First local Christian label launches with 12 new tracks across a variety of genres

Manila, 26 October 2021 – Sony Music Philippines today announced the launch of WATERWALK RECORDS, a music label focused on bringing fresh Christian music to a new, streaming generation. The label will feature faith-based entertainment artists from across the length and breadth of the country, who represent the best of Christian music combined with their own unique styles.

“In the Philippines, Christian music emerges from daily life and is a reflection of the country’s rich culture,” said Roslyn Pineda, General Manager, Sony Music Philippines. “Pop music inspired by Christian melodies has arguably created some of the most interesting music in recent years. It’s a diverse genre full of talented artists who use faith as a regular way of connecting with people. WATERWALK RECORDS has huge opportunities to grow as we work with talented artists such as Morissette, Gloryfall and Hazel Faith and others to bring their music to fans all across Southeast Asia”.

“The Philippines is a musically rich country, well known for showcasing the best of Christian music in Southeast Asia,” said Ariel Fung, EVP, Sony Music Southeast Asia. “With WATERWALK RECORDS, our vision is to create a hub for Christian music in Asia that serves artists and writers who are creating ground-breaking music and impacting the lives of millions. Our stellar line up of artists we’re working with is just the start of helping us achieve that vision, representing the very best of local and regional talent.”

The artist, Morissette, popularly referred to as “Asia’s Phoenix”, will release the label’s first single, “Waterwalk” on 28 October. “Mapayapa”—a collaboration between Christian worship band Gloryfall and singer/songwriter Hazel Faith—will be released shortly after.

“I am thrilled to be taking part in Sony Music‘s new Christian label and get to share, and sing, of the word of God and all His great works,“ added Morissette. “It’s only been a couple of years since I’ve made the decision to really follow Jesus and one thing I can really attest to is that we just need to trust Him in everything. I’ve been through some very challenging times too especially during this season, but it’s His grace that saves me and keeps me going, His love that comforts and protects me, and His promise that I will always keep in my heart. The track ‘Waterwalk’ portrays all of that, and a reminder that what He has done for His people then, He will also do for His people now, we need only to anchor on to Him.”

Rapper/actor Jericho Arceo and Stell of SB19, will also release a joint single. Arceo is well known for creating viral videos on social media and being a member of the cast for the show The World Between Us, while Stell who is a part of SB19, one of the most popular P-pop groups in the Philippines, is embarking on his first solo venture through this collaboration.

In another first, Nathan Huang from the band ‘of Mercury’ (formerly known as Nathan & Mercury) will also have his first solo venture through the label and will collaborate with Darla Baltazar, who was recently featured as one of the 16 Artists to Watch on the international website The Gospel Coalition.

Janine Danielle, a worship leader from Favor Church, will be singing a track penned and produced by one of Spotify’s most followed Filipino artists Moira Dela Torre, and Moira’s frequent collaborator and husband, Jason Hernandez. The lineup also includes singles from beloved worship leaders from various churches in the Philippines: Lee Simon Brown (from Victory Worship), Cola Cabalcar, Kent Charcos, Cherise Katriel, and Sam & Steff.

To showcase the richness of the region, WATERWALK RECORDS will also release a single from Ariel Tsai, a popular Taiwanese singer/songwriter, pianist, and YouTuber signed under Sony Music Taiwan.

The 12 tracks from WATERWALK RECORDS are expected to be released within this year.

For more updates on the new tracks, artists, and upcoming events, follow WATERWALK RECORDS and Sony Music Philippines on Instagram and Facebook, below.

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Mark Pitts Appointed President, John Fleckenstein Elevated to Chief Operating Officer

NEW YORK, JANUARY 14, 2021 – RCA Records today announced a new leadership structure for a new era for the Company in the rapidly changing music marketplace.

Mark Pitts has been promoted to the role of President of RCA Records, working to grow and drive its Creative Business Operations as well as the Company’s cultural initiatives and further unifying our teams’ effectiveness. John Fleckenstein has been elevated to Chief Operating Officer, where, in addition to his current duties, he takes on more of the Company’s day-to-day business oversight.

Both executives will continue to report to Peter Edge, Chairman & CEO, RCA Records.

Joe Riccitelli will depart the company and provide transitional services to continue his work with key projects.

In making the announcement, Peter Edge said, “RCA Records was a different company even just a few years ago. Over the past decade, there has been a genre shift in consumer demand and streaming has revolutionized every aspect of our business so we must constantly adapt and iterate on our successes.

