US agencies play down merger talk
APA (Agency for the Performing Arts) has played down talk of a merger with fellow US talent agency Artist Group International (AGI).
New York’s AGI is owned by the Yucaipa Companies, the private-equity group controlled by billionaire investor Ron Burkle, which made a strategic investment in Los Angeles-headquartered APA in 2021.
Celebrity Access reports that rumours of the merger have been circulating in the business. However, an APA representative denied a deal was taking place at this time, but noted that the two companies collaborate closely.
The report notes that any agreement would be complicated by AGI’s relationship with other firms such as London-based X-ray Touring
The report notes that any agreement would be complicated by AGI’s relationship with other firms such as London-based X-ray Touring. X-ray extended its joint-venture partnership with the Yucaipa Companies in 2021, and formed a new strategic alliance with AGI, which was founded by Dennis Arfa in 1986 and is part of Yucaipa’s Y Entertainment Group.
APA represents clients such as 50 Cent, 2 Chainz, Nickelback, Belinda Carlisle, Fetty Wap, Billy Talent, Deep Purple, Manic Street Preachers, Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson, while AGI’s roster includes the likes of Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Linkin Park, Metallica, Noel Gallagher, Motley Crue, The Strokes and Iggy Pop.
Yucaipa also has interests in two other London-based agencies, ITG and K2, US promoter Danny Wimmer Presents and agency Day After Day Productions, and Spain’s Primavera Sound festival, as well as management company LBI Entertainment and sports agencies ISE and Steinberg Sports.
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Q&A: ATC Live’s Alex Bruford’s transparency call
In the most recent issue of IQ, we talk to some of the architects who are helping to shape the industry of the future, to quiz them on their blueprints and predictions for how we may all be operating in a few years’ time. Here, Alex Bruford, founder and MD of ATC Live agency, maps out a route towards a future-proof live music business.
IQ: The cost-of-living crisis has emerged as yet another threat to live music. How can agents work with their clients to keep ticket prices affordable for fans?
AB: By exercising restraint, being sympathetic to the requirements of the audience, and considering our business as a whole. We hear a lot about maximising gross potential and not leaving any money on the table. But I believe we have to be cognisant of the wider ecosystem producing the artists who now make the money. In my view, the more money individual shows or tours take out of the market, the less there is for others, especially newer artists.
Be sensible on ticket pricing, and if using dynamic or platinum, set upper limits that are fair to the customers, not just driven by inflated secondary demand. Having a clear and open dialogue with the artists on pricing is important – some of our artists request reduced ticket prices for low-income earners or to scale their shows across a broad range of price points to ensure there is a category for all. Similarly, with dynamic or platinum, ensuring the artist understands how it works and that they are happy with upper-limit decisions is crucial.
We have to acknowledge the huge rise in touring costs for the artists. But rather than just raising the ticket [price], we should be having an open discussion with artist and management about what can be done to reduce costs to make the touring more viable.
“We need festivals to be paying a fair fee, not relying on artists taking a hit because it’s a good look”
A-list acts seem to be doing bigger business than ever at arena-and stadium-level. What more can be done by the live music industry to support and develop the next generation of headliners whose club and theatre gigs may not be selling out?
We need to leave some money in our customers’ pockets so they can still go and see the up-and-coming acts after they’ve bought their expensive red-hot tickets that are going to sell out.
Also, we need the next generation to be able to supplement their tour costs by getting 100% of their merch sales, not 75% of it.
We need to not be enforcing touring and festival exclusivities on newer artists whose other summer shows will have very little impact on the major event(s) but will likely fund their entire year as an artist. We need festivals to be paying a fair fee, not relying on artists taking a hit because it’s a good look.
By securing external sponsorship and funding, MVT’s Revive Live team [in the UK] does an incredible job of supplementing tour costs and allowing new artists to play shows they wouldn’t normally be able to play. Some of my artists performed extensive grassroots tours as a direct result of this support, and it would be fantastic to see more initiatives like this.
For the most part, the live music industry did very well to survive pandemic lockdowns, but now that business is returning to something approaching normality, what long-term strategies should everyone be looking at to ensure the post-Covid landscape is a healthy environment that can attract new professional talent?
