Music Industry News
The music industry has been buzzing with exciting news and developments. One of the most notable announcements is the signing of the Marias to an exclusive, worldwide music publishing contract with Universal Music Publishing Group. The Marias are a Latin Grammy-nominated band known for their unique fusion of alternative psychedelic rock, jazz, and Latin music.
The Marias Sign with Universal Music Publishing Group
The band consists of Atlanta-raised María Zardoya, Los Angeles native Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman on guitar, and Edward James on keyboard. María Zardoya expressed her excitement about the new partnership, stating that they believe Universal Music Publishing is the perfect partner to guide them through the next phase of their collective and individual writing careers. The Marias have collaborated with notable artists such as Bad Bunny, Selena Gomez, and Benny Blanco, and have also toured with Billie Eilish during her sold-out arena performance.
New Partnerships and Collaborations
In other news, Rebellion Records, an independent label co-founded by artist and CEO Michael Turner (PLVTINUM) and COO Daniel Nall, has announced a strategic seven-figure partnership with music technology company Too Lost. The deal combines capital investment with Too Lost’s technology to accelerate Rebellion’s rapid artist development model. Since launching just two years ago, Rebellion has achieved significant success with artists such as Chris Gray and Vana.
Warner Chappell Music Promotes Experienced Music Manager
Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Nashville has promoted experienced music manager Christina Wiltshire to VP, A&R. In her new role, she will further strengthen Nashville’s presence by discovering and developing top talent and facilitating local and international collaborations and partnerships. Wiltshire has previously served as Creative Director at Sea Gayle Music and has worked with legendary music publisher Pat Higdon.
Strategic Partnerships and Acquisitions
Tesseract Music and Hawkeye Music Publishing have announced a strategic partnership to acquire and manage music-related intellectual property rights, including "name, image and likeness" ("NIL") rights for licensing and merchandising. The partnership has access to $50 million in equity capital from family offices and high net worth investors. Additionally, 1916 company has promoted Ruchir Mohan as a partner, leading the launch of the company’s artist management and services division.
Songwriters of North America (SONA) Warrior Awards
The Songwriters of North America (SONA) recently recognized notable songwriters and industry professionals at the Warrior Awards on October 12 in Los Angeles. Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Chappell Roan, Dina La Polt, Larry Mestel, and Girls Make Beats were among those recognized. Toby Lightman was awarded the 2025 Emerging Songwriter Warrior Award, presented by YouTube Songwriters. The event featured a surprise performance by Linda Perry and was hosted by Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens.
