s second quarter was the dominance of Taylor Swift — whose Tortured Poets Department remains far and away the biggest album of the year so far, more than doubling the second-placed title and still going strong — the story of its third quarter is the huge surge of Island Records, which is included under Republic’s market share alongside Mercury Records, Big Loud Records, Cash Money and indie distributor Imperial.
Buoyed by the breakout successes of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, Island posted a 3.81% current share (defined as released within the past 18 months) for the three months between June 27 and Sept. 26. If Island were broken out on its own, that would have been good for seventh among all labels for that period, which boosted its nine-month current market share to 2.15% — about 3.5 times higher than its current market share was through the first nine months of 2023, while that 3.81% mark for the third quarter was 6.5 times higher than for the corresponding three-month period in 2023. (With Carpenter’s Short N Sweet and Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Billboard 200 in this first week of the fourth quarter, that momentum is likely to continue.)
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That helped Republic post a 15.21% current market share through the first nine months of the year, itself a huge jump from its industry-leading 12.28% through three quarters of last year. But it wasn’t just Island: Republic itself is still floating on its TTPD high, while Post Malone’s F1-Trillion helped Big Loud and Mercury contribute to Republic’s share, too. And while Republic has receded slightly from the 15.72% it posted at midyear — when it outstripped the entire Warner Music Group — any label putting up a number higher than 15% is enjoying a massive year.
On the other coast, Universal Music Group’s other juggernaut, Interscope Geffen A&M, also saw a huge surge in the third quarter, which boosted its nine-month current share into double digits, as it posted a 10.13% share — up from 9.51% at the midyear mark and the 8.55% it held through the same period last year. The enduring success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” — which will get a Super Bowl-sized bump early next year, too — and Billie Eilish’s still-hot Hit Me Hard And Soft album helped Interscope become the only other label to reach higher than 10%. (Interscope’s share also includes Verve Label Group.)
The success of both Republic and Interscope — the two labels around which UMG reorganized earlier this year — helped parent company Universal improve more than two percentage points in current share over the same period last year, jumping from 34.61% through nine months in 2023 to 36.65% this year. That gain has come at the expense of the other two majors, which slipped a bit year over year: Sony Music Group dipped from 27.50% through the first nine months of 2023 to 25.89% through the first three quarters of 2024; while Warner Music Group dropped from 17.46% last year to 16.25% this year for the same period, though the latter recovered enough from its 15.68% mark at midyear to climb back above Republic Records.
Year over year, the indie sector by distribution ownership also grew, up to a 21.21% current share through the first nine month of this year, as opposed to 20.43% during the same period last year, a significant uptick; the biggest song of the year so far, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” was released by indie EMPIRE. (EMPIRE does not report its market share to Luminate, so its individual share cannot be broken out.) By label ownership, the indie sector remains the biggest segment of the business, racking up a 37.09% current share of the market, though that has come down somewhat from the 39.49% it had through the same period in 2023.
Beyond Republic and Interscope, there is more good news from Warner Records (which includes catalog label Rhino and parts of Warner Nashville), as it stays on the hot streak it has been on for the entirety of 2024. Its 6.54% nine-month mark keeps it in third place once again, a full percentage point above fourth-placed Atlantic (which includes 300 Elektra Entertainment), which posted a 5.51% current mark, better than its first two quarters but still down significantly from its 7.39% mark at the three-quarter period of 2023. (Remarkably, despite coming out of the gate so hot this year, Warner Records hasn’t cooled down: its 6.98% third quarter was its best three-month period of the year.)
In fifth and sixth are a pair of Sony Music labels that move up a spot in the rankings year over year, though both dropped in market share over the same period last year: Columbia Records, which includes some RED labels in its share, posted a 4.41% current mark, a slight uptick from its midyear 4.35% but down from last year’s 4.93% nine-month mark, when it was sixth; and RCA, at 4.30%, a dip from the 4.64% it had nine months into 2023, though it is up from seventh to sixth for this quarter. Capitol Music Group, in seventh place so far this year, posted a 4.04% current share; through nine months of 2023, it was in fourth place, at 6.01%.
Epic Records, with several high-flying hip-hop releases this year from Future, boosts its share from 2.39% three quarters through 2023 to 2.79% through the first three quarters of this year, rising to eighth place; while Sony Nashville (2.10%, down from 2.50%) and Sony Music Latin (2.05%, up from 1.96%), round out the top 10 labels by current share.
Overall market share — which combines all a label’s releases in the marketplace, rather than just those of the past 18 months — rearranges the board slightly, though Republic (10.49%) and Interscope (9.98%) still lead the way, both with slightly improved totals from last year’s period. Atlantic’s vast catalog means that it leapfrogs Warner Records into third, with a 7.66% overall share (down from 8.31% last year), while Warner’s 6.86% — up from 6.63% in 2023 — sees it move from fifth place last year into fourth this year. Capitol and Columbia come in fifth and sixth, though in a virtual tie at 5.87%; Capitol edged out Columbia by three thousandths of a percentage point, essentially a rounding error. RCA (5.03%), Epic (2.75%), Sony Nashville (2.07%) and Universal Music Nashville (1.84%) round out the top 10.
Among the label groups, overall market share remained largely static year over year: UMG and Sony each inched up, to 38.47% and 27.25% respectively year over year, while Warner dipped slightly to 18.42% and the indies, at 15.85%, remained flat. The catalog side is largely the same story: UMG dipped two tenths of a percent year over year, while Sony gained half a point and WMG and the indies were down slightly. Among the individual labels, Interscope took the top catalog slot, jumping above Republic to take a 9.93% share of the market, with Republic’s 8.87% edging out Atlantic’s 8.39%.
Few people are having a better week than Sabrina Carpenter. The singer capped one of the most complete ascents to pop stardom in recent memory with the release of her latest album, Short N Sweet — the culmination of an extended campaign in which she was able to build her career brick by brick, single by single, into the upper echelons of pop music and culture — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 362,000 equivalent album units, the best week of her career and the third-highest debut week of the year so far.
