Lex Borrero’s Ntertain is putting together a two-day event over the weekend called “The Art of Being Latin” for Miami Art Week.
Taking place at the Builders Collective in Annex Wynwood, the presentation will include curated art exhibitions showcasing contemporary Latin artists and live musical performances from up-and-coming and established musicians. Borrero, Grammy-winning producer Tainy, “Blue Beetle” director Angel Manuel Soto, Storm Pablo, Sofia Reyes, Ahol Sniffs Glue, Vic Garcia and more are also set to deliver exclusive seminars on film, television, music and more.
More from Variety
“At Ntertain, we are always looking to amplify authentic and captivating Latino narratives and ‘The Art
of Being Latin’ is a first-ever during Miami Art Week to elevate the stories of talented Latinos while
inspiring others to chase their dreams and be proud of their heritage,” said Borrero. “Innovation is part of our DNA as a company and brand, and we’re thrilled to curate an experience that is distinctively Latino, marking these cultural touchpoints and activations across art, entertainment, music and Latino culture.”
+ She Is The Music, the global nonprofit working to increase women in music, and EngineEars, a vertical software web platform facilitating discovery, payments, project management and distribution solutions for music professionals, today announced the launch of MixHer, a one-of-a-kind Dolby Atmos training and certification program for female-identifying audio engineers.
Powered by key industry partners, the inaugural program is supported by Bose, Dolby, Universal Music Group, and East Iris Studios. All qualifying applicants will be offered access to a special Dolby Atmos self-training course. Additionally, 20 qualifying participants will attend a one-of-a-kind program in Nashville for Dolby Atmos certification experience. Hosted at the East Iris Studios from Feb. 23 – 25, the three-day event will offer training, networking and panels with industry-leading music professionals.
MixHer registration is open now through Dec. 12.
“With low numbers of women engineers represented in music, there is both a significant need and major opportunity to create change for good. Alongside our wonderful partners, we are thrilled to be launching MixHer as an excellent initiative to further support and amplify talented female creators,” said Michelle Arkuski, executive director of SITM.
+ Former Avex senior vice president Lucas Thomashow has announced SANA, a new label venture based out of Los Angeles. SANA will be a joint venture with artist and label services company Santa Anna, run and led by Todd Moscowitz and Lee L’Heureux, Sony Music, and independent record label Listen to the Kids, founded by Conor Ambrose.
At Avex, Thomashow founded and built their front-line label Selene which signed and developed artists such as Sadie Jean and Austin George. He also led strategy and operations at Avex, helping build out the S10 publishing joint venture that includes the signings of Jasper Harris, Harv, Shenseea.
+ Red Bull Records has signed South London’s breakout R&B singer-songwriter, James Vickery. The soulful rising talent first gained recognition with his captivating Colors session (35 million views), ahead of releasing his critically acclaimed EP “Overture,” which features Kenny Beats and SG Lewis.
Vickery is the fifth artist to sign with Red Bull Records this year, expanding the roster to fourteen acts – the most the label has ever welcomed in one year. Additional newcomers in 2023 include Chris LaRocca, WondaGurl’s joint imprint Wonderchild, Joony and Jay Millian, among others.
“I’m proud to look back on what we’ve accomplished this year and know that we’re just scratching the surface of our potential,” said Greg Hammer, Red Bull Records’ managing director. “We’ve celebrated chart-topping albums from artists that have been with us for over a decade, and new partnerships with artists who are just beginning their journey. We have one of the most musically diverse rosters in the independent label landscape and we’re so excited to bring James Vickery into the fold. His raw talent is undeniable, both on stage and as a songwriter, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with the world next year.”
Thursday, Dec. 7
Sony Music Publishing Chairman/ CEO Jon Platt has been named the 2024 Grammy “Salute to Industry Icons” honoree, the Recording Academy and Clive Davis announced on Thursday. Platt will be honored at the Pre-Grammy Gala — aka the “Clive Party” — on Feb. 3, 2024, the night before the Grammys.
“One of the most influential figures in the industry, Jon has consistently set the bar for leadership in music,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “His ongoing commitment to equity, his dedication to quality, and his advocacy for artists across all crafts and genres have been an inspiration to music leaders everywhere. We look forward to an incredible evening dedicated to honoring his incredible impact.”