“Mark has demonstrated tremendous growth as an energetic, unstoppable leader whose unbridled enthusiasm and experience will be invaluable in taking our company to exciting new directions. With his deep relationships and decades of success working with legendary, pioneering artists, he is the ideal partner to help move our creative direction in a renewed, expanded way for the future.”

Continued Edge, “John has been a tremendous partner working effectively alongside me and across Sony Music globally these past few years driving our business forward. This new role will give him expanded oversight to reinvigorate all aspects of RCA’s operations.

“I want to thank Joe for his years helping build RCA for success. He played a key role in building the careers of many of our biggest artists and I look forward to supporting his next chapter.” 

Said Pitts, “New title, same energy! It’s no secret that music is a driving force in my life, so being recognized as someone who can continue to guide and motivate the RCA family of groundbreaking artists and fellow executives to further greatness is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I’m blessed to still be in an industry that I’m so passionate about and the picture we paint for ourselves is NEVER completed, so I look forward to more learning and creating culture-defining moments. Excited to work with Fleck and continue to build off of what we’ve established and I have to thank Peter and Coach Stringer for always having my back!” 

Fleckenstein commented, “We are an Artist-first company with the best development team in the business. I’m incredibly proud of the RCA Family we have cultivated over the past few years with our fresh creative minds, experienced team leaders and our trailblazing roster. Mark’s passion is unmatched. Bringing his fearless and aggressive drive into the center of the company will be a true game changer for our people and our culture. I’m forever grateful for the ongoing partnership extended by Peter Edge and the support and leadership of Rob Stringer.”

With a remarkable career spanning over 25 years, Pitts was most recently President of Urban Music RCA Records.  He will remain CEO and founder of ByStorm Entertainment, a full-service entertainment company that was established in 1998. He has held multiple leadership positions at RCA and has collaborated with ground-breaking genre-creating superstars from The Notorious B.I.G. to J. Cole, Usher to Miguel. After signing Chris Brown in 2004, Pitts continues to be a guiding force in his career as the A&R behind his recent hit single “Go Crazy” with Young Thug as well as the platinum certified smash hit with Drake, “No Guidance.” The Grammy nominated track was one of the biggest selling songs of 2019 and broke the record for the longest #1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for 27 weeks beating out ByStorm’s own Miguel’s “Adorn” (which Mark also A&R’d).  He was a leading factor in bringing Atlanta rapper Young Nudy to the label, champions the burgeoning Brooklyn drill founders Winner’s Circle and Grammy nominated Deante Hitchcock. He continues to be one of the industry’s truest tastemakers mentoring artists and inspiring burgeoning executives. In 2018, Pitts was the recipient of the Council District Arts and Music Award and the Power of Influence Award from the city of New York and has appeared on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop list for multiple consecutive years.

Fleckenstein was most recently co-president of the legendary label.  Beginning his career as an intern at Columbia Records, Fleckenstein has held various roles at Arista, Jive Records, as well as relocating to Sydney, Australia to lead marketing and promotion for BMG’s Asia-Pacific Region.  These positions ultimately led to Fleckenstein running Sony Music’s International team where he cultivated a vast knowledge of global music strategy, creating bold worldwide campaigns for some of the world’s largest of superstars such as Daft Punk, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake and many more.  Since joining the RCA team in 2015, his leadership has helped drive a constant string of major new artist break-throughs like Khalid, Doja Cat, SZA, BROCKHAMPTON and others.  In addition, his stewardship has helped score the label a plethora of #1 hits, multiple gold, platinum and multiplatinum certifications, competitive signings, and numerous award nominations across a number of artists including Khalid, Justin Timberlake, HER, SZA, Alicia Keys, P!NK, Bryson Tiller, TOOL, Foo Fighters, Pentatonix, and many others. 

For RCA Records, 2020 brought the global breakout success of Doja Cat with her #1 platinum selling Hot 100 remix of “Say So” feat. Nicki Minaj plus multiple Grammy nominations including Best New Artist and Record of the Year; H.E.R.’s compelling social justice inspired “I Can’t Breathe” garnered the singer her 13^th Grammy nomination in three consecutive years; BROCKHAMPTON’s breakout hit single “Sugar” was certified platinum; Leading the female rap game with new stars Flo Milli and Mulatto whose critically acclaimed debut projects both garnered certified gold singles; Chris Brown & Young Thug’s #1 R&B single “Go Crazy” is currently Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and has nearly 600 million streams worldwide; Alicia Keys inspired millions as The Grammy Awards’ host and later released her powerful self-titled 8^th studio album; Miley Cyrus’ critically acclaimed album, Plastic Hearts debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart; Kaytranada shined with three Grammy nominations including Best New Artist; The Strokes’ cemented their status as pillars of rock with their Grammy nominated, The New Abnormal; Koffee became the first woman and youngest artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album; Bryson Tiller returned with his highly anticipated critically acclaimed album A N N I V E R S A R Y; genre-bending Fousheé’s buzzed about track “Deep End” exploded on TikTok introducing her to a global audience as an artist on the rise; Pentatonix continued to reign as leaders of the holiday season. 