That type of success doesn’t happen by accident: Carpenter’s team worked all sides for this project, which included radio (two songs, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” are in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Radio Songs Chart), streaming (Short N Sweet also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Streaming Songs chart, with 233 million official on-demand streams) and sales (with nine vinyl variants, she sold 105,000 vinyl records, the second-largest week of the year and good for No. 1 on Billboard‘s Vinyl Albums chart). Four digital album variants, available for a limited time, moved 45,000 units, while five different CD editions added another 33,000 to the total. And all that activity and wide-ranging success helps Island Records’ senior vp/head of commercial strategy Marshall Nolan earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Nolan walks through the strategy that led to Carpenter’s career-best debut. “The plan from the start was that every detail mattered,” Nolan says. “We knew to double down on her strengths, in areas like e-commerce, and once we built a rhythm there, it afforded us the time to nurture elements that still had room for growth.”
This week, Sabrina Carpenter landed her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Short N Sweet. What key decision(s) did you make to make that happen?
Sabrina’s ability to world-build alongside her incredible team of creatives is unparalleled. We challenged ourselves to take that world and embed it into every e-commerce experience, building a range of carefully-curated collectibles for her superfans.
In many ways, the rollout of this album was very traditional: single built on top of single, radio play and streaming build-up, all leading into the climactic album release. Was that the plan from the start, or did things evolve along the way?
The plan from the start was that every detail mattered. We knew to double down on her strengths, in areas like e-commerce, and once we built a rhythm there, it afforded us the time to nurture elements that still had room for growth.
How did her singles’ success at radio help the digital campaign for the album?
Constant communication with our promo team, who are the best in the business, allowed us to narrate each movement and growth spurt in real-time. We as a team never focused on the successes of an individual single; the intention was always to build Sabrina as an artist and brand first. We welcomed any success that came along with that.
The album had nine vinyl variants, five CD editions and two cassettes available — what was the physical strategy for the album rollout, and what was behind the success of the vinyl in particular?
The variants are first and foremost a reflection of the incredible creative team surrounding Sabrina, who built products that fans immediately embraced as must-have collectible items. From the packaging finishes to the stylized content with which it was promoted, her passion for each variant came through in every detail. Each product paid special tribute to the many layers of Sabrina’s sharply sweet world.
How much does fan demand play into your commerce plan for any album?
This was another important factor in deciding to offer a wide range of album variants. Sabrina crafted a world we’re lucky to be a part of; we ensured that each album offering felt like an extension of it.
What did you learn from rolling out this release that you can take into other projects in the future?
Everything starts with trust — learning to build it, continuing to maintain it and working to strengthen it every step of the way. We never take for granted the role we are fortunate enough to play in maximizing and achieving an artist’s wildest dreams. Sabrina taught us all to allow time for a slow rise, there is so much to learn and look forward to along the way.
Island Records has announced the promotion of Jackie Winkler to Senior Vice President, Head of A&R, effective Sept. 5.
Winkler, who was recently honored as Billboard’s Executive of the Week for her collaborative work with Sabrina Carpenter, will now lead the A&R department for Island Records, overseeing signing and creative development for the label’s roster of artists.
“Jackie is an exceptional leader and A&R executive,” said Co-CEOs Majid and Eshak in a joint statement. “Her collaborative spirit, creative instincts, and steadfast nature make her the ideal person to run our A&R Department. We’re thrilled she’ll join us in developing the next generation of iconic artists for Island Records.”
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Winkler expressed gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “I am deeply grateful to Imran and Justin for their unwavering belief and trust as I step into this new role. Their guidance has not only fueled my personal career growth but has been the cornerstone of our department’s success.”
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She added, “I am thrilled at the opportunity to lead such an exceptionally talented, dynamic, and fiercely competitive team as we push the boundaries of what we can achieve together.”
Winkler’s promotion comes after her work with Sabrina Carpenter for her latest album Short n’ Sweet, which has dominated the Billboard charts with two consecutive No. 1 Hot 100 singles, “Espresso,” which was recently crowned Billboard’s No. 1 Global Song of the Summer for 2024, and “Please Please Please.”
The album has achieved global success, reaching No. 1 in 15 countries, including the U.S., Australia and the U.K. Winkler signed Carpenter to Island Records in 2020 and has played a crucial role in shaping her career since.
In a June interview with Billboard, she spoke about working with Carpenter and the impact of her chart-topping singles.
“‘Nonsense’ walked so ‘Feather’ could jog, then ‘Espresso’ ran so that ‘Please Please Please’ could start a stampede,” she said. “At the core, the music Sabrina makes is perfectly reflective of who she is as a person, and all the quirks and character are what give her such a strong musical identity.”
“It is all owed to her remarkable talent, the music itself, and the relentless detail put into every aspect of her creative campaign,” she added.
Winkler began her career at Warner Records, where she rose from intern to A&R manager and discovered Academy Award-nominated artist Andra Day. She joined Island Records in 2015 as A&R Director and was promoted to Vice President of A&R in 2022. Along with Sabrina Carpenter, she works closely with artists like Demi Lovato, Keshi, and Lauren Spencer Smith.
Winkler’s achievements have not gone unnoticed by the industry with Billboard naming her one of its Women in Music for 2023.
When Chappell Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, last September, it didn’t immediately crack the Billboard 200. In fact, it took more than six months for the album to debut at No. 127 on the chart dated April 6 — following a boost in exposure after Roan opened on tour for Olivia Rodrigo.
Now, nearly one year later, both Roan’s album and her stardom continue to hit new highs. On the Billboard 200, Midwest Princess has entered the tally’s top five, hitting a new peak of No. 4 after 19 weeks on the chart. Over on the Billboard Hot 100, the pop star currently has six songs scattered across the chart, with her latest single, Good Luck, Babe!” climbing the highest. The hit, which this week entered the top 10 at No. 8, has become Roan’s highest-charting entry to date.
Roan’s chart dominance has been a long time coming, and a moment her longtime manager Nick Bobetsky (State of the Art) has been patiently waiting for. Bobetsky met Roan in 2018, after her previous record label, Atlantic (from which she was dropped), shared some of her unreleased music. “Her immense talent was clear immediately,” he recalls. “She’s always been a true artist.”
