The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on yesterday’s interview with Chris May, (he/him), general manager at BC Place Stadium.

The series continues with Dustin Turner (he/him), music marketing executive at CAA.

Music marketing agent Dustin Turner represents many of the world’s leading musicians and has been a leader in the LGBTQ+ philanthropic community. With a roster of nearly 50 clients, Turner supports the careers of Becky G, Betty Who, Bianca Del Rio, Dan + Shay, Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Nickelback, Paulina Rubio, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Tim McGraw, and Zac Brown Band, among many others. Turner also serves as the agency’s point person for all bookings related to annual Pride events across the country. In addition to his work on the live side of the music business, Turner also volunteers with the CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the agency. 

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2024 so far.
Maren Morris did a series of intimate shows for her fan club in late 2023 at iconic clubs like The Troubadour in LA which all sold out in minutes. Maren partnered with GLAAD [a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organisation] so a portion of all tickets sold went back to them each night. To be at those shows and see Maren connect with her biggest fans each night was magical. We recently put her RSVP Redux tour on sale, still playing legendary venues throughout the rest of the year. Getting to work with so many clients and launch tours with Dan + Shay, Little Big Town, Sugarland, Jelly Roll, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Tim McGraw, and Gavin DeGraw, among many others this year has been incredible and there is so much more to come!

What’s your most pressing challenge in the industry at the moment?
There is a lot of content out there and every week multiple huge tours are announced and going on sale. All are competing for the same dollars from fans, and you have to find a way to make your clients stand out and help them cut through the clutter. We’re constantly having to think about what makes the tour we are working on different from the others and why should a fan buy a ticket to our artist’s show over all others.  

“Luckily, we have been able to support [drag artist] clients and allow them to bring their talents and performances to cities across the US”

What does your involvement in the LGBTQ+ philanthropic community look like?
In addition to his work on the live side of the music business, I also volunteer with the CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the agency. I helped plan CAA’s sixth annual Evening for Equality, which raised funds for The Oasis Center’s “Just Us” program to provide free counseling services to LGBTQ+ youth in Tennessee. I’m also a former board member of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

You work with many drag artists from the US. Have state bans on drag affected your work at all?
Obviously, this is an issue that continues and for now, we have had to make some of our shows 18+ instead of all ages. Luckily we have been able to support these clients and allow them to bring their talents and performances to cities across the US.

“We have made huge strides but I think it is important for our allies to allow LGBTQ+ people to live their authentic lives, when people do, we are all better”

You are CAA’s point person for bookings related to Pride events. Tell us about some of your favourite bookings for 2024.
I am really excited to have Sophie Ellis Bextor coming over to the US, not only to perform at OUTLOUD Festival in LA but also to do a headline tour. To see her success in the US after her song was featured in Saltburn is so deserved. Also, at OUTLOUD Festival we have Kesha and Adam Lambert performing on the Friday night, which will be awesome. We have Jojo Siwa doing multiple markets with the release of her new music, The Scarlet Opera playing in Phoenix, Icona Pop playing in Nashville, and Todrick Hall in San Diego. There are a lot of exciting bookings in 2024 for pride festivals across the country.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
I feel like we have made huge strides but I think it is important for our allies to allow LGBTQ+ people to live their authentic lives, when people do, we are all better. 

Shout out to your biggest ally in the live music industry.
So many people have supported me on my professional journey, from my husband and family who deal with the crazy schedule and me having to miss personal things, to mentors and those I admire that I can pick up the phone and call anytime for support or to bounce ideas off of. To name specific people would be unfair to so many but I am very lucky to have such a strong support system around me.

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IQ 127, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.

The May/June 2024 issue marks the fourth annual Pride takeover edition, supported again by Ticketmaster.

At the forefront of the issue is the LGBTIQ+ List, announced yesterday, which profiles 20 queer pioneers making an impact in the international live music business and beyond.

Issue 127 also sees the return of the Loud & Proud playlist and feature, in which our agency partners spotlight 12 queer stars to note.