Ending 2020 to lead us into 2021, SZA’s Christmas gift, “Good Days” quickly secured its place at the top of the streaming charts delighting fans and tastemakers alike; Jazmine Sullivan’s critically heralded Heaux Tales is slated to debut top 10 and is currently dominating the cultural conversation; Tate McRae emerged as a global one to watch for 2021 scoring her first platinum record in multiple countries with “you broke me first.” 

RCA Records is the historical home of musical legends Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke and Hall and Oates and is the current home to internationally renowned and critically acclaimed artists including Khalid, Childish Gambino, P!NK, Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters, A$AP Rocky, Kings Of Leon, Britney Spears, ZAYN, Christina Aguilera, G-Eazy, Kesha, D’Angelo, Dave Matthews Band, Miguel, Kirk Franklin, Buddy Guy, Mark Ronson, Cam, Cage The Elephant, Becky G., Bleachers, A$AP Ferg, Kygo, BROCKHAMPTON, Normani, Kevin Abstract, Martin Garrix, Sasha Sloan, and Citizen Queen, among others.

Groundbreaking Virtual Performance to Showcase Songs from Singer Songwriter’s Highly Anticipated Epic Records Debut Album, Life Support

NEW YORK — JANUARY 11, 2021 — Singer songwriter Madison Beer is teaming up with Sony Music Entertainment and Verizon to put fans in the front row for a groundbreaking virtual concert experience that reimagines live performance for on-demand viewing across digital platforms in incredibly lifelike immersive reality.

Madison will perform an exclusive medley of songs from her highly anticipated Epic Records debut album, Life Support, as an ultra-realistic virtual avatar in an upcoming new showcase powered by cutting-edge innovations in real-time 3D creation technology.

The immersive experience will take place in a meticulous recreation of the Sony Hall concert venue in New York City and will feature dazzling special effects that capture Madison Beer’s artistic vision in full. The set will include an electrifying performance of her latest single “BOYSH*T” that highlights the new opportunities for artists to push the boundaries of their imagination and creativity within virtual spaces.

Fans will be able to view the Madison Beer Immersive Reality Concert Experience on PlayStation VR and Oculus VR, and as a captivating immersive 2D experience, which will be broadly available on streaming music video channels. It is set to debut later this winter.

“The process of putting this performance together is like nothing I’ve ever done before,” said Beer. “I love creating visuals, so it was really exciting for me to get involved in the process and make something special for my fans. We’re all disappointed we can’t go out and experience these songs on tour together, so creating a performance like this one feels like a true gift.”

Said Sylvia Rhone, Chairwoman and CEO, Epic Records, “Madison Beer is raising the bar of what’s possible in a virtual concert performance and we couldn’t be more excited. With this cutting-edge collaboration of music and technology, Madison has brought her innovative vision to life in a unique way while taking it to new heights. This is another example of Epic’s commitment to empower our artists with groundbreaking opportunities to expand their creative options and engage fans through immersive experiences.”

Said Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales, Sony Music Entertainment, “We are pleased to be partnering with Verizon to bring Madison Beer’s groundbreaking immersive performance to fans across a range of streaming and VR platforms.  This is a forward-looking, incredibly lifelike experience that brings a new dimension to Madison’s artistry and highlights the capabilities of these innovative formats which bring fans closer to the music than ever before.”

“New technologies only become real for consumers through groundbreaking performances like this one,” said Erin McPherson, Head of Consumer Content and Partnerships at Verizon. “Madison Beer is one of the most exciting young performers today, and her willingness to disrupt is a glimpse into the future of creativity and engagement in music. As interactive performances continue to evolve, Madison Beer and Sony will stand as a milestone in the development of new, immersive experiences for consumers, powered by Verizon.”     

Sony Immersive Music Studios, a new subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America focused on developing immersive music experiences through the power of creativity and technology, is partnering with Sony Music and Verizon to support the development of the immersive experience.

Sony Music and Verizon previewed the new Madison Beer experience today as part of Sony Corp’s Media Day presentation at the all-digital CES 2021. A first look at behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the concert, along with special interviews with Madison and the team bringing this dynamic experience to life is available at square.sony.com.

