Executive Turntable: Moves at 10 & 8 Management, AWAL, Position Music & More

By Emily Martinez On 19 July 2019

AWAL, Kobalt's recorded music company, has hired Bianca Bhagat as senior vp synch and brand partnerships, it was announced Thursday (July 18). Bhagat will oversee AWAL's global synch & brand partnerships team, which will pursue creative marketing opportunities for AWAL's roster.

Most previously with Glassnote Records, Bhagat led the film and TV department and West Coast office. During her time at the label, Bhagat successfully utilized film, television and brand partnerships for global marketing campaigns for some of music's biggest acts such as Mumford & Sons, Childish Gambino and Phoenix.

AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick said of the new hire, “As we continue to grow our AWAL team, we are looking for people who understand true artist development and who can help change the shape of an artist’s career. Bianca has spent her career doing exactly that. She puts artists at the center of everything she does and is always looking for new ways to approach her work. Our artists and partners are going to really benefit from the innovative synch and partnership opportunities that Bianca brings to the table.”

Cleveland/Nashville-based 10 and 8 Management has launched sister company 10 and 8 Productions with Paige Sodano named director of special events. 10 & 8 Productions will focus on special events and festivals across the country, starting with South by Southwest in Austin next year, eventually transitioning into annual and quarterly events. Paige stated, "I am really looking forward to this new venture and applying my expertise to produce some amazing events for 10 and 8!".

10 & 8 Management launched in 2012 by Nicholas Mishko and has since grown to represent 18 bands which its booked for Warped Tour, Inkcarceration and Sturgis, to name a few.

"I believe to succeed you need the right people on your team," said Mishko. "I couldn’t be more excited as I’ve known Paige for over 4 years now and I’ve seen her manage events. It made sense to bring her on to lead this."

City of Hope, a world-renowned research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening conditions, announced July 18 that its music, film and entertainment industry group has appointed Tyler Barth (Rock Love Magic Records) and Mollie Lehman (Atlantic Records A&R) as the first ever co-presidents of Future Hope. City of Hope's Future Hope is comprised of rising industry professionals and veterans dedicated to the goal of curating events and networking opportunities that target the most dynamic and innovative entertainment executives to help fund their mission of turning research discoveries into cures for patients.

"We are so thrilled to be taking on those leadership positions within Future Hope," said Lehman. "Having both attended City of Hope events for several years, we know that while they are incredibly moving and integral to the organization, they can also be a bit inaccessible for younger executives who are coming up in the industry. That is why Future Hope is so important — to ensure that the messaging of City of Hope reaches the next generation, who will continue this work for years to come!”

Added Barth, "We could never have started this all without the unending support and guiding light of John T. Frankenheimer. John was so personally impacted by the work of City of Hope, and after visiting the campus ourselves and seeing it firsthand, the magnitude of this work cannot be overstated. It is a privilege to be able to support the City of Hope team, and ensure that our peers and colleagues follow suit."

The Country Radio Broadcasters has completed its elections for the organization’s 2019-2020 board of directors. Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media) will return as CRB board president, John Shomby (Cumulus Media) has been elected as vice president and returning as secretary is Beverlee Brannigan.

Serving on this year’s board of directors are: Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck), Beverlee Brannigan (SummitMedia), Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Consulting), Johnny Chiang (KKBQ-FM), George Couri (Triple 8 Management), Andy Denemark (United Stations), Ryan Dokke (Curb), Mike Dungan (UMG), John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville), Dan Halyburton (Falls Media), Debra Herman (Apple), Steve Hodges (Sony Nashville), Clay Hunnicutt, Dave Kelly (Big Machine Label Group), Jon Loba (BBR/BMG), Mike McVay (McVay Media), Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications), Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry), Tim Roberts (WYCD), Royce Risser (UMG), Bob Richards (Emmis Communications/WLHK), Brittany Schaffer (Spotify), John Shomby (Cumulus Media), Lesly Simon (Pearl Records), Matt Sunshine (CFSS), Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio/Media), Ryan Redington (Amazon Music), and Kristen Williams (Warner). Charlie Monk continues as a lifetime director emeritus.

Tyler Bacon, president and CEO of Position Music announced on July 16 that Jon Sidel has joined the company as A&R director. Sidel will help grow the roster for the independent publishing and record label, bringing his own distinctive taste and knowledge of style and trends. Sidel will continue his work running is own management company, Sidel Services.

Since joing Position, Sidel has signed Guards, Mystic Braves and, most recently, Modern Chemistry. Sidell his worked over 25 years in A&R, working for labels including Geffen, Interscope and Atlantic, signing such notable bands as The Strokes, Weezer, The National and The White Stripes.

"Sidel brings an incredible pedigree and a wealth of experience at Position Music that is really remarkable," said Bacon. "Jon is a true music lover that has incredible taste, a deep passion for rock and roll and a track record of success that is undeniable."

Latin music-dedicated digital television network Latido Music has announced the formation of its advisory board. The announcement was made by executive vp and GM Stephen Brooks. The board consists of industry veterans in media and entertainment with decades of experience in Hispanic media, branding, and digital platforms, which includes but not limited to: Mark Horak, a corporate president with over 33 years of experience at Fortune 100 companies including Warner Bros. and Redbox, expert in market and brand development and team building; Ashley Jordan, co-founder of PX Sports, a Spanish language extreme sports television network, and former CEO of Fashion One, a fashion-based televisio network based in Asia; and Seth Ingram, co-founder of VidaPrimo, the precursor to Latido Music, and a distinguished sales executive with over 15 years experience in Hispanic media.

“Latido Music fills an important need in the OTT market for authentic and targeted Latinx music content,” said board member and Cinedigm president of digital networks Erick Opeka. “I’m thrilled to contribute my experience launching next-generation networks to Stephen and the Latido team.”

BMI announced July 15 that David Levin has been promoted to senior vp licensing effective immediately. Formerly vp digital licensing, Levin is responsible for BMI's domestic licensing and revenue generation, including radio, television, digital media, cable, satellite and general licensing. Levin will oversee teams in New York and Nashville, and report directly to Mike Steinberg, executive vp creative and licensing, and is based in New York.

"David has done a phenomenal job leading our digital licensing team, growing the business significantly and helping solidfy BMI as a leader in digital rights management," said Steinberg.

Under Levin's direction, BMI's digital revenue grew from $50 million in 2012 to more than $250 million in 2018. He also helped secure the company's first licensing deals with Netflix, Amazon Music and Video Services, Apple Music and Hulu, while also establishing new licensing structures with Spotify, Youtube and Pandora.