Halsey Signs With Columbia Records (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: Alana Haim has signed with Entertainment 360 for acting representation.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed breakout actress Arsema Thomas for representation in all areas.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Puerto Rican superstar singer Ozuna has signed with Scooter Braun’s SB Projects, in partnership with his longtime manager Edgar Andino, CEO of Andino Marketing Group, the companies announced on Thursday. Ozuna, one of Latin music’s most popular artists, joins a roster that includes Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and others. Colombian singer J Balvin signed with the company in 2020 but left recently. “We’ve been following Ozuna’s career for years and we’re excited to be bringing him into the family to work with him and Edgar. Ozuna’s music is unmatched.  His ability to work across genres including reggaeton, Latin pop, and more, is phenomenal. With unique songs offering fresh perspective and beautiful sounds, We’re thrilled to amplify his artistry with this partnership,” offered Jennifer McDaniels, President of Management, SB Projects.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Los Angeles-based Syrian director and producer Sam Kadi, who helmed the doc “Little Gandhi” about the life and death of young Syrian peace activist Ghiyath Matar and produced the Oscar-shortlisted animation film “Lamya’s Poem,” has signed for representation with management company Bohemia Group. Kadi’s first feature was the 2012 indie immigrant drama “The Citizen,” starring Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawy as a Lebanese immigrant who wins a green card through the U.S. lottery system and arrives in New York to claim his documents on Sept. 10, 2001. The drama, also starring Cary Elwes, then follows the protagonist’s hellish 10-year path to citizenship in post-9/11 America, including his detainment by homeland security and his deportation trial.

EXCLUSIVE: Djimon Hounsou, the two-time Academy Award-nominated actor known for roles in Ed Zwick’s Blood Diamond and Jim Sheridan‘s In America, has signed with Range Media Partners for management.

EXCLUSIVE: After taking on a major recurring arc across multiple seasons of Taylor Sheridan‘s hit neo-Western drama series Yellowstone, actress Q’orianka Kilcher has signed with Silver Lining Entertainment for management.

EXCLUSIVE: Iñaki Godoy, the 19-year-old lead of Netflix’s forthcoming series One Piece, has signed with M88 for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Seoul Searching director Benson Lee has signed with Verve.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Breakout Sundance star and rapper Tia Nomore has signed with Range Media Partners for representation in acting and music. Nomore is the lead in Savannah Leaf’s upcoming A24 drama “Earth Mama,” in which she delivered a critically acclaimed debut feature performance at this year’s Sundance Film Festival as a struggling single mother. Well established in hip hop, Nomore rose to prominence as an artist on the Oakland music scene. In “Earth Mama,” Nomore stars as expectant mom Gia, who already has two kids in foster care as she anticipates a third. Though she has the support of a tight-knit community in the Bay Area, she faces formidable challenges in reclaiming her family and building a new life. A24, the studio behind the Oscar winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” will release the film on July 7.

EXCLUSIVE: Kieran Culkin, coming off a four-season starring turn on HBO’s Emmy-winning drama series Succession, has signed with WME.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Highly touted British rapper Central Cee has signed a joint venture agreement with Columbia Records in partnership with Sony Music U.K., Variety has confirmed. Known to fans as “Cench,” the rapper became the first-ever British male rapper to be included in XXL magazine’s influential annual “Freshman Class” list, which was unveiled on Wednesday. Central Cee will also perform at this week’s 2023 Glastonbury festival, the largest festival in the U.K. The deal was led by Columbia executive vice president Bu Thiam with Central Cee’s manager, Bello. The fiercely independent rapper was the object of a heated bidding war in recent weeks; while terms of the Columbia deal were not announced, the joint venture suggests that he is likely to retain ownership of his recordings, as he has to date.

LOONA member Haseul has signed with Modhaus and joined bandmates Heejin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul and Choerry in the ARTMS project.On the night of June 20 KST, Modhaus uploaded a video of Haeul applying her seal to her new contract with Modhaus while discussing her future activities under its ARTMS project. The video is titled ‘Who’s Next Girl?’, a call back to LOONA’s pre-debut rollout where a new member of the group was introduced monthly with solo releases.The following morning (June 21), Modhaus released a statement officially announcing that it had signed an exclusive contract with the singer.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Trevor Noah, who left as host of “The Daily Show” in late 2022, is bringing his comedic voice to an original Spotify weekly podcast set to debut later this year.The weekly podcast will blend Noah’s “signature humor and razor-sharp wit with his global perspective to deliver a unique take on the hottest and most captivating topics of the moment,” according to Spotify. The series (whose name is TBD) will also feature in-depth interviews between Noah and “some of the most influential and interesting figures around the world,” the company said.While Noah’s podcast will be a “Spotify original,” it will not be exclusive to the streamer: The show will be available to listen to across numerous platforms.

BreAnna Bell Rudy Valdez has entered into an overall unscripted deal with Imagine Documentaries, Variety has learned. Under the agreement, Valdez will develop, direct and executive produce new nonfiction projects for the studio through his Bluff Road Films banner. The two time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker started his career as a camera operator on the Peabody Award-winning, Sundance series “Brick City” and went on to direct his passion project on HBO’s “The Sentence.” Shot and directed by Valdez over the course of a decade, this feature documentary tells the very personal story of his sister’s plight in the criminal justice system, while tackling subjects like mandatory minimums and sentencing reform.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed Emmy Award-nominated, author, director, and Jeopardy! co-host Mayim Bialik for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of Saturday’s Season 2 premiere for his Apple sports drama series Swagger at the Tribeca Festival, actor Isaiah Hill has taken on new representation, signing with APA in all areas.

Veteran TV sports host Rachel Bonnetta has signed with WME for representation in all areas. She was most recently with CAA.

Naman Ramachandran Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor has signed with leading Indian studio Yash Raj Films’ talent management division, YRF Talent. Kapoor made her acting debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Saawariya” (2007) and has won critical and commercial acclaim for “Aisha” (2010), “Raanjhanaa” (2013), “Khoobsurat” (2014), “Neerja” (2016), “Veere Di Wedding” (2018) and “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga” (2019). The actor is also a regular on the Cannes red carpet as an ambassador for global brands. In 2020, Kapoor took a career hiatus to start a family. Her return will begin with two tentpole projects, details of which are currently under wraps.

EXCLUSIVE: WME has signed filmmaker Mark Jenkin (Enys Men) for representation in all areas.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer/director/producer Kogonada has signed with WME in all areas.