For me, the people who make up this business are everything. It doesn’t matter if you are day-one work experience or head of a multinational, all people should be valued, respected, supported, and encouraged to grow. Workplaces where this happens are usually healthy and positive working environments. People want to give their all and stay in the business long-term in these environments. Having lost so much talent during the pandemic, we need to support the next generation coming into the business and ensure they – and their skills – stay in music.
“We won’t have an equitable and future-proof live music business that can support our rising stars until we achieve transparency across the board”
What needs to change about the live music business in the short-and medium-term?
The live music business only exists because of the artists who create unforgettable moments on stage. We must cherish and support those artists.
To continue to do this over the long-term, I believe we have to fix many of the broken and old-fashioned models that this industry runs on. We need artists to be paid a fair share of the entire show gross, not just the ticket gross. Aside from a handful of the biggest artists in the world, there is no transparency at all on the multiple revenue streams that are generated from an artist’s headline performance. Booking fees; venue levies; food and beverage income; merch commission; parking charges; and other revenue streams are all being generated solely because the artist is performing. Yet 99% of the time artists are not sharing in this at their own headline concerts. We need an industry that is transparent, not one that works on concealed rebate payments.
How can we have a transparent discussion about what is a fair share for everyone, artist, promoter, venue, when there is no transparency on total show revenue? We won’t have an equitable and future-proof live music business that can support our rising stars until we achieve transparency across the board.
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Agent Ed Thompson joins ATC Live
ATC Live have welcomed agent Ed Thompson to the company.
Thompson joins from Free Trade Agency and brings with him a roster including Jungle, Iron & Wine, Car Seat Headrest, Kero Kero Bonito and Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs.
A live agent for the past 14 years, Thompson has worked with Jungle from their very first show, and saw the band sell 29,000 tickets in London in 2022 on their most recent album campaign, including a headline show at the South Facing Festival in Crystal Palace.
“I am thrilled to be joining the team at ATC Live,” says Thompson. “I have always admired how they do business and their incredible track record of spotting and developing new acts.
“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and working with their teams to carve out exciting new opportunities for both new and existing clients. It’s a great move for me and my artists and I can’t wait to get started.”
“Ed’s artists and ethos are perfectly aligned with those of ours”
ATC Live currently represents more than 400 artists, with a team of 35 across offices in London, Glasgow and Paris.
“We are delighted to welcome Ed to ATC Live. Ed is a superb agent who curates and represents his roster of artists with care, creativity and a strategic approach that comes from 14 years of agency experience.,” adds ATC Live MD Alex Bruford. “Ed’s artists and ethos are perfectly aligned with those of ours, so we couldn’t be happier that he has chosen to join us at ATC Live.”
The agency’s roster includes acts such as as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Fontaines DC, The Lumineers, Yard Act, Metronomy, PJ Harvey, Jamie Webster, Big Thief, Black Country New Road, Black Midi, Aldous Harding, Georgia, Special Interest and Amyl & The Sniffers.
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The New Bosses 2022: Zoe Williamson, UTA
The 15th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses was published in IQ 114 this month, revealing 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.
To get to know this year’s cohort a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2022’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.
Catch up on the previous New Bosses 2022 interview with Vegard Storaas, promoter at Live Nation Norway. The series concludes with Zoe Williamson, booking agent at UTA in the US.
Zoe Rae Williamson joined UTA in 2016, working her way up from the mailroom to music agent. She helps strategise and book tours and live opportunities for clients like Arlo Parks, St. Vincent, Spoon, Big Freedia, Pom Pom Squad, Nova Twins, Hovvdy, and more. She also covers North American Pride events for artists including Tinashe, Shygirl, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, among others.
She finds inspiration in UTA’s collaborative and stimulating environment and holds leadership roles in several company programmes to promote positivity and inclusivity in the music industry. She co-founded La Femme Majeure, an event series focused on empowering women, and Justice Now, an internal initiative to combat systemic racism.
You started out in the famous mailroom at UTA. Is this still a viable path for people wanting to break into the music industry in 2022?