“Jon Platt is one of the music industry’s most illustrious leaders and I am thrilled that he will be this year’s Salute to Industry Icons honoree,” said Clive Davis. “Jon’s longtime trailblazing commitment to supporting songwriters across the music spectrum as well as his staunch dedication to advocacy, diversity and equality in the music business are exemplary. Artists and the industry at large are fortunate to have his insight and passion at the helm.”
*Barry Weiss — co-founder of the Records label and former CEO of Universal Music Group — has launched Bossy Songs, a new publishing venture with Sony Music Publishing. The company (formerly TwentySeven Music Publishing) has announced its first official signing, Los Angeles-based songwriter/producer Dan Gleyzer, who has played a key role in releases from BTS and Meghan Trainor as well as developing artists like Cil and Rowan Drake. Other writers/producers on the roster include Michael Sonier (Noah Cyrus, Maggie Rogers), Cody Tarpley (Megan Thee Stallion, Chris Brown) and Ida (Alan Walker, Sigala).
“We are thrilled to be launching Bossy Songs to help bolster some of the incredible songwriters working across the music spectrum today,” Weiss said. “With our partners at Sony Music Publishing, we are excited to move forward in working with a diverse range of songwriters and producers and support their creative visions. Dan Gleyzer’s outstanding musical skill set exemplifies the genre-spanning talent that the team at Bossy Songs are looking forward to collaborating with and introducing to music fans and artists alike.”
* Universal Music Publishing Group has signed British producer/songwriter Danny L. Harle to an exclusive global administration agreement. A founding member of the influential PC Music collective, he has worked extensively with Caroline Polachek, Charli XCX, Clairo, Rina Sawayama, PinkPantheress, Lil Uzi Vert, and most recently co-written and co-produced Dua Lipa’s brand new hit “Houdini,” her highest debuting single on Billboard 100 to date.
Harle said, “I was of course impressed by Jody Gerson’s track record but only on meeting her, Jenn Knoepfle and David Gray at Universal Music Publishing was I convinced that I had hit upon that rare thing in the music industry; people who care about music being good as well as successful.”
David Gray and Jennifer Knoepfle, UMPG Co-Heads of A&R, added: “Danny is a rare talent who can work across genres, has great musical taste and has a phenomenal rapport with all the artists that work with him. We are so excited to be part of his continued growth as a producer and an artist.”
*British dance music veteran David Dollimore announced the launch of Disorder Records, a new “insignia for electronic music counterculture,” in partnership with Geffen Records. “This powerhouse alliance will serve as a home to partner with and sign a multiplicity of exciting entities – DJs, producers, artists, brands and labels who are defining the global sound of tomorrow,” the announcement states. It also announced a partnership with Manchester’s The Warehouse Project forming WHP Records, a imprint “harnessing sounds directly from the concourse of one of the most esteemed dancefloors globally.”
Dollimore was a key stakeholder in the vaunted electronic music company Ministry of Sound and, upon its acquisition by Sony Music UK, was named president of the RCA Label Group in the UK. “Disorder will be an incubator for the future of dance music and redefine the landscape as we see it,” he said in the announcement. “This label will be a portal to the underground club world, distilling future trends for mass consumption. We will be leading a generation forging alternative routes to the top, outside the confines of dated traditional structures. Together Tom March, Rich, Sam and the impressive team at The Warehouse Project and I, have the network, the platform and the global infrastructure with Universal to make this one of the most successful partnerships in dance music.”
*10K Projects announced several appointments in its executive suite: Blake Brown-Grakal has been promoted to General Counsel, Samuel Cohen has been promoted to the newly created role of General Manager at the label and Max Gore, who joins from Warner Music, has been named Chief Financial Officer. All three executives will be based in 10K’s Los Angeles headquarters.
“As we look forward to a new phase of growth at 10K, reinforcing our core executive team is crucial,” said Elliot Grainge Founder and CEO of 10K Projects. “Max brings with him well over a decade of finance experience, the majority within the Warner system. Blake’s facility in communicating with artists and their teams on business matters has been a gamechanger for us over these past three years. And Sam has been at 10K since the very beginning, helping to guide every chapter of our development at the label. This executive team helps position us for the future as we continue to break new ground at 10K.”