For the latest updates on Madison Beer and the upcoming immersive concert experience, follow Madison here:

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Listen to Madison Beer’s latest single “BOYSH*T” available HERE on all music services via Epic Records.

Nashville, TN, Dec. 8, 2020 – Billboard has confirmed that Sony Music Nashville is the 2020 Top Country Label, and has topped 13 year-end charts – the most of any country label group. For the second consecutive year, SMN has reached this chart’s highest position which reflects total year-end country consumption and airplay data. Additionally, Sony Music Nashville scored No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Label chart for achieving the highest sum of 2020 country album consumption.

SMN’s Columbia Nashville reached the summit of two year-end charts: Top Country Albums Imprints and Hot Country Songs Labels.

Increasing his tally by one from last year, River House Artists/Columbia Nashville’s Luke Combs landed atop the following eight 2020 Billboard charts: Top Country Artists, Top Country Artists – Male, Top Hot Country Songs Artists, Top Country Airplay Artists, Top Country Digital Songs Artists, Top Country Albums Artists, Top Country Albums for What You See Is What You Get and Top Hot Songwriters. Combs, for a second consecutive year, has the most year-end chart toppers of any artist.

Columbia Nashville’s Maren Morris takes the No. 1 position for 2020 Billboard Top Country Artists – Female.

A comprehensive account of Billboard’s 2020 year-end charts, compiled from Nov. 23, 2019 through Nov. 14, 2020, can be found here.

2020 BILLBOARD COUNTRY CHARTS Top Country Label Sony Music Nashville Top Country Albums Label Sony Music Nashville Top Country Albums Imprints 1. Columbia Nashville 6. RCA Nashville Hot Country Songs Labels 1. Columbia Nashville 3. RCA Nashville Top Country Artists 1. Luke Combs 3. Kane Brown 4. Maren Morris   Top Country Albums Artists 1. Luke Combs 2. Kane Brown Top Country Albums 1. Luke Combs – What You See Is What You Get 2. Luke Combs – This One’s For You 7. Maren Morris – GIRL 9. Kane Brown – Experiment Top Country Artists – Female 1. Maren Morris 3. Miranda Lambert Top Country Artists – Male 1. Luke Combs 3. Kane Brown Hot Country Songs Artists 1. Luke Combs 4. Maren Morris 6. Kane Brown Country Airplay Artists 1. Luke Combs 5. Kane Brown Country Digital Song Sales Artists 1. Luke Combs 6. Maren Morris Top Hot Country Songwriters 1. Luke Combs Top Country Albums Distributors 2. Sony Music Top Country Artists – Duo/Group 2. Old Dominion Top New Country Artists 4. Jameson Rodgers 5. Niko Moon Hot Country Songs 2. Maren Morris “The Bones” 6. Old Dominion “One Man Band” Hot Country Songs Imprints 6. RCA Nashville 7. Columbia Nashville Country Airplay Songs 7. “Homesick” Kane Brown 8. “Does To Me” Luke Combs ft. Eric Church 9. “Lovin’ On You” Luke Combs Country Airplay Imprints 9. RCA Nashville Country Airplay Labels 2. Columbia Nashville 4. RCA Nashville Country Digital Song Sales 4. “The Bones” – Maren Morris 6. “One Man Band” – Old Dominion Country Streaming Songs Artists 2. Luke Combs 5. Maren Morris 7. Kane Brown 8. Old Dominion Country Streaming Songs 2. “The Bones” – Maren Morris 4. “One Man Band” – Old Dominion 8. “Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs 10. “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs 2020 BILLBOARD ALL-GENRE CHARTS Billboard 200 Artists 4. Luke Combs Billboard 200 Artists 5. Luke Combs Billboard 200 Albums 10.  Luke Combs – What You See Is What You Get Top Artists – Male 10. Luke Combs Top Artists – Female 8. Maren Morris No. 5 Hot 100 Artists – Female 5. Maren Morris Hot 100 Songs 9. “The Bones” – Maren Morris Radio Songs Artists 9. Maren Morris Radio Songs 6. “The Bones” – Maren Morris No. 6 Hot 100 Artists – Duo/Group 6. Old Dominion

MIAMI (November 20, 2020) – For the sixth year in a row, artists from Sony Music and The Orchard affiliated labels prevail with the most honors of any label at the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®.

The ceremony, broadcast live on Univision last night, while show-stopping blockbuster performances aired from multiple cities across the world.

