AEG Presents UK’s Georgie Donnelly has shared her ambitions for the company’s rebranded comedy and entertainment division in an interview with IQ.

Donnelly has overseen an intense period of development for the department since becoming AEG’s first head of comedy in the UK in 2022, leading its expansion into other forms of live entertainment.

Previously head of comedy & podcasts at Moment House, Donnelly also served stints as an agent at UTA and established the comedy department at promoter Kilimanjaro Live prior to joining AEG, which already boasted a significant existing comedy footprint in the US.

“The initial conversation was really exciting,” she recalls. “I’d always liked the people I’d worked with there and it’s a very respected company with big reach. So the combination of that powerful network and my passion and knowledge for comedy made the role very appealing.

“AEG already had a foot in comedy, so growing that felt like a natural next step. Obviously we’re a long way from being as established and impressive as AEG’s networks across music, but we’ll strive [to get there].”

Donnelly has worked with the likes of Jonathan Van Ness, Hasan Minhaj, Daniel Howell, Yvonne Orji, and Russell Peters, while her AEG remit also included the London debut of Just For Laughs festival at The O2 in March 2023.

“There were projects I knew I was going to be working on from the off, which were really exciting to me. I knew I’d be hitting the ground running”

“[AEG UK CEO] Steve Homer, in particular, had dipped his toe in comedy and that’s how we originally met – we co-promoted a Rob Lowe show when I was at Kili,” she notes. “[AEG] had done bits like Russell Peters and some podcasts, like My Dad Wrote A Porno, but they hadn’t formally broken into the comedy scene.

“There were projects I knew I was going to be working on from the off, which were really exciting to me. I knew I’d be hitting the ground running and building from there. One was the Just For Laughs London festival [at The O2], and Steve was already working on My Dad Wrote A Porno and The Guilty Feminist [podcasts], so I took those on as well. We produced every single element of the Graham Norton Variety Show at JFL last year and that was a career highlight.”

Notable successes so far have included a tour of politics podcast The Rest is Politics, a book launch by Stranger Things star Millie Bobbie Brown, a live Q&A with Ryan Reynolds at The O2 in London, the Alan Cumming Not Acting His Age one-man show and a live version of BBC radio institution Desert Island Discs, in addition to a performance by Indian comic Zakir Khan at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

“That was first time that an Indian comedian has headlined the Royal Albert Hall and done a full headline show and the first time someone’s done a full show in Hindi at that venue,” says Donnelly. “We’ve grown the number of shows, but also the variety of genres that we’re working on, even more than we anticipated. It’s something I’m quite proud of actually.

“We’ve grown AEG’s UK footprint in comedy primarily, but have also moved into other areas. Podcasts is a big part of that – about 30% of our output – but we’ve also  done book launches, cabaret and musical theatre shows.”

She continues: “Digital creators is another area that we’re really growing. A lot of them have really engaged audiences who want to see their favourite YouTuber or TikToker in the flesh, so it’s good to be part of that scene. We’ve also had some family tours and a tour with Camp Binface, so even political candidates. It’s a long list, which shows the breadth and number of shows that we’re working on.”

“We never want to go in too hot if it is completely new”

Hosted by former Downing Street director of communications and strategy Alastair Campbell, and ex-cabinet minister Rory Stewart, smash-hit podcast The Rest is Politics embarks on its biggest tour to date this autumn – capped by a 12,000-cap arena show in the round at London’s The O2.

“They’ve done London Palladium, the Royal Albert Hall and other theatres around the UK before, and it’s worked beautifully because even though they’re big theatres, you still get that intimacy that people want from a podcast,” says Donnelly. “We don’t want to lose that when we take it to The O2, which is why we decided to do it in the round – so that even people at the back won’t be that far away from the stage.”

Finding the right venue for unproven touring acts, regardless of other metrics, can be a challenge, suggests Donnelly.

