New Signings & Team-Ups: March 8
Jennifer Lopez back at Sony Music Entertainment Australia
Jennifer Lopez is back at Sony Music Entertainment Australia for this territory. She recently signed with the Sony-owned Epic Records, reuniting with her long time mentor and Epic Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid.
Reid said, “I’m thrilled to welcome Jennifer back home with me to Epic Records. Jennifer is a true global icon with a magnetism that seers across music, film, and TV and I’m excited to be working together again.”
Lopez released six albums on Epic between 1999 and 2007, including her big selling J. Lo in 2001. In 2010 she left to sign with Universal Music Group’s Island Def Jam, where Reid was CEO at the time, yielding two albums, 2011’s Love? on Island and 2014’s A.K.A. via Capitol. In America Lopez has sold 12.5 million albums and had four #1 singles. She was a mentor on The X Factor Australia in 2014.
Graeme Connor turns 60 at ABC Music
14 x Golden Guitar winning country music singer songwriter Graeme Connor has returned to ABC Music, as part of a year-long celebration marking his 60th birthday and 40 years in music. It will on his birthday April 29 release a 37-track set called 60 Summers: The Ultimate Collection which includes a few new songs among tracks from 18 past albums. A 60 Summers national tour follows, kicking off on May 27 in his hometown Mackay, Queensland.
Also on April 29, Connor plays a free community drought relief concert in Barcaldine , Central Western Queensland. The open-air concert at the Australian Workers Heritage Centre in conjunction with the Tree of Knowledge Festival.
DJ Khaled assigns management to Roc Nation
DJ Khaled is the latest high-profile name to sign with Roc Nation’s management division, which also handles Rihanna, Meek Mill, Big Sean, DJ Mustard and Shakira. Until last year it also had Kylie MInogue on its books. The division also joint ventures with Phil McIntyre’s Philymack management company (Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, DNCE), Brian Ling and New Community management (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Julian Casablancas from The Strokes) and Emile Sandé to launch her Jupiter Management venture.
MusicNSW arranges hot desks with The Works Glebe
MusicNSW struck a deal with The Works Glebe to create 32 affordable desk spaces for those in the music and creative sectors. The idea is for those involved to network and collaborate. The industrial warehouse is on the Glebe Point Road café and dining strip. For expressions of interest contact: [email protected].
Sony Music’s Red acquires Essential
Sony Music UK’s artist and label services division Red has acquired London-based independent sales and distribution Essential Music and Marketing. It’s a member of the Cooking Vinyl Group. As part of the buy, a new company called Red Essential was formed, and based in Cooking Vinyl’s offices.
Red Managing Director Ian Dutt and Essential founder Mike Chadwick will be co-Managing Directors. Both companies will be contributing staff and resources.
Nova Entertainment on a ride
Nova Entertainment extended its partnership with theMelbourne Racing Club (MRC) to highlight two experiential platforms – a new food and film experience Gourmet Cinema (food inspired by a film fave), and the return of the popular Peninsula Picnic with smoothfm, held Mornington Racecourse on Sunday March 20 with sets by Missy Higgins, Kim Churchill, Darren Middleton and Timberwolf.
Ben Harper & Innocent Criminals at WME
The reunited Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, who reunited for last year’s Bluesfest in Byron Bay, signed with William Morris Endeavor agency for live representation. On April 2 the act kicks off a US run in New York which runs until late August. In September they head to Europe and close the global trek in Australia and New Zealand in November.
Mary J Blige moves to ICM
Nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige signed with ICM Partners. Billboard acclaimed her as the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, selling 50 million albums and 25 million singles.
Kate Peck fits in for General Pants
Australian fashion brand General Pants continues its close involvement with the music community by tapping MTV host Kate Peck to design sunglasses. General Pants runs music recommendation service GP Music and has a strong presence on Spotify and a number of Australian festivals. Some years back it unearthed some good acts via its singles-only label.
Stadium Mackay gets naming rights partner
BB Print scored the naming rights for the 30,000-capacity sports and concerts Stadium Mackay. Formerly known as Virgin Australia Stadium, it will now be rebranded BB Print Stadium Mackay. The deal was struck after three months of negotiations with Mackay Regional Council and the venue’s board CAS Ltd. The $11.3 million venue opened in August 2011.
Imagem expands in China
One of the largest independent music publishers, the Dutch-hailed London-based Imagem has inked a digital distribution deal with R2G in China. R2G, part of China Music Corporation (CMC), is China’s largest music distributor, and will licence Chinese music services and mobile operators, which are increasingly paying for publishing rights.
Nashville-based Christian faith label Curb Records, which has held a 20% stake in Word Entertainment since 2002, has bought out the remaining 80% from Warner Music Group. The deal sees Curb acquire its recorded music, distribution, publishing, film, and live events divisions but will jointly share the printed music division with WMG. Christian music is 4% of the US recorded music market, larger than jazz and classical music.
Sydney Opera House extends digital deal with Adobe
The Sydney Opera House’s impressive digital interaction with its 8.2 million a year visitors, will expand after it extended its partnership with Adobe for a further two years. Through Adobe’s Marketing Cloud, the SOH’s digital footstep sees patrons and audience members planning their entire visit (from performance seating to dining bookings) through mobile apps, social channels, online and emails.
Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said, “Innovation is part of the Sydney Opera House’s DNA. This partnership is about much more than simply implementing a new marketing solution; it represents a true collaboration to realise the full potential of Adobe’s technology across the Opera House and our digital visitor experience.”