Among the evening’s top winners, Carlos Vives, Natalia Lafourcade and ROSALÍA dominated with three gramophones each. Other winners are as follows: Aline Barros, Andrés Cepeda, Fonseca, Fito Páez, iLe, Kany García, Ozuna, Residente, Ricky Martin and more.

In addition, Sony Artists lit up the stage with one unforgettable performance after another. Marc Anthony captivated with a stellar performance of “Un Amor Eterno.” Kany García delivered an emotional interpretation of “Lo Que En Ti Veo” with Nahuel Pennisi, followed by “Titanic” alongside Camilo, who joined by Pedro Capó performed their winning collaboration “TuTu.” Superstar Ricky Martin ignited the stage with “Tiburones” and “Recuerdo” accompanied by Carla Morrison. Additionally, Debi Nova took the stage for a sultry performance of “3:33,” while Anuel AA presented an explosive rendition of “Estrés Postraumático” and “El Manual.” Live from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fito Páez shined on “La Conquista del Espacio,” while Nathy Peluso took flight on “Buenos Aires.”

During the telecast, Víctor Manuelle, Rauw Alejandro, Jesús Navarro (Reik), and Ricardo Montaner teamed up for a very special moment in tribute to Héctor Lavoe “El Cantante.” Another major highlight, Prince Royce and Leslie Grace paid tribute to Juan Luis Guerra with “Burbujas de Amor” and Natalia Jiménez delighted with Julio Iglesias’s “Hey.” Plus, Rauw Alejandro kicked off the evening with a medley of his hits “Fantasias,” “Dile a El,” “Enchule” and “Tattoo” during the Noche de Estrellas pre-show. Not to mention, Víctor Manuelle hosted the proceedings, while Debi Nova, Leslie Grace, Kany García, Pedro Capó and Prince Royce also presented top honors.

Sony Music congratulates all of its winners.

Read the full list of winners from Sony Music and The Orchard affiliated labels below:

Album Of The Year
Natalia Lafourcade – Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1

Song Of The Year
Residente – “René”

Best Pop Vocal Album
Ricky Martin – PAUSA

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Andrés Cepeda & Fonseca – Compadres

Best Pop Song
Camilo & Pedro Capó – “Tutu”

Best Urban Fusion/Performance
ROSALÍA & Ozuna – “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi” [Columbia Records]

Best Rap/Hip Hop Song
Residente – “Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe”

Best Urban Song
ROSALÍA & Ozuna – “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi” [Columbia Records]

Best Pop/Rock Album
Fito Páez – La Conquista del Espacio

Best Pop/Rock Song
Fito Páez – “La Canción De Las Bestias”

Best Alternative Song
iLe & Natalia Lafourcade – “En Cantos”

Best Contemporary/Tropical Fusion Album
Carlos Vives – Cumbiana

Best Tropical Song
Carlos Vives – “Canción para Rubén”

Best Singer-Songwriter Album
Kany García – Mesa Para Dos

Best Regional Song
Natalia Lafourcade – “Mi Religión”

Best Christian Album (Spanish Language)
Alex Campos – Soldados [Decimal Talent Agency/Kee Records in collaboration with The Orchard]

Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album
Céu – APKÁ! [Slap in collaboration with The Orchard (Brazil)] 

Best Portuguese Language Christian Album
Aline Barros – Reino 

Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album
Emicida – AmarElo

Best Classical Contemporary Composition
SACRE – Carlos Fernando López & José Valentino, composers (Carlos Fernando López) [Landl Entertainment LLC in collaboration with The Orchard]

Track from: Lignarius

Best Engineered Album
Debi Nova – 3:33

Best Short Form Music Video
ROSALÍA & Travis Scott – “TKN” [Columbia Records]

Best Long Form Music Video
Carlos Vives – “El Mundo Perdido de Cumbiana”

Additional Winners:

Producer of The Year
Andrés Torres, Mauricio Rengifo – [Cartagena (Fonseca & Silvestre Dangond), Infinito (Andrés Cepeda), Perdiendo La Cabeza (Carlos Rivera, Becky G & Pedro Capó)]

Winners include most-awarded Maren Morris with three trophies, Luke Combs with two and Miranda Lambert and Old Dominion with one each.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sony Music Nashville artists were big winners at Wednesday’s “54th Annual CMA Awards,” sweeping seven categories. This is the largest CMA Awards tally the label group has achieved since 2006. SMN scores seven out of the 11 possible categories.

Most-awarded of the evening, Maren Morris took home trophies for Female Vocalist of the Year as well as Single and Song of the Year for her 3X Platinum multi-format No. 1 “The Bones.” Morris performed a reimagined version of her record-setting smash “The Bones.”