Elsewhere, Pride editor Lisa Henderson profiles LGBTIQ+ List finalist and ASM Global heavyweight Anna Sjölund, charting the trajectory of her 25 years in the business.

Meanwhile, Gordon Masson talks to executives about putting diversity, equality and inclusion strategies into practice in the live music industry.

For this edition’s columns and comments, Zoe Maras shares her experience of being asexual in the industry and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 details the ramifications of proposed anti-drag and LGBTIQ+ legislation in the United States.

Beyond the Pride-specific content, DJ Mag editor Carl Loben examines the trends shaping the global electronic music scene and Adam Woods visits some of the diverse territories that make up the vibrant, ever-expanding Latin American tour circuit.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

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Lizzo is the latest artist to rebuke legislation designed to restrict drag performances in public, pending in the US state of Tennessee (TN).

The Grammy-award-winning singer invited 20 drag queens onstage during her concert at the Thompson-Boling arena in Knoxville (TN) on Friday (21 April) night.

Among the queens present were RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Aquaria, Kandy Muse, Asia O’Hara and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo.

In February, the Republican governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, signed the legislation against “adult cabaret” in public or in front of minors.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the law in late March, saying it was too vaguely written. Civil rights groups have criticised the law as a violation of free speech.

The Tennessee law is part of a wider Republican effort to restrict drag shows and other LGBTQ+ public gatherings.

“In light of recent and tragic events and current events, I was told by people on the internet, ‘Cancel your shows in Tennessee,’ ‘Don’t go to Tennessee,’” Lizzo said during the Friday concert.

“The oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane”

“Their reason was valid, but why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most? Why would I not create a safe space in Tennessee where we can celebrate drag entertainers and celebrate our differences?”

Lizzo’s protest comes soon after Madonna added a Nashville (TN) stop to her upcoming greatest hits tour in protest of the state’s anti-LGBT+ bills, which include a ban on transition-related care for minors.

Madonna: The Celebration Tour, which is supported by RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen, will visit Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on 22 December. A portion of proceeds from the show will go to trans rights organisations.

“The oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane, it’s creating an unsafe environment; it makes America a dangerous place for our most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of colour,” said Madonna in a statement.

“Also, these so-called laws to protect our children are unfounded and pathetic. Anyone with half a brain knows not to fuck with a drag queen. Bob and I will see you from the stage in Nashville where we will celebrate the beauty that is the queer community.”

Prior to that, Nashville-based artists came together for a benefit concert to raise awareness and funds for the LGBTQ community, in the wake of the Tennessee legislation.

Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Yola, Brittany Howard, Hozier, Adeem the Artist, Julien Baker, Joy Oladokun, Jake Wesley Rogers and Mya Byrne performed at the Bridgestone Arena for the Love Rising fundraiser.

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For decades, LGBTIQ+ culture was forced to exist on the fringes of society. Few queer artists were allowed to bring their whole selves to the stage, instead forced to hide in plain sight. This meant there was little to no representation for LGBTIQ+ music fans, and queer-friendly spaces in the mainstream were non-existent.

In Europe, in 2022, queer culture is increasingly celebrated. During this past month alone, Harry Styles headlined two shows at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium; Elton John stole the show at BST Hyde Park; and Years & Years delivered a “jubilantly gay set” on the Other Stage at Glastonbury. LGBTIQ+ acts and allies are taking up space on some of the world’s biggest stages. And this culture is big business at the box office.

“There are a load of artists who have made it and who are inspiring LGBTIQ+ role models – Years & Years, Sam Smith, Christine [& The Queens], Kim Petras, Lil Nas X, for example,” says Live Nation promoter Maddie Arnold, who is also an alumna of IQ Magazine’s LGBTIQ+ List 2021.

“I’m glad these days people are a lot less prejudiced; you have highly influential people like Harry Styles who will wear non-gender-conforming clothes on stage and celebrate the queer community through his lyrics and onstage performances.”