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Since then, Bobetsky and the team have “focused solely on building the Chappell Roan universe and trusting that the greatness of her and her music would thrive” — just as they are now. And on the heels of a record-breaking Lollapalooza Chicago set, which saw the festival score its biggest-ever daytime crowd, Bobetsky has earned the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Bobetsky talks about the success of “Babe!”, Roan’s festival takeover this summer and more. As he says, “I take great pride in helping shape [an artist’s] runway to success, however long it needs to be.”
“Good Luck, Babe” has become the highest-charting song of Chappell’s career, entering the Hot 100’s top 10. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
When Chappell finishes a song she’s excited about, we’ve learned to follow her instincts and hit go; in this case, putting a strategy together with Island to get the song out quickly. Chappell has always been about building, which in turn brings momentum. People became fans on their own schedule over the course of months, having their own moments of discovery. “Good Luck, Babe!” was the first time since her sold-out tours, her album release, the snowball effect she was experiencing, where the broader fanbase could share a fresh moment together. That shared and focused excitement, paired with the incredible song, gave us a strong launch. We’ve been able to not only grow the song since then but the entire album because we’ve continued to stay focused on the same core things — building, and consistent momentum.
Chappell has a total of six songs on the Hot 100 right now. How are you supporting so many songs at once and determining which one to push next?
Chappell’s songs speak for themselves, her performances are second to none, and her universe has never been about one song, one moment, or one driver — and the fact that we have so many songs in the Hot 100 is a testament to that. We aren’t cramming anything down anyone’s throat, and fans are listening to multiple songs at once. In terms of pushing the next song, we are in the incredible position to have a lot to choose from. That said, I don’t actually think it’s about choosing to push one in particular, it’s about paying attention to which one is thriving the most. We have live audience reactions, fans online, streaming numbers to lead us. What excites me the most is the nonlinear nature of it all — that her next song to push is likely to have been out for nearly a year.
Dan Nigro signed Chappell to his Amusement label before she signed with Island. How did you help guide her transition to the major label?
Dan started making music with Chappell during her previous record deal, and he remained committed when she and the label parted ways. We released a series of singles independently and built a very loyal and loud fanbase. We focused solely on building the Chappell Roan universe and trusting that the greatness of her and her music would thrive. It started to get loud, labels started circling, and Dan’s Amusement label was a continuation of their creative collaboration, now in partnership with Island Records where she landed in the end.
Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, was released in Sept. 2023 and just this week — almost a year later — hit a No. 4 peak on the Billboard 200. What are you and the team doing to help sustain its renewed momentum — or planning to do still?
Everything in the world of Chappell Roan is about building, staying true to her vision, and embracing the 100% rule — that if the answer is not a true 100% yes, it’s a no. Chappell’s growth is a very special pairing of consistent commitment to momentum, paired with ensuring that every moment is executed to the fullest degree. We’re in an era of tons of noise, the fear of fleeting moments, pressure to say yes at every turn, and our approach is different. She says yes when it’s right for her universe, and people want to keep joining in. The momentum is sustaining itself because it’s real and reflective of incredible music and artistry having real cultural impact.
Chappell’s Lollapalooza Chicago set saw the largest day crowd in the festival’s history across its global franchise. What were you anticipating and how did you help her mentally prepare?
Every festival this summer Chappell has played has been bigger than the previous. We knew this was going to be big, no one knew we’d break records. We work really hard to surround her with visionary creatives, a rock solid touring team and ensuring every element is top-notch. I’m not sure how you can mentally prepare for a moment that big, but she’s born for moments like this.
What kind of boost has she gained from that news-making set?
We’ve seen new daily peaks in consumption and online conversations, but I feel the biggest boost because it feels like mainstream media, fans and the industry alike all saw it coming and were ready to celebrate. It really feels like a, “See, I told you so,” moment — not from us saying it, but from the masses screaming it.
What’s the key to managing a pop star today?
Respect, partnership and belief in the artist. Sure, the strategy, relationships, business decisions and all of that are important, but that’s actually the easier part. When you have a generational pop star, the real key is the shared vision and commitment to their greatness long-term. I take great pride in helping shape their runway to success, however long it needs to be.
On Saturday Night Live’s May 18 season finale, Sabrina Carpenter appeared in a sketch as Daphne from Scooby-Doo, watching in horror as Jake Gyllenhaal’s Fred tore the face off James Austin Johnson’s villain. (The gag: Apple Face ID — Never Get Ripped Off Again!) The sketch was a prelude to Carpenter’s two theatrical performances as musical guest. First, she sang her then-new single, “Espresso,” which had debuted the month prior before her main-stage Coachella set and had already soared into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200; then a medley of her first two Pop Airplay top 10 singles, “Feather” (No. 1) and “Nonsense” (No. 10), both released in the preceding year-and-a-half.
Two days later, Justin Eshak and Imran Majid — the co-CEOs of her label, Island Records — gathered their staff at Island’s Manhattan headquarters to rewatch the episode. “She’s just a pro; it was an incredible moment,” Majid says later that afternoon of the 25-year-old singer, who first tasted fame as a Disney Channel actress in her early teens. “For a lot of artists, the idea of translating their performance to television is hard,” Eshak adds. “But because she has so much experience with it, it just felt so much more natural and comfortable for her.”
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At the time, the buzz from Carpenter’s SNL debut, coupled with the instant global success of “Espresso,” felt like a mountaintop. After the initial success of “Nonsense,” which reached No. 56 on the Hot 100 in February, “Feather” hit No. 21 and topped Pop Airplay in April. Then “Espresso” exploded, reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100 in June and spending two weeks at No. 1 on the Global 200.
But Carpenter’s momentum has only picked up since. In late June, “Please Please Please” debuted at No. 2 on the Global 200, simultaneously giving her the top two songs in the world. (She maintained that feat the following week, when “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” flipped spots atop the chart.) It also bowed at No. 2 on the Hot 100, making her the first soloist — and second act overall, joining The Beatles — to have her first two top three Hot 100 hits concurrently reach that territory with no other billed acts. The next week, it hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts.