Winning Male Vocalist and Album of the Year, Luke Combs made the television debut of “Cold As You” off his new No. 1, record-setting deluxe album What You See Ain’t Always What You Get.

This year’s most-nominated artist with seven nods, Miranda Lambert won Music Video of the Year for her No. 1 hit “Bluebird.” Lambert, who holds the record for the most nominations for a female artist in history with 55 career nominations, made her national television debut of her latest single “Settling Down.” She remains the most decorated female artist in CMA history.

Old Dominion, who scored their third consecutive CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year, paid tribute to “Urban Cowboy” with their rendition of “Looking For Love.”

Following is a list of Sony Music Nashville’s winners at “The 54th Annual CMA Awards”:

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“The Bones” – Maren Morris 
Producer: Greg Kurstin 
Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs 
Producer: Scott Moffatt 

SONG OF THE YEAR  
“The Bones”  
Songwriters: Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR 
Maren Morris  

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs  

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Old Dominion   

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert 
Director: Trey Fanjoy 

Sony Music Nashville earned 22 overall nominations for “The 54th Annual CMA Awards.” Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs, and Maren Morris were this year’s top three nominees. Old Dominion, Brooks & Dunn, and Tenille Townes were also nominated. 
 

About Sony Music Nashville: Sony Music Nashville includes its three country label operations – Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville and RCA Nashville – and Provident Entertainment.

As part of Sony Music’s celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting the contributions, culture and impact of the Latinx experience, we are excited to share a new video series. SABOR: Celebrating Our Cuisine is a three-part series featuring artists from Sony Music Latin preparing a local dish from their country. While each dish has staple products used in Hispanic households, the flavors from each region could not be more unique.

Episode 1 features Kany García of Puerto Rico, preparing pastelon de carne con crema de Malanga. 

Kany released her first album Cualquier Día in 2007. Over the past 12 years she has written and performed some of the biggest hits in Latin pop, such as “Hoy Ya Me Voy,” “Alguien” and “Duele Menos,” and is the winner of five Latin GRAMMYs®. Her fifth album Soy Yo (2018) garnered four Latin GRAMMY® nominations and was named one of the 50 Best Albums of the Year—across all genres—by Billboard magazine. From this album came the ballad “Para Siempre,” which surpassed 64 million views on YouTube a year after its release.

Watch Episode 1 below.

Episode 2 features Debi Nova of Costa Rica, preparing Gallo Pinto.

Costa Rican born; L.A.-based Debi Nova signed her first record label deal at 17. In 2004 she hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with “One Rhythm,” a remix, featured on the soundtrack for the EA Sports video game FIFA Football 2005. Her single “Drummer Boy” charted #5 on the Billboard Dance Charts, but she is best known as one of the most sought-after singer/songwriters. Debi writes, co-writes and produces in both English and Spanish, and has been part of 6 Grammy nominated projects.

Watch Episode 2 below.

Episode 3 features Dolli Irigoyen of Argentina, preparing empanadas.

Dolli was born in General Las Heras, a small town in the province of Buenos Aires. Her passion for cooking, which was passed on by her grandmother, lead her to pursue a career in culinary arts. She’s a great friend of Sony Music Latin since the collaboration in the launch of her book and 3 DVDs “Dolli Irigoyen En Su Cocina” (Dolli Irigoyen In Her Kitchen). Besides owning many important restaurants, she is also a permanent member of the French Culinary Academy and owner of “Espacio Dolli,” a studio where young chefs focus on developing new and creative methods within the kitchen.

Watch Episode 3 below.

Read more about our Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations here.

New York, August 18, 2020 – Sixty-five million people tuned into the 1984 television adaptation of journalist Joe McGinniss’ smash best-selling book Fatal Vision to try to make sense of the unfathomable true-life horror story of Jeffrey McDonald, a military medical doctor accused and convicted of brutally murdering his wife and two young daughters. It was a scandalous crime that jolted the world and became a cultural moment that captured the public’s imagination and never let go.  

Now, the highly anticipated new podcast Morally Indefensible from Marc Smerling (Crimetown, The Jinx, Capturing the Friedmans) and Truth Media, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, makes its debut focusing on the divisive backstory of McGinniss’ writing and reporting of the book that gave rise to the landmark TV series and MacDonald’s infamy.  

Controversy surrounds Fatal Vision to this day. MacDonald enlisted famous journalist McGinniss, who later became his friend, to write an account of his story that would prove him innocent, but the published book was not what he expected, and it has had lasting repercussions for both men. 

