Recent articles
February 23, 2026
Wasserman Music’s Turmoil Calms Down as Name Change and Sale Move Forward
Over the last few weeks, as the drama around Wasserman Agency founder Casey Wasserman’s presence in the Epstein files and his professional future have unfolded, misinformation has spread at a rate ...
variety.com
February 23, 2026
Music Industry Moves: Suno Names Former Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota Chief Commercial Officer
Generative-AI company Suno has named former Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota as its chief commercial officer, it announced Monday morning. In the role, Sirota will lead Suno’s commercial strategy, music in...
variety.com
February 22, 2026
Keith Urban Manager Gary Borman Retires After 50 Years in Business; ‘I’ll Forever Be Grateful,’ Country Star Says
Veteran artist manager Gary Borman has retired, he announced on Sunday, and will be shuttering the doors of his namesake company 50 years after its inception. His client of 25 years, Keith Urban, ...
variety.com
February 20, 2026
Gregg Allman Documentary, ‘Music of My Soul,’ Acquired by Subtext in Association With Rolling Stone Films
“Music of My Soul,” the critically praised documentary on legendary Allman Brothers frontman and solo artist Gregg Allman, has been acquired for North America by Subtext, the U.S. independent film ...
variety.com
February 20, 2026
Universal and Virgin Music Complete $775 Million Acquisition of Downtown
Virgin Music Group, the independent-distribution and artist-services division of Universal Music Group, has announced the completion of its $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings LLC, ...
variety.com
February 20, 2026
Bad Bunny, Carín León Win Big at Premio Lo Nuestro 2026
Premio Lo Nuestro, the longest-running Latin Music awards show in the U.S., held its 38th edition in Miami on Wednesday evening, hosted by Thalia, Nadia Ferreira and Clarissa Molina. The evening wa...
variety.com
February 19, 2026
Jelly Roll to Be Inducted Into Grand Ole Opry by Lainey Wilson
Country star Jelly Roll will officially become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and will be inducted by his friend, collaborator and Opry member Lainey Wilson on March 10. Also scheduled to perform a...
variety.com
February 19, 2026
John Coltrane Estate Unveils ‘Coltrane 100’ Centennial Celebration With Symphonic Concert, Rare and Unreleased Recordings, Events and More
The estate of legendary jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader John Coltrane will mark the 100th anniversary of the musician’s birth with “Coltrane 100,” a year-long global celebration including...
variety.com
February 17, 2026
Music Industry Moves: Bruce Wheeler Named GM of Historic Lowe’s Jersey Theatre, Reopening in the Fall
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment has announced the appointment of Bruce Wheeler as general manager of the historic Loew’s Jersey Theatre located in Jersey City, New Jersey. In this role, W...
variety.com
February 14, 2026
Casey Wasserman to Sell His Talent and Marketing Agency Amid Epstein Files Fallout
Casey Wasserman has decided to put his namesake talent agency and marketing firm up for sale while he grapples with the intense fallout from the revelations of his past relationship with Ghislaine ...
variety.com
February 13, 2026
Lykke Li Inks With Neon Gold Records, New Album ‘The Afterparty’ Due in May
Veteran pop auteur Lykke Li has signed a new deal with Neon Gold Records via Futures Music Group and will release her sixth album — her first in four years — titled “The Afterparty” on May 8. It is...
variety.com
February 12, 2026
Scott Borchetta to Exit Hybe America, Relaunch Big Machine Records
Hybe America, which acquired the assets of Big Machine Music in 2021 as part of its billion-dollar acquisition of Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, has announced that Big Machine founder Scott Borch...
variety.com
February 12, 2026
Victoria Monét Signs With UTA
Three-time Grammy winner — and 2023 Variety Hitmakers honoree — Victoria Monét has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for touring representation in North America as well as all other agency are...
variety.com
February 12, 2026
Island Records’ New Dynasty: With Sabrina, Chappell, Olivia Dean and Lola Young, the Label’s Chiefs Explain How It Got So Hot, So Fast
Bad Bunny was unquestionably the exclamation mark at the 2026 Grammys, and deservedly so. But if there’s a single company that has dominated the buzz at Music’s Biggest Night in the past two years,...
variety.com
February 12, 2026
ASCAP Distributes a Record $1.75 Billion in Royalties for 2025
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has released its topline figures for 2025, touting another year of growth for the performing-rights organization. The group generat...