Absolutely. I wouldn’t have traded my experience for anything, and there is still immense value to starting in the mailroom at an agency. At UTA, music agents work across the entire company to find opportunities for clients in other business verticals like acting, writing, film, and many other spaces. Since there are so many resources available for clients, it’s helpful to begin your career journey by learning as much as possible about every department, and the mailroom is a great place to start absorbing that knowledge. It’s also important to remember that working in the mailroom or another entry-level agency position doesn’t mean you have to be an agent. So many promoters, managers, label executives, and more got their start working as agency interns, assistants, and trainees. You never know where you’ll end up.
“We wanted to create an environment in which all women – regardless of their levels – could come together, get to know each other, and build community”
La Femme Majeure and Justice Now sound like fantastic initiatives. Can you tell us more about them?
La Femme Majeure (LFM) started off in New York and has since expanded globally. This year, we are hoping to launch LFM panel events in Nashville and London and to resume in-person events in Los Angeles and New York. Many events geared towards empowering women tend to focus specifically on high-level veteran executives and students looking to launch their careers, so we started LFM to create a networking event series that also includes women in the middle of that spectrum, who are succeeding in their current roles while aiming to take the next step in their professional journeys.
We wanted to create an environment in which all women – regardless of their levels – could come together, get to know each other, and build community. The moment you walk into an LFM event, it needs to feel like home. We’ve been able to accomplish that over the years because we go into every event with the intention of facilitating inclusion and warmth. Co-founding LFM with my colleagues is one of my proudest accomplishments. Launching and maintaining the series has been a true group effort, and I feel very lucky to work with such exceptional women.
Justice Now started in 2020 following the police murders of multiple Black Americans, including George Floyd. Quarantine forced everyone to face the reality of how racism still permeates the country. The founding members of Justice Now at UTA have always been communicating about these issues so when the George Floyd news hit, we immediately decided to come together and create structured efforts to combat racism within the industry. We have continually made progress since Justice Now’s inception by increasing inclusivity within the agent training program, creating regular education-focused programming, organising internal mentorship Q&A’s with agents, and more. We are moving forward and it’s important to celebrate those wins as motivation to make more forward strides in years to come.
Do you think the music industry and consumer brands are best exploiting the opportunities that Pride has to offer, or do you think these events should remain somewhat ring-fenced as cultural and educational institutions?
As both a queer person and someone that works at a major agency, it’s important for me to see the benefits of both large-scale, company-sponsored Pride events and more underground grassroots events. Additionally, many LGBTQIA+ artists make a huge portion of their annual revenue during Pride Month through corporate events. However, the LGBTQIA+ community doesn’t stop existing outside of June and other international Pride months, and we need to be creating more year-round live experiences and opportunities to support the community beyond standard Pride months and timelines.
“While it’s important to raise your hand when someone needs help, you can’t take on everything or you’ll burn out”
What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
I could never pick just one! But I will say that one of the greatest highlights has been the friendships and trustworthy relationships I’ve formed and nurtured over the years. It has been, and continues to be, a joy to get to know so many great people within the music space. We’re nothing in this industry without each other. Nothing gets done alone!
If you could offer the 18-year-old Zoe one piece of advice, what would it be?
Not everyone’s problem is your problem. When I was younger, I often overextended myself to the point of exhaustion trying to help everyone in my life, even people I wasn’t close with. While it’s important to raise your hand when someone needs help, you can’t take on everything or you’ll burn out. Also, there are occasions in which other colleagues may be better equipped to help solve an issue. Now, when someone is going through a challenge, I consider my bandwidth and relevant experience before jumping in.
The gender imbalance at festivals has been an issue again this year. Are there any proactive suggestions agents can make to help address these problems?
When agents are pitching a woman-identifying client to a festival buyer, they need to be able to articulate why that particular artist belongs on that specific line-up. It is essential to educate ourselves on our clients’ unique personal backgrounds, bodies of work, and fanbases beyond their gender identity, so that we can provide the buyers a more well-rounded perspective on our artists.
“During the shutdown, people across the music industry had to work together to find new ways for artists to connect with fans and make a living”
As an agent, are there any particular events or forums that you visit to try to discover the next big act?
I’ve always been a big fan of The Fader’s Gen-F profiles, which highlight talented emerging artists, and app-curated playlists that recommend songs by new artists based on my current music preferences. However, word-of-mouth will always be my favourite way of discovering potential new clients because it encourages a sense of community with their other fans, as we’re all helping those artists launch their careers.