*300 Entertainment has promoted Lallie Jones to Vice President of Marketing and Josh D’Amore to Senior Vice President, Digital & Streaming, the company’s co-presidents, Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab, announced Thursday. Jones will continue to spearhead marketing for artists such as PinkPantheress, $NOT, Phony Ppl, and others; D’Amore oversees commerce, digital strategy, and streaming for the entire roster. Both are veterans of the company: D’Amore joined in 2014 and Jones was the company’s first employee, joining in 2013.
Regarding these promotions, Bass and Bouab commented, “Lallie and Josh are both incredibly valuable members of the 300 Entertainment team. They have been a vital part of some of our biggest success stories, and will undoubtedly play crucial roles in many more to come. We can’t wait for what 2024 has in store as our team only continues to grow and evolve with incredible energy and enthusiasm.”
*Oak View Group has announced the appointment of Francesca Bodie as chief operating officer (COO). In this newly established position, Bodie’s role will increase from capital development, mergers, and acquisitions to a focus on new revenue streams including overseeing all day-to-day operations for OVG globally, as well as leading OVG’s executive committee of highly diverse and accomplished executives into this next stage of growth.
*Warner Chappell Music has announced the appointment of Jessica Entner to the newly created role of Vice President, Creative Sync Strategy. Entner will be focused on business development, partnering with key stakeholders to understand WCM’s writers’ creative goals and working directly with agencies and brands to showcase vital focus areas of the publisher’s vast catalog. Based in Los Angeles, she will report to WCM’s Keith D’Arcy, SVP, Sync and Creative Services, and work closely with Rich Robinson, EVP, Global Synchronization and Media Original Music.
A Los Angeles native, Entner’s career spans two decades, starting at Maverick Publishing in ’99. She also worked as a freelance on-set production manager for several top production agencies like Radical Media, DNA, and FM Rocks, supporting the production for iconic music videos like Missy Elliott’s “Work It.” In 2003, she transitioned into the world of ad music production and supervision at Elias Arts and went on to hold executive-level positions at music companies HUM, The Lodge, and Massive Music. In 2016, she founded JEM, a music company focused on guiding creative strategy and production for advertising agencies and brands.
*Paul Hitchman has been promoted to the role of COO at AWAL. He is based in AWAL’s London office and oversees the UK team and international offices, along with AWAL’s global operations. He will continue to report to CEO Lonny Olinick and will continue to work with him and AWAL’s senior management team on global strategy, development of the company’s artist roster, as well as growth of the business worldwide. He also manages relationships with key partners at The Orchard and Sony. He joined AWAL as Managing Director in February 2012.
“Since the day I started at AWAL, Paul has been the ultimate partner,” Olnick said. “He is an executive who balances strategic and visionary thinking with a unique ability to drive execution. He has been essential to AWAL’s every success, and I could not be more thrilled to continue our partnership as he steps into this new COO role.”
*TuneCore has appointed Brian Miller as the company’s new Chief Revenue Officer. Based in New York, he will report to TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson. A 15-year industry veteran, he was most recently Chief Growth Officer at Angi.
Gleeson commented, “I often tell my team that ‘if our artists are successful, then we’re successful’ and for this reason, we have evolved TuneCore’s focus around two key priorities – to help our artists ‘make better music’ and to help them ‘become better known’. Brian’s hands-on experience scaling SaaS businesses, forging dynamic partnerships and leading growth strategies—along with his passion for developing independent artists—make him an invaluable addition to our senior management team as we innovate to drive artist growth.”
*Australia-based company Jaxsta Ltd. has changed its name to Vinyl Group. The company’s ticker code will change from JXT to VNL. This ticker code change and company name are expected to be effective on the ASX from the commencement of trading on Tuesday, December 5. The Vinyl Group function as an umbrella brand that incorporates the company’s three existing brands: Jaxsta, Vampr and Vinyl.com. Vinyl Group’s leadership team includes CEO Josh Simons, CFO Jorge Nigaglioni, CMO Alli Galloway, CPO Jessy Trengove, and Tech Lead Chris Lowe.
Simons said: “It’s a huge privilege to be able to usher in this new era in the journey of three fantastic businesses, each now residing under the newly rebranded Vinyl Group. This new identity is more than just a name change. It represents a unified vision for our future – a future where our technology and products are more interconnected, offering an enriched experience for our clients and users.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