It was the kind of setup that executives dream of: one song building on the next to keep scaling new heights. “We always felt ‘Please Please Please’ had this level of sophistication that really sets her up in a different lens; there’s a bit of Dolly Parton in that song,” Majid says. “But it feels like everything we hoped and dreamed the one-two punch would be.” Or, as Island vp of A&R Jackie Winkler puts it, “ ‘Nonsense’ walked so ‘Feather’ could jog, then ‘Espresso’ ran so that ‘Please Please Please’ could start a stampede.”
Imran Majid, Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Eshak attend Universal Music Group’s 2024 After Party presented by Coke Studios and Merz Aesthetics’ #SmartTox on Feb. 4, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Jordan Strauss
That stampede has set the stage perfectly for the Aug. 23 release of Carpenter’s album Short N’ Sweet and the launch of her North American arena tour in the fall, which sold out in every market within two weeks of its late-June announcement. But already, her success has been one of the biggest artist stories of the year so far, and a big feather in the caps of Eshak, 44, and Majid, 42, who took over the esteemed 65-year-old Island in January 2022 after jointly running the A&R department at Columbia Records for three years.
Carpenter is just one example of how the duo has revitalized Island. In mid-June, following her massive performance at New York’s Governors Ball festival, Chappell Roan’s September 2023 album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in its 12th week on the chart — just the second time this decade that an album broke into the region for the second time after that long of a climb. And in the first week of July, Roan’s single “Good Luck, Babe!” — which became her first Hot 100 hit when it debuted on the chart in April and is not on Midwest Princess — hit No. 10 on the Hot 100 after its own 13-week climb.
Call it the summer of Island. While the likes of Carpenter, Roan, The Killers, Brittany Howard and Remi Wolf are dominating festival stages, their songs are setting new personal high-water marks on the charts. The buzz started building earlier this year: Howard’s first album for Island, What Now, arrived in February to critical praise; that same month, the biopic Bob Marley: One Love, about Island’s most famous artist and featuring James Norton as label founder Chris Blackwell, grossed over $179 million, according to Box Office Mojo. (Island was not involved in the making of the film but did release an album “inspired by” the movie alongside Tuff Gong Records, which featured artists like Kacey Musgraves, Wizkid and Leon Bridges covering Marley classics.) The Last Dinner Party, originally signed by Island U.K.’s Louis Bloom, released its debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, and was named “Britain’s hottest new band” by The New York Times Magazine in March; in April, Hulu released a well-received documentary on Bon Jovi — which has spent its entire 40-year career as part of Island — before the band’s latest album, Forever, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in June; and alt-pop powerhouse Wolf released her heralded sophomore album, Big Ideas, on July 12. The year ahead also promises new music from Carpenter and Roan, while Shawn Mendes, one of the label’s few reliable hit-makers over the past decade, is in the studio.
“Nowadays, everything’s about culture, and company culture, and the philosophy of how you’re doing things, and Island is definitely a label that’s wired differently,” says Nick Bobetsky, who manages Roan. “They’re not the ambulance chasers, they’re not the TikTok-moment chasers. They’re really committed to supporting their artists in a way that’s really true to those artists, and that is rare in today’s climate.”
Brittany Howard (left) and Justin Eshak at Brooklyn’s Electric Garden Studios in 2023.
Courtesy of Island Records
For Eshak and Majid, it’s validation of the culture that they’ve sought to build since taking over the Universal Music Group (UMG) subsidiary in 2022 — and a testament to the work they’ve done overhauling a label that had slipped down the pecking order as the marketplace evolved in recent years. While the Island Records they inherited — home to Marley, U2, Traffic, Grace Jones and Cat Stevens, among others through the years — may have been rich in history, its more recent track record had been spotty at best, disjointed at worst. Island finished 2021 with a current market share of 0.67%, a number that had fallen steadily over the previous five years, from 1.5% in 2018, according to Luminate.
“We weren’t walking in here inheriting hits. We had to rebuild a roster, which sounds easy but takes time, and no one really knew what the label proposition was,” Majid says. “So we had to go out there and project what that is at a very competitive time.”
But Island’s small roster and small staff allowed it to focus on developing talents like Carpenter and Roan — and to provide that raison d’être that the label had seemingly been missing. That has often meant leveraging the live side of each artist’s career to help catapult new records: The popularity of Carpenter’s “Nonsense,” for instance, was built through the fan response to the city-specific outros she added to each of her opening performances on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, while “Espresso” and “Please” were launched in tandem with her Coachella and Governors Ball performances. “It’s really difficult to break through as an artist anymore unless you have a holistic artist proposition,” Eshak explains.
The label built its strategy for Roan, too, on her live aesthetic; Eshak and Majid tell the story of seeing her perform for the first time at New York’s Bowery Ballroom and how the energy of the crowd struck them more than any of the metrics they had seen on socials or streaming. “The enthusiasm that existed in the crowd was just insane,” Eshak continues. “I remember thinking, ‘How do we tell the story about what happened in Bowery Ballroom to the rest of the world? Because if we can do that, then she’s going to break.’ ”
Imran Majid, Chappell Roan and Justin Eshak attend Universal Music Group’s 2024 After Party presented by Coke Studios and Merz Aesthetics’ #SmartTox on Feb. 4, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Jordan Strauss
The small-but-mighty ethos is a cue Eshak and Majid took from Blackwell, whom they visited at his Goldeneye resort on Jamaica’s north coast shortly after starting at Island. “When we took this job, we had such a reverence for Island and its history,” Eshak says. “Hearing Chris Blackwell talk about artists that historically worked on Island, they would weave their way through culture. The artists that are having success now are fan-driven, have unique artist propositions, and you just [have to] support them in the right way. This label has always stood for creativity and for artistry and for things that may not seem obvious but weave their way through culture.”