What are the biggest lessons that you learned during the pandemic that you can use to help with your career going forward?
I learned that you can’t get anything done in this job without getting in touch with your humanity. Before the pandemic, I thought that I needed to forge my own path for myself and my clients through aggressive negotiation tactics, but that simply isn’t true. You can achieve your goals without trying to force someone’s hand. During the shutdown, people across the music industry had to work together to find new ways for artists to connect with fans and make a living. We succeeded by building collaborative partnerships and trusting each other. Now, I try to work in tandem with others to achieve goals and solve problems instead of trying to assert dominance to force something to get done. A colleague once suggested we should assume positive intent. I really like that concept, and I’ve been able to accomplish so much more in the past two years because of it.
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Wasserman’s Penty talks Lewis Capaldi arena tour
Wasserman Music agent Ryan Penty has spoken to IQ about Lewis Capaldi’s 2023 European arena tour.
The Scottish singer-songwriter, whose second album Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent comes out next May, has announced a 31-date trek for January to March next year, with stops in the UK and Ireland (excluding London), Poland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.
“We’re doing arenas right across Europe so it’s very exciting times,” says Penty, who represents Capaldi with Wasserman’s Alex Hardee.
Tickets for the UK leg cost £40-60. Capaldi broke internationally with his UK and US No.1 single Someone You Loved in 2019, while his debut LP Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent was the biggest UK album of both 2019 and 2020. His comeback single Forget Me topped the charts in the UK last month.
Back in 2020, Capaldi joined a select group of artists who have headlined arenas while still on their first album campaign. He also sold out two nights at London’s 20,000-cap The O2, which finally took place last month after being postponed twice due to the pandemic.
“I never thought I’d get to the point where I had two O2 shows and just wanted them to be out of the way so badly!”
“We announced them on the day of the 2020 BRIT Awards and sold them out in the first hour,” recalls Penty. “They were supposed to happen that year as the full stop of the campaign and they served in the end as the start of the new campaign. It was nice to tie it all up finally and have those shows done – I never thought I’d get to the point where I had two O2 shows and just wanted them to be out of the way so badly!
“The show has come on leaps and bounds. It’s gone from Lewis being on stage with great songs, a great band and great chat, to now also having really impressive production.”
Capaldi returned to the road over the summer for a string of UK festival headline shows at TRNSMT, Isle of Wight, Latitude, Lytham and Belsonic, as well as slots around the continent at Northside (Denmark), Rock Werchter (Belgium), Lollapalooza Stockholm (Sweden), Slottsfjell (Norway), Pori Jazz (Finland), MEO (Portugal), Sziget (Hungary), Live Festival (Poland), Frequency (Austria), Lowlands (Netherlands) and Zurich Openair (Switzerland).
“It was quite a struggle,” admits Penty. “We had that full festival summer, booked in for 2020, which we then moved to 2021 – which we then didn’t have the music ready for, so we moved it to 2022, which we still did that the music ready for – but we pressed on anyway and everybody was very accommodating.
“I’m just very excited about the future,” he adds. “We’ve taken it step by step, ticking off the boxes along the way, and I feel like we’re in a really, really good place.”
The full list of 2023 tour dates announced so far is listed below.
January
Sat 14th: Leeds, First Direct Arena
Mon 16th: Sheffield, Utilita Arena
Wed 18th: Manchester, AO Arena
Thu 19th: Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
Sat 21st: Newcastle, Utilita Arena
Mon 23rd: Aberdeen, P&J Live
Tue 24th: Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Thu 26th: Birmingham, Utilita Arena
Fri 27th: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
Sun 29th: Belfast, SSE Arena
Mon 30th: Dublin, 3Arena
February
Wed 1st: Cardiff, International Arena
Thu 2nd: Exeter, Westpoint Arena
Mon 13th: Warsaw, Torwar – Poland
Tue 14th: Vienna, Stadthalle – Austria
Thu 16th: Berlin, Mercedes-Benz Arena – Germany
Fri 17th: Prague, O2 Arena – Czech Republic
Sun 19th: Hamburg, Barclays Arena – Germany
Tue 21st: Frankfurt, Festhalle – Germany
Thu 23rd: Antwerp, Sportpaleis – Belgium
Sat 25th: Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome – Netherlands
Sun 26th: Paris, Accor Arena – France
Tue 28th: Cologne, Lanxess Arena – Germany
March
Thu 2nd: Copenhagen, Royal Arena – Denmark
Fri 3rd: Oslo, Spektrum – Norway
Sun 5th: Stockholm, Avicii Arena – Sweden
Tue 7th: Zurich, Hallenstadion – Switzerland
Wed 8th: Milan, Mediolanum Forum – Italy
Fri 10th: Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi – Spain
Sat 11th: Madrid, WiZink Center – Spain
Tue 14th: Stuttgart, Schleyerhalle – Germany
Wed 15th: Munich, Olympiahalle – Germany
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UTA signs Jess Glynne for worldwide representation
Talent agency UTA has announced it has signed British artist Jess Glynne for worldwide representation.