variety.com
February 10, 2026
Britney Spears Sells Music Catalog, Other Rights to Primary Wave
Britney Spears has sold her song catalog and an unclear number of other rights to Primary Wave, two sources confirm to Variety. Reps for both Spears and Primary Wave declined Variety‘s requests for...
variety.com
February 10, 2026
As Artists Explore Exit Options, Wasserman Music Agency’s Fate to Be Decided This Week Following Epstein Revelations
Multiple artists are seeking to leave the Wasserman Agency after details regarding founder-CEO Casey Wasserman’s connection to late financier and convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein’s associa...
variety.com
February 9, 2026
Mary J. Blige, Paul Simon, Hozier, Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello to Headline Love Rocks NYC 10th Anniversary Benefit
Mary J. Blige, Paul Simon, Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello and Hozier are among the artists topping the bill of the Love Rocks NYC 10th anniversary concert, taking place Thursday, March 5 at its longti...
variety.com
February 9, 2026
Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood Want ‘Melania’ Doc to Remove ‘Phantom Thread’ Music: Its Use Is a ‘Breach of Composer Agreement’
“Phantom Thread” director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood have asked for a segment of music from the 2017 film to be removed from the controversial “Melania” documentary. Green...
variety.com
February 9, 2026
Bad Bunny Stuns the Super Bowl With Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and a Real Wedding Ceremony as Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba and More Party on Stage
Bad Bunny promised “the world will dance” in his advertisement before the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, and his joyous, elaborate, unity-themed performance did not disappoint as he — with L...
variety.com
February 6, 2026
DJ Young Slade, Lil Jon’s Son, Dies at 27
Nathan Smith — aka DJ Young Slade, rapper Lil Jon’s son — was found dead near his Georgia home after he was reported missing earlier this week. No cause of death was announced; he was 27. Lil Jon c...
variety.com
February 6, 2026
Music Industry Moves: Avex Music Group Partners With the Orchard
Avex Music Group, the global music company of Japanese entertainment giant Avex helmed by CEO Brandon Silverstein, has partnered with the Orchard for distribution of all future releases in territor...
variety.com
February 6, 2026
Nettwerk Music Group Announces $300 Million Buyout in Partnership With Create
Long-running Canadian powerhouse Nettwerk Music Group has announced a management buyout from its existing investors, supported by Create Music Group. The transaction is expected to close this month...
variety.com
February 6, 2026
Kid Rock’s MAGA Country Music Festival Loses Shinedown and More Artists: ‘We Don’t Want to Participate in Something We Believe Will Create Division’
Shinedown have become the fourth artist to pull out of Kid Rock’s MAGA-leaning “Rock the Country” music festival, the band announced on social media Friday. The group is the fourth artist to pull o...
variety.com
February 6, 2026
Brandy, Pharrell, Justin Timberlake and Kirk Franklin Light Up 2026 Black Music Collective Honors
The Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective has established itself as one of Grammy Week’s most prominent fixtures, and the 2026 edition, held last Thursday at the Fairmont...
variety.com
February 5, 2026
Would a Multi-Billion Dollar BMG-Concord Merger Create ‘the Fourth Major Music Group’? Yes and No …
The bombshell business story of Grammy Week was unquestionably the potential multi-billion dollar acquisition of Concord Music by Bertelsmann, parent company of BMG, which would see the two biggest...
variety.com
February 4, 2026
Olivia Rodrigo Wins Universal and Reverb’s Amplifier Award for Positive Change
Singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy-winner Olivia Rodrigo became the fourth recipient of the Universal Music Group x Reverb Amplifier Award, recognizing “her outstanding commitment to driving p...
variety.com
February 4, 2026
Tracy Zamot, Veteran Publicist for Atlantic, Virgin and Motown Records and Pandora, Dies at 55
Tracy Zamot, a veteran publicist who worked for Atlantic, Virgin and Motown Records, Pandora Radio and others, has died after a long illness, her family has confirmed. No specific cause of death wa...
variety.com
February 3, 2026
Universal Music Promotes Bruce Resnikoff to Chairman of UMe Catalog Division, Jamie Krents Named President-CEO
Universal Music Group announced that Bruce Resnikoff, President and CEO of Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the global catalog division of UMG, has been promoted to UMe’s Chairman. At the same ti...
variety.com
February 3, 2026
RCA to Relaunch Jive Records Under Mike Weiss and David Melhado
Sony Music’s RCA Records will relaunch the Jive label as a stand-alone company under the direction of Mike Weiss and David Melhado, who until recently were EVPs at United Masters, it was announced ...
variety.com