In some ways, no label is as beholden to, or in the thrall of, its founder as Island. Since being spun back off as a stand-alone label from the combined Island Def Jam in 2014, successive heads of the company have invoked Blackwell, who left in the late 1990s, when articulating their philosophies. “I wanted to go back to the idea of Chris Blackwell-era Island: an artist-driven label that was a major, but in an intimate manner,” then-president David Massey told Billboard in 2016 about his approach. In 2019, his successor, Darcus Beese, told Billboard, “How I run my business is literally how I think Chris would run his business.”
Eshak and Majid are similar, often invoking the spirits of Blackwell and the label itself — though with their own spin. “It’s not a throwback company by any means; it’s very progressive and market-focused,” Majid says. “But it’s also about curation. If we’re going to have success in this market and with a new generation of artists, you want artists that feel like they love being a part of the company, and you want people that want to work here. And that was kind of what Chris built at Island Records.”
“I’m so happy that Justin and Imran have continued to honor the heart and culture of the label,” Blackwell, 87, tells Billboard. “Looking back, I remember the rush of excitement when I discovered an act, signed them and saw their massive success. Well done, guys.”
Imran Majid, Chris Blackwell and Justin Eshak (from left) at Pebble Bar in Manhattan in 2022.
Kevin Condon
Eshak’s and Majid’s careers have often run parallel over the past 18 years. Both started at Universal Republic under Monte and Avery Lipman in the mid-2000s, when the company had just 23 employees and a small roster; Eshak then spent time at Mick Management before the two reunited in 2013 in Columbia’s A&R department, where they rose to co-heads of A&R. While they seem a study in contrasts — Majid, a New Jersey native, is more outgoing and gregarious; Eshak, from Houston, is more reserved and measured — they’re united by a shared passion and sense of purpose for their artists and their staff, the business and the music, as well as an awareness of their own complementary strengths.
Through their industry arcs, Eshak and Majid have seen the business from Republic’s then-scrappy-upstart vantage point, as well as through the legacy lens of Columbia, one of the oldest and most decorated labels in history. The current iteration of Island, with its immense, venerated catalog and relatively small staff, is something of a combination of the two. “The team at Island is our extended family,” says Janelle Lopez Genzink, Carpenter’s manager. “Every member of the team’s laser focus on delivering in each of their areas has helped us experience these monumental wins.”
But the progress toward this point has not been linear. The duo first needed to overhaul Island, even amid a broader restructuring by UMG. The first two years of Eshak and Majid’s tenure didn’t include much improvement in market share as they reshaped the roster, while UMG shifted Island into Republic Recording Company in early 2024, alongside Republic Records, Def Jam and Mercury, providing resources through its Corps team, with the Island chiefs now reporting to Monte Lipman. Yet despite the reshuffle — and maybe partially because of it and the groundwork laid in those early years — Island has more than doubled its current market share, from 0.62% at the end of 2023 to 1.3% through the end of June.
“Both Imran and Justin are top graduates of ‘Republic University’ from back in the day and have always exemplified the passion, drive and ambition to become leaders in this business,” Republic Recording Company founder and chairman Monte Lipman tells Billboard. “Avery and I couldn’t be more proud of their success in creating such an amazing culture for both artists and executives at Island Records.”
Island’s artists appreciate that culture, too. Carpenter calls Eshak and Majid “collaborative and supportive partners” who “encourage an open dialogue, which is important to me.” “It’s very rare that the higher-ups trust the artist fully,” Roan adds. “It proves Justin and Imran’s method that trusting in the artist results in success and longevity — even outside of music.” And Jon Bon Jovi, whom Majid calls “our Bruce Springsteen,” says the two “truly care about their artists and are supportive and passionate in achieving a shared vision.”
“Certain things are always true: great artists, great artistry, great songs, artists with clear vision,” Eshak says. “But on the business side, it’s almost the opposite, where we’re in a business of constant change. You have to be willing to reinvent yourself and reteach yourself things all the time in this business. And I think, ultimately, the labels that are successful have that approach: They understand culture, they understand what actually moves the needle in the marketplace, and they’re constantly evolving.”
Island’s latest evolution is still developing, with several more emerging artists in the pipeline, Grammy hopes on the horizon and a new partnership with Virgin Music to sign regional Mexican star Carín León — the label’s first true foray into Latin music, which was announced in late June. But for the moment, Majid says, there’s a chance to simply take a breath, look around and appreciate how far they’ve come. “It’s two-and-a-half years of going seven days a week to just catch a break,” he says. “To have a moment like this that we don’t take for granted and we’re very sober about — it’s very fulfilling.”
This story will appear in the July 20, 2024, issue of Billboard.
For the past few months, things seem to have only been getting better for Sabrina Carpenter. Last summer, while opening on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, she began going viral for the city-specific outros she would tack on to the end of her song “Nonsense,” a true fan-driven hit that reached No. 56 on the Hot 100 and No. 10 on Pop Airplay. Next came “Feather,” off the deluxe edition of her Emails I Can’t Send album, which went even further, reaching No. 21 on the Hot 100 and becoming her first-ever Pop Airplay No. 1 earlier this year.
But that was just the beginning. “Espresso,” her single she released on top of her Coachella performance in April, exploded to No. 2 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Global 200, cementing her as the pop superstar of the moment, crowned accordingly with a performance (and skit appearance) on Saturday Night Live. But her latest single, “Please Please Please,” then went even further — after debuting at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and giving her the top two songs on the Global 200, “Please Please Please” then ascended to the top of both charts, giving Carpenter her first-ever Hot 100 No. 1 and the distinction of replacing herself atop the global charts.
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The momentum has been dizzying — with every level conquered, another fell right after. Or, as Island Records vp of A&R Jackie Winkler puts it, “‘Nonsense’ walked so ‘Feather’ could jog, then ‘Espresso’ ran so that ‘Please Please Please’ could start a stampede.” And the success earns Winkler, who originally signed Carpenter to Island and has worked with her ever since, the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Winkler talks about the building success of each of these songs, Carpenter’s evolution as a songwriter, the way that A&R has evolved over the years — and what will come next. “I think this album is going to blow people away,” Winkler says of Carpenter’s forthcoming Short N’ Sweet, due out in August. “If you like ‘Please Please Please’ and ‘Espresso,’ just wait for what’s in store.”