“You have highly influential people like Harry Styles who will wear non-gender-conforming clothes on stage”

Stadium-filling icons aside, the value of the pink pound is perhaps best evidenced by the emergence of specialist companies and festivals in the live music business that serve queer artists and audiences. The last 12 months have seen the launch of agencies such as Queer Music Agency (Denmark) and Gallos Talent (UK), ticketing companies like Red Eye (New York), and festivals including Flesh (UK) – all of which cater exclusively to the community.

But not just anyone can strike gold with the pink pound. While many behemoth brands and companies have cottoned onto the economic value of the pink pound (hello Pinkwashing!), few are able to truly connect with those audiences in the same way as those who have put down roots in the community. In 2022, it has never been more evident that representation pays.

Gaps in the market
More often than not, it’s the executives who are themselves queer who are best equipped to identify trends, spot gaps in the market, and develop new opportunities in the space.

Patrick Janssen, marketing manager at Live Nation GSA, is one such professional. During his previous role at Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion (KJK), he marketed the first one-queen drag tour in the German market with Sasha Velour’s Smoke & Mirrors.

“I thought, why is nobody setting up shows for these queens in Germany?”

Velour rose to fame in 2007 after winning the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the smash-hit reality TV competition searching for America’s next drag superstar. The series has spanned fourteen seasons (plus several spin-off shows) and airs internationally in countries including the UK, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Israel.

Thanks to the series, Velour earned acclaim on a global scale becoming a household name in certain circles, and yet… “When I spoke to friends, they were, like, ‘Oh, she’s going on tour in Europe, but she’s not coming to Germany,’” says Janssen. “And I thought, why is nobody setting up shows for these queens in Germany?”

Coincidentally, KJK was approached to promote Velour in Germany. The company’s CEO sought Janssen’s opinion who was readily equipped to report on Velour’s cultural relevance, fan base, and universal appeal. Fully immersed in the idea, Janssen ended up promoting the shows.

“I think if [the CEO had] had to decide on his own, he would have declined because he doesn’t know the audience or her background and career development – it’s not his thing,” says Janssen.

“It was really emotional to have brought so many people together to watch a drag queen”

Janssen’s alignment with Velour’s audience proved to be indispensable when it came to marketing the tour. “Another person on the tour marketing team might have spoken to gay magazines and run editorials and print ads, but the gay community is more digital than that,” says Janssen, explaining that he mostly relied on Grindr, a dating app that is geared towards gay and bisexual men.

“We had better click-through rates (CTRs) on Grindr than on Facebook and Instagram,” he continues. “On those social media platforms, I targeted different drag queens and the CTRs were good – like 10–14% – but on Grindr, the CTRs were like 20–28%. The product and the placement matched.”

The tour took place in spring and comprised one show at the Musical Dome (cap 2,000) in Cologne, one at the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg (2,025), and two at the Admiralspalast (1,756) in Berlin. Despite Germany being in the throes of Covid-19 restrictions, the shows were a success – both on an economic and a social level.

“Everyone had a good time, and people left the venue with a smile on their faces,” says Janssen. “It was really emotional to have brought so many people together to watch a drag queen.”

“Another person on the tour marketing team might have spoken to gay magazines but the gay community is more digital than that”

“The second tour that was offered was Adore Delano [an American drag queen who rose to fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race and then American Idol] in September. This time around, my CEO didn’t ask me if we should do this, he simply asked which capacity in the general market I would recommend.”

In addition, the success of Velour’s shows attracted an offer from a UK agent for The Trixie & Katya Show, [two drag queens who rose to fame on the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race] who will tour in November.

Assembling the right team
As Janssen’s story illustrates, giving queer executives a seat at the table can have a direct impact on a company’s business and artist’s career. Though, as Live Nation’s Arnold points out, LGBTIQ+ artists don’t necessarily need a queer team around them to have the best chance of success.

“I definitely have my go-to agents when I find an artist that falls into this category who is looking for representation,” says Arnold, who promotes queer artists including Muna, ZAND, July Jones, PYRA, Alma, Lauren Sanderson, GIRLI, and Ashnikko.