“You do have to take a bit of a punt, but social media numbers help,” she says. “When it comes to digital creators, for example, you have their number of followers to go by, but also their engagement rates. But if they haven’t done a live tour, you don’t know if it’s going to work on stage – especially with audiences that are not used to seeing live shows because they’re used to seeing stuff on screens. So we sometimes get quite involved in the creative production, working with their teams to build a high quality show.”

When it comes to setting the correct price point, monitoring other markets can prove useful.

“Some of these shows may have played in America before and we can use that as a little bit of a gauge,” she says. “We never want to go in too hot if it is completely new, whether it’s the first time someone’s toured, or whether it’s just a completely new concept altogether. So the first time, we might be a bit conservative and respond to that depending on how it does.”

“We absolutely encourage people to submit ideas, because I can’t listen to every single podcast or be aware of every TikTok comedian”

Recent highlights have included shows by Canadian comedian Steph Tolev, while tours are coming up with the likes of comics Dylan Mulvaney, Aaron Chen, Maggie Winters and Randy Feltface, as well as reality TV stars Lucinda Light from Married at First Sight Australia and Captain Lee from Below Deck.

The division’s promoting team has tripled to three since Donnelly’s appointment, although she points out there is a “huge” amount of synergy across the various AEG UK offices.

“There is a lot of support and excitement for this department across all the other teams,” she discloses. “We absolutely encourage people to submit ideas, because I can’t listen to every single podcast or be aware of every TikTok comedian, so people are always suggesting acts for me to check out. There is crossover in terms of how it all works.”

And as for the bread and butter of the comedy circuit, Donnelly reports that it is “still going very strong” in the wake of the 2000/2010s boom in stand-up arena tours.

“There aren’t a huge number of comedians who can sell an arena, but there are enough to keep it busy,” she reflects. “But I personally think the sweet spot for comedy is that Hammersmith Apollo-level.”

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AEG Presents UK has renamed its comedy arm the Comedy and Entertainment division to reflect its expanded offering of shows.

The company named Georgie Donnelly as its first head of comedy in late 2022, and the department has gone on to branch out into other forms of live entertainment.

Recent events have included a tour of politics podcast The Rest is Politics, a book launch by Stranger Things star Millie Bobbie Brown, a live Q&A with Ryan Reynolds at The O2 in London and a live version of BBC radio institution Desert Island Discs. As a result, its comedy arm is now being repositioned as comedy and entertainment.

“Over the last year we have been building the range of shows that the department promotes so it made sense to have a new name which reflects that,” says Donnelly. “Whilst the comedy scene in the UK continues to be so vibrant, there are all kinds of shows that we’ve found audiences are interested in coming to. We have had a big focus on podcasts for example having grown The Rest is Politics Live show from the London Palladium to the upcoming O2 performance. Myself and the team are excited and energised for the year to come.”

AEG UK has also hired junior promoter Ophelia Francis, with further additions expected to follow

Previously head of comedy & podcasts at Moment House, Donnelly also served stints as an agent at UTA and established the comedy department at promoter Kilimanjaro Live prior to joining AEG.

Variety reports the division, which will continue to promote stand-up comedy from established stars through to emerging talent, has also hired junior promoter Ophelia Francis, with further additions to the team set to be announced in the coming months.

Meanwhile, AEG’s All Points East festival recently named Mitski as its final 2024 headliner. Kaytranada, Loyle Carner, LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Pink Pantheress, The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie will also top the bill at the London concert series, which runs in Victoria Park from 16-18 and 23-25 August.

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On the heels of the appointment of Lucy Noble as AEG Presents’ inaugural artistic director, the company has named Georgie Donnelly as its first head of comedy.

Previously head of comedy & podcasts at Moment House, Donnelly has also served stints as an agent at UTA and established the comedy department at promoter Kilimanjaro Live.

Donnelly’s hiring is considered central to AEG’s plans to expand its footprint beyond music and exponentially grow its comedy portfolio, which includes the London debut of Just For Laughs festival, which takes place at The O2 from 2-5 March 2023.