This week, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, her first-ever song to top the chart. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
Sabrina and Jack Antonoff had known each other personally for some time, so it was a natural progression for them to eventually work together. Given the chemistry that Sabrina and Amy Allen had already built, putting the three of them together felt like the perfect musical combination to undoubtedly yield something exceptional. It’s also fun to share the success of this song with David Gray and Jenn Knoepfle at UMPG who were instrumental in connecting the dots.
“Please Please Please” also hit No. 1 on the Global 200, replacing “Espresso,” which was No. 1 last week. Why do you think these songs are resonating, and working so well, around the globe?
To put it simply, the two songs speak for themselves. The first time I heard “Please Please Please” and “Espresso,” both sounded like hit records to me. The extraordinary nuances of Sabrina’s vocal delivery and quick-witted lyrics, combined with Jack Antonoff and Julian Bunetta’s brilliant productions, all play an essential role in what makes these songs so infectious and undeniable. They are especially bold, and nobody could pull them off as fearlessly and authentically as Sabrina.
Since last year, Sabrina has been on an increasingly-ascendant run up the charts, from “Nonsense” to “Feather” to “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” How have you worked with her to help her develop her sound in the past year to reach this level?
It really feels like all four songs came at the perfect times in her career. “Nonsense” walked so “Feather” could jog, then “Espresso” ran so that “Please Please Please” could start a stampede. At the core, the music Sabrina makes is perfectly reflective of who she is as a person, and all the quirks and character are what give her such a strong musical identity. Writing with her friends has always felt like the most effortless way to allow her to be herself, so protecting that process at all costs will remain a vital part of her ever-evolving sound.
You originally signed Sabrina to Island several years ago. How have you seen her develop as a songwriter and as an artist since then?
From day one, Sabrina’s superpower has always been knowing exactly who she is and the type of musical collaborators she’s wanted to work with. I’ve witnessed her develop into an extraordinary songwriter who has not only coined entirely new phrases, but also infiltrated popular culture around the world with her lyricism alone. One of the most rewarding parts about seeing her succeed is that none of this has happened by skipping steps or catching a lucky break. It is all owed to her remarkable talent, the music itself and the relentless detail put into every aspect of her creative campaign. [Island co-CEOs] Justin Eshak and Imran Majid are ambitious leaders who strongly encourage our artists and our Island Records staff to take risks musically and strategically, which has made this journey even more gratifying as we continue to charge forward with no limitations.
With such a string of successful singles, how does that influence your approach to her upcoming album?
I think this album is going to blow people away. If you like “Please Please Please” and “Espresso,” just wait for what’s in store. Every ounce of the album oozes with Sabrina’s personality — funny, sincere, cheeky and intelligent, but above all, it’s honest. There isn’t a single song on the album that one could mistake for another artist, which is by far my favorite part.
How has A&R changed over the course of your career, and how has technology changed the role?
Technology continues to be a valuable tool for us to perform our jobs more efficiently. Since the start of my career, our access to information, data and even resources used to break artists have multiplied; however, my approach to signings, choosing singles and pairing creatives has never wavered from following my gut instinct. What will remain constant in A&R is the importance of maintaining genuine relationships, remaining selective and staying true to finding artists with longevity, a point of view and an unparalleled vision.
In the summer of 2022, Sabrina Carpenter released her Island Records debut album, emails I can’t send. Last March, she released its deluxe edition featuring four new tracks — including standout single “Feather,” which has since become the pop star’s biggest hit to date.
Following a controversial music video for “Feather” that arrived in October, for which Carpenter filmed the risqué clip inside a Brooklyn church (with approval, of course), the song has now reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart after a 24-week climb — and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
This moment has not only been a long time coming for Carpenter, but also her manager, Janelle Lopez Genzink. The exec recalls how emails I can’t send came out just one year after the launch of her “female-focused” Volara Management firm (which operates under the Red Light umbrella), calling it “a very special season.”
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“During that year, I was laser-focused on building out Volara with a series of strategic hires that focused on digital strategies and overall artist brand building, while also maintaining a close watch on data and analytics, which transformed Sabrina’s career,” she says. And now, those years of hard work are paying off — and have helped Lopez Genzink earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, she talks about the success of “Feather,” Carpenter’s opening gig on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and more. “Coachella is next up,” she teases, “and the rest you’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Feather” has become the highest-charting song of Sabrina’s career, reaching No. 1 on Pop Airplay after a 24-week climb. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
The song was written and recorded right ahead of Sabrina embarking on the North American leg of her tour. When tour rehearsals began, her live performance of the song made it clear to all of us that it was a record that would quickly resonate with her fans as well as the larger pop music audience. But instead of going straight to radio, we took an approach that was way more reminiscent of a traditional pop single campaign. She went on tour and shot a meaningful video which ultimately gave the song the momentum and recognition to take to radio. These more traditional steps supported the song’s growth and helped us continue to tell the story of Sabrina as a holistic artist.
Its music video made headlines for being filmed in a church, which led to the removal of the monsignor who approved access. How did that conversation help drive interest in the song early on — and how have you helped sustain that interest?
Every pop music star has a controversial story in their back pocket. Although not intentional, the setting of the music video clearly drove additional exposure and a pop culture conversation that reminded us of those from some of our favorite pop divas. Sabrina’s witty and intelligent humor in interviews continued the conversation and drove the social story to continue and grow the audience. As we now all know, “Jesus was a carpenter.”
“Feather” was released on her album’s deluxe edition, emails I can’t send fwd:. How has the deluxe release helped sustain this momentum?
The deluxe version of the album allowed us to breathe additional life into the campaign. Alongside the release, we strategically lined up an extension of the tour in North America, while launching Europe and Asia dates to keep the album campaign feeling fresh. The thoughtful timing of the deluxe release, aligned with the active “Nonsense” single campaign, gave us a chance to speak to both current and new fans of Sabrina’s music.
“Nonsense” was a single from Sabrina’s 2022 album emails I can’t send, which was her first release on Island after years with Hollywood Records. How did you help guide that trajectory and transition?