“Some of [the agents] are queer themselves, but it’s definitely not a dealbreaker”

“Some of [the agents] are queer themselves, but it’s definitely not a dealbreaker. As long as I know they are inclusive, open-minded, and would be a good fit for the act, there’s definitely a conversation to be had. That being said… it’s always good to see if they already have LGBTIQ+ acts on their rosters.”

AEG Presents’ Chloe Pean, who works with queer acts including Duncan Laurence, Dhruv, and Will Young, and has launched an LGBTQIA+ club night/showcase called Melodaze, adds: “It’s always good to bear in mind that you can pick your team, whether you would like a queer marketing person and a female ticketing manager on the team, and think about all the options available that aren’t always traditional.”

Protecting the talent
Cherry-picking the right team is crucial to the success of any artist – no matter what their sexuality – but there’s an added layer of importance to that strategy when it comes to queer talent.

Even in 2022, LGBTIQ+ artists can face limitations ranging from unequal pay to discrimination to prejudiced language. With these considerations, it’s no surprise that the live music business has seen the launch of specialist companies that are well-versed in navigating such prejudice and protecting their talent.

“The drag events industry has always been a little bit of a Wild West”

Nathan Stone, the former creative director of TEG MJR and the creator of DragWorld, last year launched a new UK-based LGBTIQ+ talent management company, Gallos Talent.

The company is working with acts including drag queens Juno Birch and Joe Black (as seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK), and offers its services as a partner to events such as Trans Festival London and Cornwall Pride.

Discussing the reasons for launching Gallos Talent, Stone tells IQ: “The drag events industry has always been a little bit of a Wild West, which is something that has dramatically changed in the years since the huge success of Werq the World [an ongoing tour featuring drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race]. Before this, any club could put on events, change artists, cancel events, and withhold customers’ money – it wasn’t seemingly regulated in the same way.

“With artists of all sizes, it was always our priority to find partners who we know treat the artist well, as well as the customers, to stop these trends.”

“Unfortunately, there are far too many minorities who feel oppressed in the music industry”

That sentiment is echoed by Frederik Diness Ove, founder of Queer Music Agency in Denmark, which aims to provide non heterosexual talent with better opportunities to break- through in the music industry.

“Unfortunately, there are far too many minorities who feel oppressed in the music industry,” he tells IQ. “This industry is very much dominated by cis-gendered, white, straight men, and therefore we try to rally so we can hopefully stand stronger.”

While both agencies were launched with a mission to level the playing field for queer artists, both founders claim there’s a gap in the market for their specialist services.

“Whilst drag is a mainstay in the UK, there are still many European markets that are just beginning to get these events travelling through their countries, so that is really exciting to witness and be part of!” says Stone.

“Whilst drag is a mainstay in the UK, there are still many European markets that are just beginning to get these events”

Catering to the fanbase
According to AEG’s Pean, the choice of live space can be crucial in promoting queer artists and making their audiences feel safe and included. “It’s important to know what spaces work for a queer act and audience,” she says.

“There tends to be a more diverse roster of people that work in these spaces as well, which creates the right environment and means that there is expertise and understanding of what the act needs.”

But many who IQ spoke with said more can still be done to make venues more suitable for a community that has historically been marginalised. Gender-neutral toilets at venues are a priority for AEG Presents’ Chloe Pean. “It will take more time in venues that are owned by bigger corporations, but it feels like things are moving in the right direction,” she says.

Live Nation’s Arnold agrees: “The provision of gender-neutral toilet facilities is definitely something that should be thought about when putting on these types of shows; with adapted security protocols ensuring all staff members are fully trained and respectful of the audiences.”

“The provision of gender-neutral toilet facilities is definitely something that should be thought about”

Specialist crowd management agencies, which comprise exclusively of queer people and promise “a community-specific approach to security,” are becoming a common fixture in queer nightlife – particularly at club nights. Arnold also points to the importance of buddy systems, which are set up on online or at the venue and help solo gig-goers make new friends.