In Smerling’s unique multiplatform approach to telling this layered and complicated story, Morally Indefensible launches as a lead-in companion to the premiere of FX’s new five-part docuseries, A Wilderness of Error, based on the best-selling book of the same name by author and documentarian Errol Morris. A Wilderness of Error tells the story of MacDonald, but from a different perspective, and premieres Friday, September 25 on FX, streaming the following day via FX on Hulu. The premiere includes three episodes airing back-to-back-to-back from 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, with the final two episodes airing the following week.Marc Smerling directs and executive produces alongside Blumhouse Television (The Jinx, The Loudest Voice, The Good Lord Bird) and UCP (Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers, Mr. Robot, The Act), a division of Universal Studio Group, for FX Networks. Additional executive producers include Michael Jackson and Rachael Horovitz, who acquired the rights to the book; Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Mary Lisio, Damn Olmstead and Jessica Grimshaw.

Currently, MacDonald is still in prison, but maintains his innocence to this day. A new parole hearing is scheduled for later this year.

Listeners can subscribe to Morally Indefensible across all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. 

About Truth Media

Truth Media is a podcast and television production company founded by Marc Smerling, the Emmy Award winning and Academy Award nominated producer, writer, director and cinematographer who has been a pioneer in telling true crime stories,  With a focus to develop projects that continue to expand how people think of true crime, Smerling opened Truth Media in 2018 out of an old factory building in Brooklyn now converted into a full-service production and post-production facility. In an exclusive partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, his team will create investigative podcasts, including the upcoming Morally (In)Defensible, a companion to Smerling’s nonfiction television series, A Wilderness Of Error, with Errol Morris, and produced in partnership with Blumhouse Television for FX Networks.

Smerling’s credits include producing the landmark documentary film Capturing the Friedmans (2003), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and won 18 major international prizes including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival and the New York Film Critics Circle Best Non-Fiction Film award.  He produced and shot The Jinx – The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, a six-part series about Robert Durst, which aired on HBO in 2015, that received six Primetime Emmys nominations including Best Cinematography for Smerling and won for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The Jinx also won a Peabody Award and led to the arrest of Mr. Durst for the murder of his best friend in California. Smerling also co-wrote and produced the narrative feature All Good Things (2010) starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella, and produced the acclaimed documentary Catfish (2010) released by Universal Pictures. He is also executive producer of Catfish: The TV Series. 

In addition, Smerling laid the path for the explosion and popularity of true crime podcasts when he created and hosted Crimetown with Zac Stuart-Pontier and Gimlet Media in 2016. The second season of Crimetown (2019) featured Detroit’s controversial mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, who is currently serving a 28-year sentence in federal prison. Crimetown has almost 100 million downloads worldwide. Smerling also produced The Ballad of Billy Balls, ranked No. 2 on The Atlantic Monthly’s Top 100 podcasts of 2019, and The RFK Tapes. Both Crimetown: Providence and The Ballad of Billy Balls are being developed for scripted television series at major studios.

15 July, 2020 16:00 London, 11:00 New York, 08:00 Los Angeles – Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment have reached an agreement for Cowell to acquire Sony Music Entertainment’s stake in their global joint venture talent and production company, which owns TV super-formats Got Talent and The X Factor, both created by Cowell and which were launched in 2006 and 2004 respectively. This buy-out, personally by Cowell, is the result of a buyback option maintained by Cowell through their joint-venture renewals and a mutual negotiation process. As part of the agreement, Sony Music will retain the JV’s music assets, including its roster of current artists and back catalog. 

The agreement for Cowell to personally acquire Sony Music’s share of the joint venture will transfer ownership of all of the television formats to a privately held company to be called Syco Entertainment. Cowell will have sole ownership of this independent entertainment company. 

Simon Cowell said: “I want to say a heartfelt thank you to Rob and all of the Sony Music executives, artists and partners all over the world. It’s been a unique partnership and Sony have always backed and supported me to create television formats. The shows we created have found so many amazing artists over the years and so many of the various Sony labels all over the world have enabled so many of those artists to fulfil their dreams. We have all shared some incredible achievements, and importantly we have had lots of fun. I won’t say this was an easy decision to make, however sometimes you have to personally support something you are so passionate about. I’ve always believed it’s important to take on new goals in order to drive new ideas and creativity so I’m very excited to be taking an independent and creatively-led Syco Entertainment into the future.”   