The singer-songwriter won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for her Clean Bandit collaboration Rather Be at the 57th Grammy Awards and has been nominated for nine BRIT Awards.
Glynne’s 2015 debut studio album, I Cry When I Laugh and 2018 follow-up Always in Between both went to No.1 in the UK and spawned a string of hit singles.
The 32-year-old, who is managed by Roc Nation, became the first British female solo artist to top the UK Singles Chart seven times. Additionally, she was honoured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2019.
Prior to signing with UTA, Glynne was represented on the live circuit by Paradigm (now Wasserman).
The UTA roster also includes artists such as Post Malone, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Cardi B, deadmau5, Bad Bunny, YG, The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Marshmello, Bebe Rexha , Common, Offset, LL Cool J, Young Thug, Ari Lennox, Lil Wayne, Burna Boy, Halsey, Guns N’ Roses, Muse, Paramore, Machine Gun Kelly, James Blake and Florence and the Machine, among many others.
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UTA adds Anna Gregorek to brand partnerships team
UTA has announced that Anna Gregorek will join the agency in the newly created position of senior director of music brand partnerships (MBP).
Based in London, Gregorek will lead the UK brand business for UTA’s MBP division and brings more than two decades of experience in the branding and music space.
Prior to joining UTA, she served as a music commercial director at YMU Group, where she led brand partnerships and strategy for all management artists including Years & Years, Take That, Steve Aoki, Clean Bandit and MNEK. Earlier in her career, she held roles at Warner Music Group, EMI Music, Dr Martens, Red Bull and North One Television.
“As we continue to expand our international footprint, Anna will be an incredible asset to our team”
“As we continue to expand our international footprint, Anna will be an incredible asset to our team and we’re thrilled to welcome her to UTA,” say MBP co-heads, Alisann Blood and Toni Wallace. “She’s well respected within the industry and has extensive experience in pairing artists with European and global brands.”
In the past year, UTA has acquired strategic advisory firm MediaLink and new hires in the MBP division with Irene Agbontaen and Sean Hendrie and additional hires in the endorsements and voiceover division.
The company also acquired top UK literary and talent agency Curtis Brown Group and US-based software and data analytics company MediaHound.
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UTA promotes David Kramer and Jay Sures
Talent agency UTA has announced two major promotions, elevating David Kramer to president and Jay Sures to vice-chair.
The US-based duo have served as co-presidents of the company since 2017.
In an internal email seen by Deadline, UTA co-founder and CEO Jeremy Zimmer says Kramer’s promotion “acknowledges the important role he serves as my close strategic partner, leader of a large part of UTA’s operations, and forward-thinking business builder”.
“Again and again, David has been a trusted ally to clients and a passionate champion of our people and our culture,” says Zimmer. “Having David as our president underscores my confidence in the future direction and stewardship of our business.”
Sures, meanwhile, is hailed by Zimmer as “the ultimate power player”.
“We will rely even more on Jay’s unique blend of instincts, intelligence, deep connections, and external relationships”
“He has played a major role in systematically building our television group, including literary and talent, into an industry leader while representing a wide roster of clients,” he says. “He also oversees, and continues to grow, our news, speakers, and culture and leadership groups. As vice-chairman, we will rely even more on Jay’s unique blend of instincts, intelligence, deep connections, and external relationships to continue to drive our business forward across many dimensions.”
Earlier this summer, Kramer led UTA’s acquisition of UK agency Curtis Brown and played a key role bringing in global finance firm EQT as UTA’s largest outside investor.