“A lot of ticket buyers are always looking for someone to go to the show with, and it’s great that a lot of artists promote buddy systems on their social media platforms so that fans can find other fans to go to the shows with,” she says. “It’s definitely the venue’s responsibility to ensure all fans feel safe and welcomed, whether it be a queer show or not.”

Pean adds: “It is also down to the person running the show on the day, taking care of the artists and making sure they are comfortable in their working environment.

“The promoter rep is also the one to brief the security staff and venue manager who relay [the information] on to the rest of their teams. You tend to see that once that ethos is implemented, it sets the tone for a night before a single ticketholder has walked through the door.”

These elements are crucial – but often overlooked – ways of connecting with queer audiences and capitalising on the kind of loyalty that has boosted queer artists from grassroots venues to world-renowned stages.

“From what I’ve been lucky enough to see, [fan bases of queer artists] are much more diverse, and very loyal,” says AEG Presents’ Chloe Pean.

“There’s no good way of explaining it, but the environment at a LGBTQ+’s person’s show is special and warm. You will have people that come who are fans of the music and then other fans that come for the community element and some for both!”

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Nathan Stone, the former creative director of the TEG MJR and the creator of DragWorld, has launched Gallos Talent, a new UK-based LGBTQ+ talent management company.

In his six years at TEG MJR (formerly the MJR Group), Stone promoted shows including Hans Zimmer, Bianca Del Rio, Harry Potter in Concert, Final Fantasy’s Distant Worlds, Courtney Act and Sasha Velour, as well as leading on the company’s licensed exhibitions, such as Marvel’s Avengers Station and Lego expo Brickman. He also helped create MJR’s popular drag convention, DragWorld.

Gallos Talent is working with acts including drag queens Juno Birch and Joe Black (as seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK), and also offering its services as a partner to events such as Trans Festival London and Cornwall Pride.

“In a period which has been so brutal to our industry, I, like many, have had to realign, regroup and reenter the workplace,” says Stone.

“We are excited to welcome Nathan to the company and begin managing our expansion in to Europe”

“I am very excited to be furthering my specialisation in the LGBTQ+ events industry with both Five Senses Reeling and the launch of Gallos Talent.”

The official launch of Gallos Talent comes as Stone is appointed head of touring for Seattle-based promoter Five Senses Reeling, whose expansion into Europe he will lead.

Specialising in the LGBTQ+ market, Five Senses Reeling has promoted North American shows by drag icons including Bianca Del Rio, Katya Zamolodchikova, Miz Cracker, Bob the Drag Queen and Fortune Feimster.

“We are excited to welcome Nathan to the company and begin managing our expansion in to Europe,” says the company’s owner, Jason Brotman, “as well as working with the existing team on the North American touring.”

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Over 60 artists including stars from reality TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race and other LGBTQ+ acts have been announced for the line-up of Digital Drag Fest 2020, a month-long virtual drag festival.

The event kicked off on 27 March and will go on until the end of April, featuring 30-minute shows from acts including Alaska, Jackie Beat, Kimora Blac, Manila Luzon, Nicky, Peppermint, Trinity the Tuck, John Carmeron Mitchell, Rayvon Owen and Justin Vivian Bond.

The festival is promoted by Producer Entertainment Group (PEG), which manages top drag queen artists, LGBTQ+ talent and influencers.

Tickets for each show start at $10 and are kept to “extremely limited” numbers, with some shows selling out days in advance. Viewers will have the chance to interact with artists, tip them and receive prizes and giveaways. Performances will not be recorded or re-released.

“Drag is about resilience, and this festival is meant to share that message during a challenging time in our world”

A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the festival’s charitable partner, Glaad, an LGBTQ+ media advocacy organisation.

“Drag is about resilience, and this festival is meant to share that message during a challenging time in our world,” says PEG founder and president, David Charpentier. “We want to give fans an opportunity to continue supporting their favorite queens and provide a welcome distraction for drag lovers around the globe.”

More information on show times and the number of tickets remaining for each performance, are available on the Digital Drag Fest website, along with artist merchandise.

Read more about how the monetise virtual events here.

How to make money from virtual concerts

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