Music Industry Moves: Manuel Abud Named CEO of Latin Recording Academy

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor364 days after “Blackout Tuesday” — during which the music industry took a pause to protest police violence against the black community and consider its social justice policies and efforts in the wake of George Floyd’s murder — Motown Records has named Jamila Thomas, a co-founder of #TheShowMustBePaused, as vice president of artist marketing.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWarner Chappell Music has entered into a co-publishing agreement with rising hip-hop artist 42 Dugg, who is signed to both Yo Gotti’s CMG label and Lil Baby’s 4PF imprint as part of a joint venture.The announcement comes on the heels of the release of the Detroit native’s new project, “Free Dem Boyz,” and last year, he was featured on Lil Baby’s double-platinum single, “We Paid,” which he also performed with Baby on the BET Awards.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy-winning singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) will receive 2021 Clio Music Impact Awards as part of Clio Music’s virtual awards celebration, taking place June 10 at Clios.com. The awards are being presented for the sixth year by Citi.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Entertainment announced a pair of big promotions on Monday, elevating Melissa Thomas to executive VP of International Marketing, U.S. Repertoire and Monica Cornia to Senior VP of Sales, Commercial Music Group.Thomas (pictured above left), who was previously SVP, will continue to report to Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Linda Lindas, the all-female rock band that lit up social media this week when a video of their recent performance at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral, have signed with Epitaph Records, a rep for the label confirmed to Variety.The band — Bela, Lucia, Eloise and Mila, who range in age from 16 to 10 and describe themselves on social media as “Half Asian / Half Latinx.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy-winning songwriter and producer James Steed, professionally known as DJ SwanQo, has signed with Giant Music Publishing, a division of the Azoff Company. Giant, in partnership with Pardison Fontaine’s St.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVivendi, owner of the world’s largest music company, Universal Music Group, told investors on Tuesday that it is considering selling an additional 10% stake in the company to an unnamed U.S. investor.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhen the votes were tallied in Georgia last November, then counted again and again, Donald Trump was characteristically vocal in his outrage that Georgia, a longtime Republican state, had turned blue.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe “Hella Mega Tour” featuring Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer has unveiled new dates, beginning in July and stretching into September.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOne thing we did not expect to see on this Spring Monday morning was a high-quality audio duel between two of the world’s biggest music streaming services.At around 9 a.m. ET, Apple announced that its Apple Music is bringing “industry-leading” sound quality to its subscribers, with the addition of Spatial Audio with support for Dolby Atmos.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSecretly Group’s Dead Oceans is the new label partner for the back catalog of veteran indie-rock outfit Bright Eyes, the group has announced.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHarvey Mason, jr. has been named the official president/CEO of the Recording Academy by the organization’s board of trustees, it announced on Thursday.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor the past 15 months, many of us have felt starved by the absence of live music from our lives — as if our bodies have been deprived of an essential nutrient and we’re suffering from some existential scurvy.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn one of the more surreal developments the music world has seen in a year filled with them, Rough Trade NYC, the sprawling record store that closed down its location in trendy Williamsburg shortly after the pandemic hit last year, will be opening in a new location on June 1 — in the iconic 30 Rock building in Midtown Manhattan, the longtime home of NBC, just steps from Radio City Music Hall.“Following the impact of COVID-19, Rough Trade’s decision to relocate

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJust under a year ago, as protests gripped the U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd will perform at the Billboard Music Awards on May 23 — which is only fitting since he’s the top finalist this year with nominations in 16 categories, riding the success of his blockbuster “After Hours” album and its smash single “Blinding Lights,” which has crushed multiple streaming and chart records.Over the course of his decade-long career, the Weeknd has racked up a dazzling number of Billboard chart records: He’s had 34 top 40-charting hits on the

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLongtime Live Nation CFO Kathy Willard is retiring effective June 30, CEO Michael Rapino announced during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. The company is planning for Joe Berchtold, who currently serves as Live Nation’s president, to assume the role of president and CFO.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAgent-producer Brian Sher has been named president of Quality Films, the film and television division of Quality Control, the label and management company that spawned the careers of Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls, Migos and many more.According to the announcement, in his new role, Sher will oversee development and production of the company’s slate, which will emphasize culturally driven stories, as well as develop vehicles for the label’s artists.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHipgnosis Songs has acquired yet another catalog, this one from Andrew Watt, who recently was named 2021 Grammy Producer of the Year for his work with Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Post Malone and Ozzy Osbourne.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA picture paints a thousand words, the old cliché goes, but it’s truly amazing how much publicity photos of musicians can say about a certain year: The clothes, the shoes, the hats, the belt buckles, the scarves — and most of all, the hairstyles (and lack of styles). G.