AEG Presents appoints first head of comedy
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 hires Michele Bernstein, Georgie Donnelly
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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Ex-Kili comedy promoter Georgie Donnelly joins UTA
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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