UTA Expands Partner Ranks With 19 Promotions

Nelly Furtado is celebrating her iconic debut album, Whoa, Nelly, in a big way.

Patrick Hipes Executive Managing EditorDon Cheadle, Common, Cindy Crawford, Whitney Cummings, Stephen Curry, Zachary Levi and Kelly Rowland are the latest additions to the lineup for the the MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon, the upcoming two-hour special hosted by Hart that reimagines the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual variety show fundraiser.The special, which will benefit the MDA and Help From the Hart Charity, streams live Saturday from 8-10 p.m.

Andrea Nelson Meigs is joining UTA as a partner after the talent and lit agent left ICM Partners. Nelson Meigs has been at ICM for fourteen years, having joined the company from CAA.

Amanda N'Duka pmc-editorial-managerTalent and lit Andrea Nelson Meigs is joining UTA as a Partner following her 14-year run at ICM Partners.Nelson Meigs, who was a Los Angeles-based lawyer before beginning her career in entertainment, has over the years worked with a number of influential filmmakers and storytellers, helping to build her clients’ careers across various business verticals such as television, film, theater, branding, and publishing.

Peter White Television EditorVice TV has handed wrestling docuseries Dark Side of the Ring a supersized third season.The youth-skewing network has given its biggest original a 14 episode order for its third season – up from ten episodes on season two and six episodes for its first run.The show, which is co-produced with Crave in Canada, will return in 2021.

Dino-Ray Ramos editorThe specialty box office was fairly quiet this weekend with The Kid Detective being the new theatrical release posting numbers.

UTA has named 19 agents to partner, representing divisions that include talent, podcasting, and fine arts, as well as legal and finance. The agency, which recently promoted 35 to agent or executive, has named a total of 22 new partners in 2020, with the latest 19 joiningagents Chelsea McKinnies and Emerson Davis, as wellas newly named co-head of UTA MusicSamantha Kirby Yoh.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorUnited Talent Agency today named its largest partner class in its 30-year history with 19 agents and executives across 14 divisions promoted into the partnership.With the recent appointment of Samantha Kirby Yoh as Co-Head of UTA Music, UTA has named a total of 22 new partners this year—more than half of whom are women and people of color.Included among the new partners are agents from several divisions including motion pictures, TV

Karen Idelson The lush colors and ornate design that helmer Jorge Gutiérrez featured in his film “The Book of Life” makes one thing clear: he’s a romantic. “It’s true, I’m an optimist, a romantic,” laughs Gutiérrez, who is Variety’s Creative Impact in Animation honoree this year.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterThere are some promotions and additions taking place at Kevin Hart’s comedy brand Laugh Out Loud (LOL) as it expands across its core divisions of LOL Network, LOL Studios, LOL Audio, LOL X!. Hart will move from his position as CEO to Chairman while continuing to take an active role in the company’s overall comedic vision, content, and talent development.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentWith a newly rejigged global drama unit, Fremantle COO Andrea Scrosati is nurturing a pipeline that features several high-profile projects in advanced stages, such as “Wild Rabbit,” which has attached U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItaly’s VIEW Conference, the week-long confab featuring top creatives from around the world in film, television, games, virtual reality, and more is going entirely digital this year with all live sessions being made available for free to a global audience.Usually the high-caliber event, now in its 21st edition, which spotlights the latest in computer graphics, animation, and visual effects of various types, is held in Turin against an Alpine backdrop.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterVariety and Artists Den have announced “Live From My Den,” an all-new digital series showcasing today’s top artists performing live from the creative spaces of their own homes, studios and cities that are meaningful to them.New episodes of “Live From My Den” will premiere each week on Variety.com, beginning Friday, Oct.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorViacomCBS has expanded its UK “no diversity, no commission” policy to its entire international organization, which spans 180 countries.Originally launched in July, the measure is designed to help promote diversity both on-screen and behind the scenes on international networks including MTV and Comedy Central.The policy requires production companies to adhere to diversity guidelines before budgets are signed off and productions are approved to begin.ViacomCBS

The novel coronavirus pandemic has shuttered nearly all live events across the country, with concerts, premieres, conferences and most large gathering on hold. So naturally NowThis, the mobile news brand owned by Group Nine Media, has decided the time is right to launch an events franchise of its own.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNBCUniversal consolidated ad sales for its local stations and regional sports outlets under its ad-sales chief Linda Yaccarino, adding to her duties at the large Comcast-controlled media conglomerate.Yaccarino will continue to oversee the company’s national advertising sales, as she has done since the fall of 2012. She joined NBCUniversal in September of 2011 from the former Time Warner to oversee cable and digital ad sales.

Shirley Ju Dreamville Records has announced the formation of Dreamville Ventures, a multi-disciplinary media company, and Dreamville Studios, a content studio that will produce original and co-produced content. Coming aboard to lead the new division is Damien Scott, president of Dreamville, and Candace Rodney, who serves as Dreamville executive vice president and president of Dreamville Studios.J.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterSave The Music, which is partnered with ViacomCBS and supports efforts to teach music in schools, particularly in economically challenged districts, has announced a new music industry advisory board led by Elena Diaz, senior vice president of talent and content development at ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group, Leslie Fram, svp of music and talent at CMT, and Wanda Coriano, senior director of music at MTV.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterTed Sarandos is not much for change, personally.It’s a funny thing to say about the recently minted co-CEO of Netflix, one of the entertainment world’s biggest disruptors, but as he points out, he’s had only “two cars and one job over the past 20 years.”“I am one of those folks who ends up doing things a long time, so I’m not one of these people who flips things easy,” he says with a laugh.His previous car, which lasted 11 years, was an Acura MDX; he drove around a

Peter White Television EditorMona Scott-Young, best known as the creator of long-running reality franchise Love & Hip Hop, is holding Hollywood’s feet to the fire to ensure that the promise of more focus on Black stories is kept.Scott-Young, who runs Monami Entertainment and Monami Productions, has a slew of projects in various stages of development and is also expanding her company to move into scripted and to look internationally.She tells Deadline about her plans to work with the likes of BLM