“I am absolutely delighted to join the team at AEG Presents who are synonymous with live music and entertainment,” says Donnelly, who has worked with the likes of Jonathan Van Ness, Hasan Minhaj, Daniel Howell, Yvonne Orji, and Russell Peters. “I am so excited to be expanding the live comedy aspect of the business and look forward to bringing some of the biggest stars and events in global comedy to the UK.”

“With Just for Laughs, as well as the arrival of Georgie to this newly created role, our plan is to really accelerate our comedic footprint”

AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer adds: “Georgie is immersed in the comedy world and has incredible experience booking and running tours and shows across multiple comedic genres. It’s an area AEG Presents is increasingly taking up residence and with Just for Laughs, as well as the arrival of Georgie to this newly created role, our plan is to really accelerate our comedic footprint.”

Donnelly’s arrival comes just weeks after it was announced that Royal Albert Hall artistic director Lucy Noble will be joining AEG’s European senior leadership team, assuming responsibility for setting the artistic direction across the company’s live touring and events business.

Noble, who is tasked with overseeing content creation as well as the production of new events, also assumes responsibility for promoting and touring shows, with an initial focus on the UK, followed by an eventual expansion into Europe and other territories.

Meanwhile, Stormzy has been announced as the first headliner of AEG’s All Points East 2023 festival in Victoria Park, London. In a UK exclusive, the grime artist will star in his own curated This Is What We Mean Day on Friday 18 August.

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Moment House, the Los Angeles-based livestreaming platform backed by the likes of Scooter Braun, Troy Carter and Jared Leto, has made seven new hires.

Former WME partner Michele Bernstein, who left the agency last year to start her own consultancy, Michi B, has been named marketing strategist, with UK comedy specialist Georgie Donnelly, most recently an agent at UTA, has been appointed head of comedy.

Casey McCabe, who formerly worked in AEG Presents’ global touring team, is Moment House’s new head of live music and strategy, with Dionte Goodlett (ex-Apple Music) hired as director of hip hop. Red Light Management alum Randy Nichols, meanwhile, has been named director of rock and metal strategy and partnership, with Spotify’s Sam Berger the overall head of music.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Sam, Michele, Casey, Dionte, Randy, Bart and Georgie to the Moment House team as we work to propel the company to new heights”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Sam, Michele, Casey, Dionte, Randy, Bart and Georgie to the Moment House team as we work to propel the company to new heights,” says Moment House CEO and co-founder Arjun Mehta.

“Their deep expertise and unique specialisations working with talent of all kinds will massively aid Moment House’s continued growth and evolution.”

Founded in 2019 out of the Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre Academy for Innovation at the University of Southern California, Moment House has since hosted ticketed virtual shows by the likes of Halsey, Tame Impala, Kygo (pictured), Kaytranada, Yungblud, Grouplove, Bryson Tiller, Brockhampton, Flux Pavillion, Omar Apollo.

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United Talent Agency (UTA) has hired Georgie Donnelly, most recently head of comedy at UK promoter Kilimanjaro Live, as an agent in its comedy touring division.

Based in UTA’s London office, Donnelly will book and represent comedy acts internationally. The hire forms part of an ongoing expansion of the agency’s comedy division, following the hiring last year of agent Bjorn Wentlandt from Avalon Entertainment.

Nick Nuciforo, head of comedy touring for UTA, says: “We are thrilled to have Georgie join our expanding global team. Her extensive and unique experience in promotion will be an invaluable resource to our team.

“She is a respected figure in the industry, and we look forward to working with her.”

“I cannot wait to work closely with market-leading artists and agents at the top of their game”

Donnelly joined Kilimanjaro in 2016, and has toured US comedy greats Jim Jefferies, Aziz Ansari, Rob Lowe and Amy Schumer,  as well as international talent including Tape Face, Jessica Fostekew and Tony Law, around the UK. She is also a leading producer at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.

She comments: “I am absolutely delighted to join the team at UTA, whose roster of brilliant comedic talent is unparallelled in the industry. I cannot wait to work closely with market-leading artists and agents at the top of their game.”

Donnelly’s exit from Kili follows that of promoter Carlo Scarampi, who joined Communion Music last year.

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