We took a look at each piece of Sabrina’s business — e-commerce, touring, publishing, publicity. Each area needed growth and we worked hard to evaluate and put partners in place that could support an A-level career. For Sabrina, this meant aligning with UMPG for publishing, CAA and AEG for touring, Merch Traffic for touring merchandise and Bravado for e-commerce. With these changes, we saw significant growth in all areas, including a 500% increase in sales with specially-curated merch drops — spearheaded by Sabrina and her sister Sarah — around music releases, holidays and special fandom moments.
The Island team — led by Justin Eshak, Imran Majid and Mike Alexander — worked closely alongside us for the release of emails and the early success and significant streaming story of the album gave us insight to the level of growth that Sabrina was seeing. The October 2022 emails I can’t send tour marked the beginning of Sabrina’s custom city-specific outros for her song “Nonsense,” which racked up millions of views on TikTok, a music video and a top 10 U.S. pop radio single. This launched Sabrina into a sold-out worldwide tour in 2023 that included a festival slot at Hyde Park alongside Blackpink, Lollapalooza and ended the year supporting Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour in Latin America.
Even as “Feather” climbs, “Nonsense” continues to make headlines for those city-specific outros. Did the response from fans influence which song to push heading into this year?
I think “Nonsense” in so many different ways was a fully fan-chosen hit song. It’s track nine on her album and wasn’t highlighted as a single going into the campaign. The contrast of the lightheartedness of a song like “Nonsense” on an album with a title track that’s so deeply emotional and personal made it an obvious standout to fans. Once she started doing city-specific outros, the song really took off. And once we released the Christmas version with a video spearheaded and shot at home by Sabrina and her sister Sarah, we knew it was going to be huge. I think that’s the beauty of a lot of our story with Sabrina’s rise — how the fans have played such a massive role in choosing the songs we ultimately focus on. It feels collaborative in a lot of ways.
As you mentioned, Sabrina has also been supporting Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour. What kind of boost has she gained from that exposure?
Being a guest as an opening act on the Eras Tour has been such a gift in so many ways. Sabrina has been a true fan from such a young age and being able to see that dream realized was incredible as a manager. Being able to tour internationally at that level has allowed Sabrina to play her music to so many people in such a short window of time and we’re so grateful for all the ways that has impacted her music and career.
What’s the key to managing a pop star today?
Flexibility, care and strategy. It’s about understanding your artist and knowing when to say yes to the right things and when to say no, even when it’s tough.
Better Noise Music has announced several new leadership changes. Founder Allen Kovac (New York) is now chairman of the label, Dan Waite (London) has been named CEO and Steve Kline (New York) has added the title of president to his existing COO title. Better Noise’s roster includes mainstream rock acts such as Five Finger Death Punch, Dirty Heads, The Hu and Asking Alexandria.
In a statement, Kovac, who was included on Billboard‘s 2022 Indie Power Players list, said the label “is continuing to grow our international cumulative sales through our global offices.” Billboard named Better Noise the No. 1 mainstream rock airplay label and No. 1 mainstream rock airplay imprint of 2022.
“In this new role,” said Waite, “I’ll aim to maximize the careers and album consumption of our signed acts on our label as we grow the label, expanding through new signings, opening up new markets and working closely with the amazing specialists that we have in each department at BNM which has kept us #1 Rock Label for the last five years.”
Kline, who has been Better Noise’s COO since 2016, has worked for 18 years under the Kovac Media umbrella, first at artist management firm 10th Street Entertainment. “I want to thank Allen for putting his faith in me, as he has over the past 19 years, in this enhanced role at Better Noise,” said Kline. “I am incredibly excited to work with Allen and Dan in leading our amazing global team to future success.”
Nicole Kim was named vp of A&R at Columbia Records. Kim arrives at the label from Big Hit Music/HYBE, where she served as head of A&R and head of creative for BTS. During her more than five-year tenure at the Korean company, she worked on BTS’ collaborations with Coldplay, Halsey, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion and more. Prior to Big Hit/HYBE, she held creative roles at Starship Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing Korea. Kim will be based out of Columbia’s Los Angeles office and can be reached at nicole.kim@sonymusic.com.
Shahendra Ohneswere was named to the newly-created role of head of creative strategy at Island Records, where he will lead overall creative strategy and digital marketing initiatives for the label. He is based in New York and will report to co-CEOs Imran Majid and Justin Eshak. Ohneswere joins Island from Columbia, where he has served as senior vp of content development/co-head of digital marketing since 2018. He was named to Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players lists in 2021 and 2022.
Jennifer Cabalquinto was named CFO at EMPIRE, where she will oversee all day-to-day and long-term financial planning and accounting operations while strategizing the company’s expansion into sports, video games, TV/film and live entertainment. She has held CFO positions at 2K Games, Universal Studios Hollywood, Telemundo and the Golden State Warriors.
Garrett Levin is stepping down from his role as president/CEO of The Digital Media Association (DiMA) as he plots a move to Geneva, Switzerland, where he will relocate this summer due to his wife’s job. Levin will continue leading the organization through his departure as the DiMA board searches for a successor. “I have been honored to lead this organization over the past four-plus years and am deeply proud of our many successes during that time,” said Levin on LinkedIn. “We reached a landmark settlement with music publishers and songwriters, continued the important work of turning the Music Modernization Act into operational reality, forged stronger relationships between streaming services and other music stakeholders, and continuously told the story of the vital role that streaming plays in today’s music industry.”
Virgin Music Group announced the promotion of three executives: Leslie Cooper to senior vp of artist development and special projects, Marisa Di Frisco to vp of national promotion and Lauren Holman to vp of streaming marketing. In her new role, the Los Angeles-based Cooper will oversee K-pop releases while also identifying new artist development opportunities within the company and leading collaborative efforts in that area. The New York-based Di Frisco will continue overseeing promotion campaigns at Alternative, Rock, AAA and Non-commercial/College radio. The Los Angeles-based Holman, finally, will lead the streaming and playlisting strategy team. Cooper can be reached at Leslie.Cooper@virginmusic.com, Di Frisco can be reached at marisa.difrisco@virginmusic.com and Holman can be reached at lauren.holman@virginmusic.com.
