Management
Page: 8
Kesha has signed with Crush Management, the company confirmed with Billboard. She will be co-managed by Charlie Adelman, Jonathan Daniel and Bob Mclynn. In December, the pop icon parted ways with longtime manager Jack Rovner and Vector Management. “Jack Rovner confirms, after 16 years, Kesha and Vector Management have agreed amicably to part ways, with […]
More than three decades into their career, the Wiggles continue to evolve and make history with No. 1 records, awards, arenas shows and more. Now, the beloved kids entertainers set another new mark, with the appointment of Luke O’Neill to the newly-created position of chief executive officer.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The incoming CEO will be expected to lead the organization’s digital transformation and global expansion.
Among his tasks, O’Neill will be expected to expand the Wiggles’ digital footprint, develop new products, grow the commercial operations of the business, and build greater distribution channels to reach larger audiences.
“The Wiggles have always been pioneers in delivering high-quality, educational, and entertaining content for children,” O’Neill comments. “I am thrilled to lead the team as we explore new opportunities in the digital and commercial spaces and expand our global presence. Together, we will continue to create memorable experiences for children and families around the world.”
The incoming chief carries experience in accelerating growth and leading digital transformations for businesses in real estate, hospitality, and events industries, and has served as a consultant with the Wiggles since mid-2023.
O’Neill has already played “a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction for the brand’s future,” reads a statement announcing his appointment, by “leading the development of a new digital strategy, while refocusing efforts in consumer product licensing and sponsorship opportunities.”
The Wiggles and their big red car aren’t slowing down. The group celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021, then found a new gear. Along the way, the group won triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown for the first time (with a cover of Tame Impala’s “Elephant”); landed a No. 1 album on the ARIA Chart (also a first), became the first band in Australian history to perform two national arena tours in a single year; and scooped the Ted Albert Award for outstanding service to Australian music (a first for a kid’s entertainment act). Last year, the Wiggles teamed up with the Pinkfong Company for a four-part Baby Shark collaborative series.
Since 1991, the Wiggles have sold over 30 million albums and DVDs and 8 million books globally.
Luana Pagani, one of Latin music’s most respected female executives, is launching her own company following a 12-year run with Latin entertainment powerhouse SeitrackUS.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The new venture, called Fairwinds, will focus on the development of new and established artists in the U.S. and international markets, with Pagani using her expertise in marketing, promotion and management.
“After 12 amazing years of partnership with Seitrack in the U.S. where we established a profitable operation in the market, and I had the chance to grow professionally and work with people that I love and respect, I have decided to move on and start my own agency, remaining as an outside consultant for SeitrackUS,” Pagani tells Billboard.
This is not the first time Pagani branches out on her own. The multi-lingual exec for years was the senior vp of global marketing, Latin, for Sony and a central figure in the development of superstars like Shakira, Ricky Martin and Chayanne, at the height of the first “Latin explosion” of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Then, in 2007, when she was the most senior-ranking woman in a major Latin label, she left Sony to launch her own consultancy firm. She eventually partnered with SeitrackUS, which is part of giant OCESA Seitrack, and took the role of president here in the U.S., working with artists like Ha*Ash, Los Angeles Azules and Alejandro Fernández in their management, booking and overall development.
Although Pagani will continue to work as an outside consultant for Seitrack, she will also have other artists and companies as clients.
“Artist development is, and has always been my passion,” says Pagani. “At a time when there are so many possibilities to reach new audiences, it is a privilege to be able to work with dynamic artists who are redefining the musical scene. I thank Ocesa-Seitrack and its people for this wonderful ride and look forward to continuing working with everyone in this great industry, most of you my friends.”
