Music Industry Moves: Jackson Wang Inks With WME; Position Music Signs Arkai to JV With Lindsey Stirling’s Label

Singer-songwriter Jackson Wang, currently starring in an Apple campaign tied to his new single and music video, “Thank You,” has signed with WME for representation.

Wang’s 2019 debut album, “Mirrors,” became the first album by a solo Chinese artist to hit the Billboard Top 200 and over the years he has collaborated with Ciara, Swae Lee, Major Lazer, Gucci Mane, and others, and has headlined Los Angeles’s Kia Forum and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center; in 2022 he was the first Chinese solo artist to perform on the main stage at Coachella. In addition to WME, he continues to be represented by Team Wang Records and Roc Nation.

+ Position Music has signed Grammy-winning group Arkai to a JV label deal with Lindsey Stirling’s label LindseyStomp, through Position Music A&R, Jake Versluis.

Described as “Hans Zimmer meets 2Cellos,” the Juilliard graduates have worked extensively in film and television, including the Emmy Awards, the Grammy Museum, the NBA Finals and others.

Stirling says, “Arkai represents everything I hoped this label imprint could stand for: bold artistry, fearless creativity, and a willingness to push beyond the boundaries of genre. Jonathan and Philip are extraordinary musicians, but what excites me most is the heart and imagination they bring to everything they create. I couldn’t imagine better partners than Position Music to help us build a home where visionary artists can take big creative swings and bring their music to the world.”

+ Empire has announced two senior appointments in its New York office: Leesa Brunson-Boland as Senior Vice President, A&R Operations, and Bina Fronda as Senior Vice President, Marketing.

Brunson previously served as Head of A&R Operations at 300 Entertainment following nearly two decades at Def Jam Recordings, where she worked with Rihanna, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber and Teyana Taylor.

Fronda joins from Ultra Records where she was VP of Marketing, working closely with their artists such as Steve Aoki, Sofi Tukker and Benny Benassi.

+ British singer-songwriter Danny Griffiths has signed with Glassnote Records and released of his debut single, “Lightweight Champion,” which has been widely shared in demo form on social media. He is represented by Prolifica Management and Solo Agency Limited.

Glassnote founder Daniel Glass says, “When we first heard Danny’s songs and then witnessed the passionate response from the audience each night he performs, we knew he belonged with us. It is always a dream to have so many respected industry people requesting a song that has not been released yet. Such is the case with ;Lightweight Champion,’ which, until now, only belonged to Danny Griffiths’ fans.”

+ Create Music Group has named Hayley Silvertown Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer at the company. Based in the company’s Hollywood headquarters, Silvertown will oversee Create’s legal and business affairs functions and partner with the executive team on strategic transactions, investments and partnerships. She comes to Create from Paul Hastings where she was Of Counsel. She previously held roles at such firms as Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Shepard Mullin Richter and Hampton. She also worked in the business affairs departments of ICM and Warner Chappell music publishing.

+ Nebula17, the Los Angeles-based music and creative company founded by former Avex USA CEO Naoki Osada, has announced a major expansion of its executive team, publishing roster, label operations, and international initiatives.

Daniel Hong joins Nebula17 as Chief Operating Officer, working alongside founder and CEO Naoki Osada on company strategy, operations, and growth while leading the company’s international division. He previously served as CEO of YG USA and COO of JYP USA, where he worked closely with globally successful acts including Blackpink, Stray Kids, and Girlset.

Martha Blair Reynolds joins as Senior Director of Marketing, following her work at Ricky Reed’s Nice Life Recording Company. René Mark joins as Director of Digital with experience managing campaigns for BTS, Le Sserafim, and Tinashe at Interscope Geffen A&M and Nice Life Recording Company. Natalie Walsh joins as Director of A&R after working with Sabrina Claudio, Nasri, and Adam Messinger.

Harukaze Wakabayashi joins as Senior Manager, International, from Warner Music Japan. Zac Cruz joins as A&R / Marketing Manager following roles at Avex and Revels Group, while Oscar Cornejo joins as Head Engineer, with credits including Grammy-winning work with Tyla and projects with Kanye West and Willow Smith.

Nebula17 has also added three creators to its U.S. publishing roster: producer, musician, and sound designer Oh Gosh Leotus; Florida-born artist, songwriter, and producer Hydra; and producer Xansei.

On the label side, Nebula17 has signed New York-based artist, producer, and musician Hojean.

The company has also entered into a global distribution partnership with the Orchard.

+ Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) has announced announced the hiring of Joe Giordano Jr. as Senior Vice President of Entertainment Booking. In this role, Joe will oversee entertainment booking for HBSE’s premier properties, including Prudential Center in Newark and Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, and assist with the programming of other HBSE venues.

“Joe’s deep experience in the entertainment industry and proven track record of building strong relationships while attracting major touring acts will be a tremendous asset to our team,” said Sean Saadeh, Chief Programming Officer and Head of Entertainment, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. “Joe has a rare ability to pair creative vision with instinctive talentspotting, consistently identifying and elevating entertainment experiences that resonate deeply with audiences.”

Prior to becoming Oak View Group’s Vice President of Stadium, Arena and Theater Alliances, Giordano spent nearly a decade working for ASM Global (Legends), where he held national responsibilities in booking, and went on to serve as the Assistant General Manager at BOK Center in Tulsa, OK.

+ Oak View Group has announced a new agreement with Independent Artist Group (IAG), to work with the agency’s music and comedy touring artists. The deal enables OVG to make touring and music assets from IAG artists available to OVG brand partners for promotional opportunities through the company’s vast network of sponsorship sellers across North America.

Operating as an independent contractor, OVG will provide sponsorship and partnership services to IAG artists, identifying cross-promotional prospects and branding deals on behalf of IAG booked tours, the announcement states.

“OVG’s sponsorship sales team is nationally recognized for forging groundbreaking, collaborative partnerships with top tier brands, teams and talent, to maximize awareness and impact,” said Dan Griffis, President, Global Partnerships, Oak View Group. “Music is a natural fit for OVG, and we’re excited to combine our sales expertise with the power of IAG’s unmatched roster of artists to create strategic alliances that benefit all partners and brands involved.”

“Oak View Group has always been a valued partner of the agency, and we look forward to enhancing our relationship to the benefit of our artists. Building upon OVG’s extensive preexisting brand relationships and expertise to further our artists marketability makes a great deal of sense and we can’t wait to get started,” said Jarred Arfa, EVP and Head of Global Music and Peter Pappalaordo, EVP, Head of Global Touring for IAG.