Sures, meanwhile, has helped build the agency’s TV group and oversees UTA’s news, speakers and culture and leadership businesses.
will enable both executives to focus on their respective strengths. were confirmed days after UTA announced the hiring of veteran music agent Scott Mantell, who most recently served as a partner and co-head of international touring at ICM.
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UTA hires Scott Mantell as music agent
Leading global talent agency UTA has hired veteran music agent Scott Mantell.
Mantell, who will be based in Los Angeles, began his music career at APA and most recently served as a partner and co-head of international touring at ICM, where he spent nearly two decades.
He brings a roster of clients to UTA including LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Toni Braxton, D’Angelo, Postmodern Jukebox, Disney Concerts, The Driver Era, Aly & AJ, Kiana Lede, Macy Gray, Gashi and Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.
UTA works with superstar artists including Post Malone, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Cardi B and Bad Bunny
Over the past few years, UTA’s music group has significantly expanded into areas including music brand partnerships, music crossover, tour marketing, music innovation, and electronic music with the acquisitions of Echo Location Talent Agency and Circle Talent Agency.
UTA works with superstar artists including Post Malone, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Deadmau5, Bad Bunny, YG, The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Marshmello, Bebe Rexha, The Pussycat Dolls, Offset, Lil Wayne, Burna Boy, Halsey, Guns N’ Roses, Muse, Paramore, Machine Gun Kelly and Florence and the Machine.
Mantell joins a growing list of former ICM Partners agents to have moved on to pastures new since Creative Artists Agency (CAA) completed its acquisition of ICM earlier this year.
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Endeavor appoints new WME co-chairs
Endeavor has named Richard Weitz and Christian Muirhead as co-chairmen of WME.
Weitz, who represents an array of musicians, actors, comedians, writers, producers and directors, joined the agency in 1997 and was promoted to partner in 2002 when he was also named head of its television packaging department. Prior to Endeavor, Weitz served stints at InterTalent Agency and ICM.
“WME is home to me, and I’m thrilled to carry on its century-long history and help set the course for its next 100 years,” says Weitz. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most talented artists, agents, and industry executives for over 25 years. I’m humbled to have this incredible opportunity to expand on those relationships and introduce new ones, while working with Ari Greenburg, Dan Limerick, and the entire management team to create further value for our clients.”
Muirhead, meanwhile, has been with the company for 18 years and has served as Endeavor’s chief communications officer (CCO) since 2014. He first joined the then William Morris Agency in 2004 and became its communications lead in 2008.
Following its merger with the Endeavor talent agency in 2009, Muirhead became WME’s head of communications and was later named a partner. He previously worked in international publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures.
“The appointment of Richard and Christian marks a truly transformative day for WME”
“Having started my journey at WME, I’ve had a front row seat to the evolution of the entertainment business and the growing influence of talent in shaping it,” says Muirhead. “I look forward to leveraging the full scale and depth of Endeavor’s network on our clients’ behalf, forging connections and creating opportunities to help them build industry-leading brands and businesses.”
WME’s music roster includes acts such as Adele, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Stormzy, Olivia Rodrigo and Bruno Mars.
“The appointment of Richard and Christian marks a truly transformative day for WME, which continues to be the inspirational core of Endeavor,” says the company’s president Mark Shapiro. “I’ve seen first-hand their innate ability to lead, to build meaningful relationships, and to leverage the broader Endeavor network in service to our clients’ aspirations. Coupled with their deep understanding of the entertainment landscape, I can say with certainty that there are no better or more complementary individuals to now lead the agency.”
The duo succeed chair Lloyd Braun, who plans to step down at the end of 2022.
“I would like to thank Lloyd for his leadership over these past three years, navigating WME through the pandemic and setting the agency on course for its best financial year on record,” adds Shapiro. “Lloyd has left an indelible mark on WME and laid a strong foundation for the future.”
WME recently elevated Lucy Dickins to the position of global head of contemporary music and touring.
Endeavor reported continued growth across its portfolio in the second quarter of 2022, prompting the company to increase its full-year forecast for adjusted EBITDA. Endeavor, which also owns sports agency IMG and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), among other properties, generated revenue of US$1.313 billion for the quarterly period ending 30 June, 2022.
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