RBD and Guillermo Rosas, the group’s business partner who helped reunite the band after 15 years, have officially parted ways, Billboard can confirm. The news of the split comes just a month after the Mexican pop group — composed of Anahí, Dulce María, Maite Perroni, Christopher von Uckermann and Christian Chávez — wrapped their massive […]
Nuria Andreu has joined GTS and is appointed manager of Spanish singer-songwriter Aitana, Billboard can report. In her new role, as part of the GTS (Global Talent Services) team in Spain, she will be exclusively dedicated to the growth and further development of Aitana’s career, which was previously managed by Olga Palma at GTS.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Based in Madrid, Andreu will report directly to Narcís Rebollo, president, Universal Music Iberian Peninsula.
After beginning her career in the pharmaceutical sector with experience in other fields, such as communications and strategy, Andreu founded her own marketing and production agency in 2018. In 2020, she joined Sony Music Spain as head of communications and PR and, in 2023, was appointed communication director of Rosalía’s company, Motomami S.L. Before joining Universal, she was Rosalía’s personal manager.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to join a company like GTS and the project of an artist with Aitana’s talent and strength,” Andreu said in a statement. “Wishing to contribute and continue adding success hand in hand with the magnificent team that She already has.”
Aitana, who signed with GTS in 2018, added, “looking forward and excited to start a new stage in my career and my artistic development [and] continue growing little by little and learning about music together.”
With more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the 24-year-old artist wrapped her Alpha Tour in 2023 with a sold-out show at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, which sold all tickets in a record-breaking 72 hours, becoming the first Spanish artist to do so.
“I am certain that with her experience and skills, Nuria’s incorporation to GTS will be key to Aitana’s continued success, boosting her unstoppable career development and consolidating the GTS strategy of growth and service to our artists, as a leading company in the sector,” expressed Rebollo.
Alternative-pop artist Mod Sun has signed a management deal with Shelter Music Group, the company tells Billboard. The firm is home to iconic artists and acts including ZZ Top, Joe Perry and Fleetwood Mac. Mod Sun will be represented by Carl Stubner alongside Jackson Stubner and A&R James Robinson. “We at Shelter Music Group are beyond […]
Rapper, actor and activist Common has signed with SMAC Entertainment. The Grammy-, Emmy- and Academy Award-winning artist will work with the talent management, music, branding and production company to pursue “strategic brand partnerships and endorsements, non-scripted projects and brand development for future projects and collaborations,” according to a press release announcing the signing.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Stated SMAC Entertainment CEO Constance Schwartz-Morini in the release, “We are beyond thrilled to welcome Common to the SMAC family. His commitment to keeping it real and making a difference aligns perfectly with our motivating force at SMAC, and we believe Common is not just a great fit; he’s a game-changer. We can’t wait to take off on this exciting journey together!”
Beginning immediately, the new association will be overseen by Schwartz-Morini and fellow SMAC executives April Guidone and Derek Sanderson. They will be working in tandem with Common’s teams at UTA, Ceremony Music, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, The Lede Company and Tamara Brown at Think Common Entertainment.
Upcoming on Common’s project slate is the Jan. 23 release of his latest book, And Then We Rise. Focusing on health and wellness, the book addresses various topics such as achieving overall well-being and health disparities within the Black community as well as share Common’s insights and advice gleaned from his own personal wellness journey.
On the acting front, Common appears in Apple TV+’s sci-fi drama series Silo, which has been renewed for a second season. He also debuted on Broadway in the 2022 production of Between Riverside and Crazy. During the show’s run, Common hosted “Justice Nights on Broadway,” which featured a special performance and discussion about the show for invited justice advocates, formerly incarcerated people, their family members and community activists.
The Chicago native is actively involved in his Common Ground Foundation’s Dreamers & Believers mentoring program. He’s also a co-founder of the tuition-free creative arts school, Art In Motion.
Established in 2011, SMAC Entertainment represents rapper Wiz Khalifa, television personality Michael Strahan and Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, among other clients. The company’s recent television and film productions include the documentary BS High on MAX, the second season of Coach Prime for Prime Video as well as that streamer’s forthcoming feature film, The Underdoggs, produced by and starring Snoop Dogg.
Sports and music company The Familie has expanded to Nashville, and is set to make Music City the company’s national headquarters.