Rob Stringer, Chairman, Sony Music Group, said: “At this particular contractual crossroads, it was simply the right thing for Simon to take control of his TV assets and propel his company in a new direction. Sony Music has had incredible global success with so many artists that have been launched through Simon’s vision and innovation and we are proud to continue to represent the Syco music catalogue and its artists. On a personal note, it has been an amazing adventure working with him as we have shared so many exciting pop culture moments as friends and partners.”

In 2005, Sony Music Entertainment purchased Cowell’s share of Syco Music and Syco Television. In 2009, Cowell launched a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment whereby the JV owned the rights to several television formats including Got Talent and X Factor. From these TV shows, during the partnership, artists were exclusively signed to Sony Music Entertainment owned labels including Syco Music, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Sony Music Latin and RCA Records. As part of this new agreement, Syco Music remains wholly-owned and managed by Sony Music Entertainment and all artists remain signed with Sony Music Entertainment. 

Artists discovered through the TV show brands and signed to various Sony Music Entertainment-owned labels have achieved record sales of more than 600 million including more than 100 No. 1 records in the UK and in excess of 250 No. 1 singles and more than 500 Top 10 records globally. These include hits by stars including One Direction, Camila Cabello, Little Mix, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, CNCO, Paul Potts, James Arthur, Fifth Harmony, Louis Tomlinson, Olly Murs, JLS, Jackie Evancho, Alexandra Burke, Grace VanderWall and Rebecca Ferguson, amongst many more, as well as the many other artists discovered by local versions of the TV shows airing around the world. Other artists launched through the long-running partnership include record-breaking groups, Westlife and Il Divo.

The Got Talent brand—officially the world’s No1 reality TV format—currently has 76 local versions produced across the globe and international tape-sales to more than180 countries.  The X Factor airs in more than 130 territories.

NEW YORK, July 13, 2020 — Today, Sony Music Group, inclusive of Sony Music Entertainment and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, announced it has named prominent non-profit leader Towalame Austin Executive Vice President, Philanthropy and Social Impact. She will be based in Los Angeles and report jointly to Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Jon Platt and Sony Music Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Kevin Kelleher.

In this newly-created role, Towalame will work closely with Sony Music Group’s Corporate Communications and Human Resources teams to advance its humanitarian efforts through impactful contributions and sustained strategic partnerships. She will work to extend philanthropic programs and activities across the company’s global network, while advising its businesses, artists and songwriters on charitable initiatives reflecting Sony Music Group’s existing commitment to corporate giving.

Recently, Sony Music Group launched a $100 million fund to support social justice and anti-racist initiatives, in addition to participating in Sony Corporation’s $100 million fund for global Covid-19 relief. Sony Music Group also established a recurring “Giving Tuesday” campaign, which matched employee donations to hundreds of civic and charitable organizations.

Sony Music Entertainment Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Kelleher stated, “It is a pleasure to welcome Towalame to this important role at our company as we further develop our strategy in this vital area. Her extensive experience and deep understanding of companies that represent artists and the beneficial influence they can have on social causes aligns well with our growing efforts to positively impact our global society.”

Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Jon Platt stated, “I have known Towalame professionally for many years, and genuinely admire what she has accomplished as a strategic advisor for non-profits.  Through her work with some of the most influential leaders in music and entertainment, Towalame has helped chart a new course for creative companies to authentically give back to the communities they serve. I look forward to her guidance in expanding our impact as a socially-conscious organization.”

Towalame Austin said, “It is an honor to join Sony Music Group and deliver on their promise to meaningfully support communities in need.  I look forward to bringing my expertise to the company to help develop its philanthropic and advocacy efforts globally.”

With over twenty years of experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on charitable initiatives, Towalame most recently held the role of Executive of Philanthropy for Roc Nation. Roc Nation, founded by Jay-Z, is known for its dedication to charity, including work with prison reform through Reform Alliance and education through the Shawn Carter Foundation. During Towalame’s time at Roc Nation, she launched Rihanna’s charity venture, The Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), which has made a worldwide impact on education, emergency response, and health programs. Towalame also launched the We The Best Foundation, founded by DJ Khaled, and supported the philanthropic efforts of artists such as Big Sean, Mariah Carey, Todd Gurley and Justise Winslow. These efforts have increased global support for education, healthcare, and emergency response programs.

Towalame began her career in the non-profit sector at the Magic Johnson Foundation Inc., whose mission is to support the educational, health and social needs of diverse, underserved communities. During her tenure, she served as EVP and President. From there, she accepted the position of President of the Mourning Family Foundation, which supports disadvantaged youth in Miami. Austin currently sits on the Philanthropic/Advisory Board for her Alma Mater, California State University, Dominguez Hills.