Warner Chappell Production Music (WCPM) launched SCOREMONGERS, a new music resource that includes a premium underscore label and custom music-to-picture services. Led by WCPM head of production Pat Weaver, the SCOREMONGERS team includes WCPM producers and composers such as newcomer Sean Gould and existing WCPM staffer Scott Reinwand, who assists in overseeing all SCOREMONGERS music services, including custom music-to-picture, music customization and music editing to picture. The company launches with more than 60 albums and over 10 genres inspired by trending films and TV series, including “companion albums with wide tonal range, complimentary palettes, transitions, and recurring themes, along with extensive stem and submix options,” according to a press release. The music was created by film and TV composers including Michael Brook, Lisbeth Scott, Greg Tripi, Tony Morales and John Kaefer. Weaver can be reached at pat@scoremongers.io, Gould can be reached at sean@scoremongers.io and Reinwand can be reached at scott@scoremongers.io.
Elizabeth “Beth” Heidt was promoted to chief marketing officer at Gibson Brands, where she will join the leadership team; she was previously vp of cultural influence. In her new role, Heidt will oversee Gibson Brands’ global brand and marketing teams, entertainment and artist relations, social media, partnerships, public relations, multi-media divisions and the Gibson Gives Foundation.
Rostrum Records founder/CEO Benjy Grinberg launched Rostrum Pacific, a parent company that will incorporate an expanding portfolio of entertainment properties, including a soon-to-be-announced catalog marketing agency. Longtime Rostrum Records GM Jonathan Partch will lead Rostrum Pacific as COO; he can be reached at jonathan@rostrum.com.
ONErpm launched a digital strategy department and tapped longtime staffer Casey Childers to lead it. The Nashville-based Childers was most recently senior project manager at the company. “Our goal is to be able to provide the help artists need to grow their social footprint in a way that is true and organic to them,” said ONErpm head of U.S. marketing Jenna LoMonaco in a statement. “With Casey and the Digital Strategy team’s work, we can now provide hands-on help with social growth, engagement, and new forms of revenue.” Childers can be reached at casey@onerpm.com.
Donald Robins was named director of promotion at Warner Music Canada, where he will lead the company’s promotion team. Robins has worked in radio promotion his entire career; he joined Warner Music Canada in 2006 as a promotion representative for Quebec.
Electronic dance music festival Tomorrowland launched CORE Records, a boutique record label that will focus on “crossing and fusing genres, cultures and boundaries,” according to a press release. CORE, which will work closely with partners Virgin Music/Universal Music Group, will be led by Michel Van Buyten, who oversees Tomorrowland’s music division, including the Tomorrowland Music label. He will be joined by the newly-appointed Pieter-Jan Nuytten, who will serve as CORE’s dedicated A&R manager; Nuytten arrives at the label from PIAS/Strictly Confidential Music Publishing. The label’s first signings including Berlin-based solo dandy producer Afriqua and Belgian electronic duo Mosley Jr; both will perform at CORE Festival in Brussels on May 28. Van Buyten can be reached at michel.vanbuyten@tomorrowland.com and Nuytten can be reached at jan.nuytten@tomorrowland.com.
Steve Tadlock was named senior vp of venue relations at LiveCo, where he will manage facility relationships, content-backed booking deals and continue driving the company’s growth. Mark Dinerstein was also promoted from executive vp to president of LiveCo’s newly-formed corporate development group, where he will oversee the development and execution of company-wide initiatives and new acquisitions, venue deals, strategic partnerships and more. Tadlock joins LiveCo from ASM Global, where he most recently served as GM of Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
Amber Davis was promoted to senior vp at Warner Chappell Music UK, where she will take on a broader role in shaping the publisher’s overall U.K. strategy while continuing to oversee the A&R department as head of A&R. David will report to Warner Chappell Music UK managing director Shani Gonzales.
Donna Vergies was appointed vp of international marketing at Chrysalis Records/Blue Raincoat Music, where she joins the staff full-time following her previous position as a freelance international consultant for the company. Based in London, Vergies will work with artists on the Chrysalis/Blue Raincot roster, overseeing international campaigns and managing relationships with the company’s global partners and distributors. She can be reached at Donna@blueraincoatmusic.com.
Shannan Hatch was promoted from vp of creative serivces to senior vp/head of Nashville creative at SESAC, where she has worked for more than 20 years. In the role, Hatch will continue leading the Nashville-based creative services team while working closely with SESAC senior management to support creator-focused initiatives. She can be reached at shatch@sesac.com.
Rodrigo Dominguez was promoted to managing director of peermusic Spain and Portugal; he previously served as managing director of Portugal alone. He continues to hold the title of Latin American creative coordinator, managing activities for peermusic’s network of operations in those territories. Dominguez is based in Lisbon and Madrid and can be reached at rfernandes@peermusic.com.
Danny Berkeley-Scott was named vp at music management company Hallwood Media, where he will look to grow the firm with signings and in-house brand partnerships. In addition to launching Hallwood’s engineer management division, Berkeley-Scott oversees partnerships with Headspace, Bandlab and Soundwide.
FaZe Clan head of communications Chelsey Northern departed the youth gaming and lifestyle company to lead her recently-established public relations company The Untold, which will represent FaZe Clan along with clients including Deadfellaz, Proof Holding, Futureverse and the innovation teams at Warner Music Group and Atlantic Records.
Hillary Smoot joined the Schneider Rondan Organization as Las Vegas director/senior account executive. She brings her clients from the entertainment and hospitality worlds, including Feld Entertainment. Smoot was most recently recruited to create Red Moon PR, overseeing public relations campaigns for Los Angeles’ Viper Room, El Dorado Cantina and Red Mercury Entertainment shows including Purple Reign and MJ Live.
Joe Davis joined entertainment, business and financial management firm KBFM to lead its newly-established in-house tax department. Davis will merge his CPA firm, BootstrapTax, with KBFM. He will support the firm’s clients with all tax matters while overseeing accounting and tax planning for several small businesses and entrepreneurs both within and outside the music industry. He can be reached at joe@kbfmgmt.com.
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