“Nashville is a city that is inspired by culture, diversity, arts and entertainment, and – from a business perspective – encourages entrepreneurship and growth with no state-income tax and a low barrier to entry for real estate, including commercial real estate,” The Familie founder/CEO Steve Astephen tells Billboard via email.
The Familie’s roster includes Machine Gun Kelly, Avril Lavigne, Jaden Hossler, Games We Play and sombr.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Former Universal Music Group Nashville executive vp of promotion Royce Risser will lead the company’s new country music division and oversee the Nashville office’s operations. Chase Berlin has been hired as the company’s first artist manager in Nashville.
Risser has more than three decades of music industry experience, starting at MCA Records as an intern in 1991 before being hired as a promotion assistant. Risser rose through the ranks at UMGN, leading promotion efforts and rising to executive vp of promotion. Along the way, Risser worked with artists including George Strait, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi and Brothers Osborne.
Berlin will work under Risser to sign and develop country artists and build out the genre’s division for The Familie. A University of Florida graduate, Berlin previously worked at management company The AMG and at WME.
“It’s been immediately clear to me that The Familie does things differently,” said Risser in a statement. “I appreciate the team’s non-transactional approach to management, thoughtfully building artist brands and legacies through collaboration and a vast network of cross-industry alliances. Steve Astephen could easily be the smartest, most connected person I’ve ever met and can’t wait to work alongside him in this role. I know this team will be a refreshing addition to the Nashville scene while also integrating with and honoring the history and pedigree of Music Row. I’m absolutely fired up and honored to be at the helm of The Familie’s arrival in Nashville.”
Astephen tells Billboard, “Diversity of thought and experience is what helped us transform sports representation in the 2000s and it’s what will help us do the same in music — which is essentially to not just think outside the box, but to create the box…I entered sports representation from a brand and retail perspective, then music management from a sports agency perspective. Royce has been in radio, which, of course, drives country music. He’s been in marketing and promotions. These are the types of things that add additional opportunities for an artist who signs with us. If you sign with The Familie as a musical artist, we’re looking at: How do we bring you into the sports world? How do we bring you into radio marketing? We’re not just managing an artist’s career, we’re expanding it.”
The first artist signed to the company’s country division is singer-songwriter Evanthia Theodorou.
“She’s the perfect example of the type of artist we look for, which is someone with a 360 degree brand, who is highly marketable, personable, has good values, and appeals to a wide audience through various channels of promotion,” Astephen says, estimating that the country music division could represent up to seven artists.
Astephen launched The Familie in 1998; the company also works with sports figures including football player Daniel Carlson, surfer Eli Hanneman, rally driver Oliver Solberg and tennis player Cooper Williams.
Looking ahead, Astephen says The Familie is making its move into Nashville at the perfect time. “I see the industry shifting to show how marketable the country music genre is globally,” he says. “Obviously, we have to respect what Nashville is to country music, but country artists are global superstars and only growing. So with us coming in–along with other companies–I think you’ll see more brand partnerships, more national television commercials. I’m really excited for us to be part of this and to help challenge the industry to do more than just traditional music management.”
Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi has filed a lawsuit against her former manager and music producer Sergio Andrade, claiming he was a “true predator” who subjected Trevi and other girls to “total control and sadistic abuse” in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The filing also serves as a counter-lawsuit to the complaint filed Dec. 30, 2022, by two Jane Does who sued Trevi and Andrade for “grooming” and “exploiting” them when they were between the ages of 13 and 15 in the early 1990s.
Now, Trevi — who has for many years categorically denied such claims — alleges in the lawsuit, filed Dec. 27 in Los Angeles, that she is also one of Andrade’s victims. According to Trevi’s suit, Andrade took advantage of his position as a successful music executive often called “Mr. Midas” for being able to recognize and promote young, female artists promising them to turn them into stars.
“That position allowed him to draw many young girls into his sphere of influence, who gathered around him in the hopes that he would guide, mentor, and launch their careers in entertainment, as he had previously done for others,” the lawsuit reads. “But once these young girls and women had been drawn into his sphere by dreams of stardom, he subjected them to total control and sadistic abuse – mental, financial, physical, and sexual. Ms. Trevi was one of those young women.”
According to Trevi’s lawsuit, the “Todos Me Miran” singer met Andrade as a child just as she was gaining recognition in Mexico as a singer, and soon he took over her career. “But Andrade also recognized Ms. Trevi as an isolated and vulnerable girl who was easy prey to his manipulation, control, and abuse,” Trevi’s lawsuit claims. “He took full advantage, subjecting the rising child superstar that he had taken on to grotesque abuse calculated to break her spirit.”
The filing includes graphic allegations, such as Trevi being “brutally beaten” by Andrade, at times to the point of unconsciousness, that she was sexually assaulted by him and raped repeatedly. The abuse inflicted by Andrade “eventually drove Ms. Trevi to attempt suicide,” the suit states.
Trevi, who is being represented by Johnny Depp’s former attorney Camille M. Vásquez, explained in a statement to Billboard that she chose to take legal action to fight for justice. “No one should have to go through what I experienced and I am determined to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions,” she expressed.
Vásquez added, “Our client, Gloria Trevi, has shown great strength and courage in stepping forward and filing this counterclaim. We are fully prepared to present our case and seek justice on her behalf.”
Trevi’s legal woes resurface more than 20 years after Trevi, Andrade and backup singer María Raquenel Portillo, also known as Mary Boquitas, were arrested in January 2000 in Rio de Janeiro for allegedly luring young girls into a cult-like pornographic ring. Former vocalist Karina Yapor, who filed criminal charges against the so-called “Trevi-Andrade clan,” alleged that backup recruits wanting to join the band were forced to have sexual relations with Andrade.
In 2004, Trevi was acquitted by a judge and found not guilty on charges of rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors. This resulted in Trevi’s immediate release from prison in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Trevi’s new lawsuit comes six days after a judge dismissed Portillo’s defamation claims against the two Jane Does after she was sued alongside Trevi and Andrade.
Read Gloria Trevi’s counterclaim below:
Santa Fe Klan has signed a management deal with Prajin Parlay Inc., effective immediately, Billboard has learned today (Dec. 22). The indie record label is also home to música Mexicana phenomenon, Peso Pluma.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Santa Fe Klan has accomplished an incredible amount for música Mexicana and his community over the last few years,” CEO and manager of Peso, George Prajin, said in a press statement. “He is an impressive young man and we are looking forward to helping him continue cultivating his skills as both a musician and businessman.”
“As I enter this next chapter in my career I’m excited to join the Prajin Parlay roster and I’m excited for my fans to see everything we have planned for 2024,” added the renowned Mexican rapper born Ángel Quezada.
Additionally, Prajin is a partner in Doble P Records alongside Peso, who expressed “I’ve always admired Santa Fe Klan and I know he’s going to make a great addition to our family.”
On the 2023 Billboard Year-End charts, Prajin Parlay Inc.—also home to Jasiel Nuñez, Tito Doble P, and more—landed No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs Publisher chart. The label, next to Doble P Records, had a breakthrough year ranking high on many of the year-end Billboard charts including Hot Latin Songs Imprint, Regional Mexican Albums Labels, and Independent Labels, to name a few.
Born in Guanajato, Mexico, Santa Fe Klan (his artistic name is an ode to his barrio) recorded and uploaded his own music to YouTube and SoundCloud when he was a teenager. His love for rap and hip-hop music was inspired by artists such as Cartel de Santa and MC Davo, and his ultra-personal and raw lyricism ultimately landed him collaborations with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Lupillo Rivera, and Calibre 50.
His first entry on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs arrived in April 2022 with “Mar y Tierra,” part of his fifth studio album Mundo, which debuted at No. 4 on Latin Pop Albums and No. 11 on Latin Rhythms Albums.
Earlier this year, Santa Fe earned his first career No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart with the Los Ángeles Azules and Cazzu-assisted “Tú y Tú.”