Billy Steinberg and Son Ezra Ink Global Publishing Deals With Sony

Songwriter Billy Steinberg and his son and songwriter Ezra Steinberg have each signed global publishing deals with Sony Music Publishing. The deals serve as an expansion of Billy Steinberg’s partnership with Sony, which first began in 1992. Billy and Ezra’s works will be housed under the banner Steinberg Music.

Billy Steinberg’s deal covers administration of his newer catalog, including hits like “I’ll Stand by You” by the Pretenders, “Too Little Too Late” by JoJo, “Give Your Heart a Break” by Demi Lovato, “Falling Into You” by Celine Dion and more. The deal also encompasses Billy Steinberg’s original Sony Publishing catalog, which features “Like a Virgin” by Madonna, “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles, “Alone” by Heart, and “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston, as well as“I Touch Myself” by Divinyls and “I Drove All Night” by Roy Orbison and Lauper.

“I’ve had a professional songwriting career for 45 years and it’s exciting for me to see that Ezra shares my passion as we embark on this new chapter with SMP,” commented Billy Steinberg. Ezra Steinberg added, “I’m looking forward to this journey with Sony Music Publishing and launching Steinberg Music.”

Brian Monaco, president, global chief marketing officer, Sony Publishing said, “We’re delighted to expand our partnership with Billy, an extraordinary songwriter whose music speaks to all generations. Representing Billy’s catalog continues to be one of our greatest privileges and we are honored that he’s entrusted us to champion these treasured songs. We are also delighted to welcome Ezra, and we look forward to supporting him as he builds his songwriting career.”

+ Janelle Monáe has been honored with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in honor of being one of the most streamed creators in the organization’s 20-plus year history of administering digital performance royalties.

“Janelle Monáe is as authentic and genuine a creator as the world has ever seen – a true trailblazer of the digital age,” said Michael Huppe, president and CEO of SoundExchange. “An influential performer whose musical achievements are rivaled only by her notable roles as an actor, Monáe is also an inspiring activist and fashion icon. We are proud to present Janelle Monáe with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award.”

“I appreciate SoundExchange so much – this is such an honor. I work really hard on creating album experiences and music that really means something to, not just myself, but the community that I make it for,” Monáe said. “Thank you to all the fans who have made this possible and here’s to many more experiences together! And thank you to SoundExchange for recognizing me this way.”

Monáe has been a SoundExchange member since 2010. After touring in support of her 2023 album, “The Age of Pleasure,” Monáe recently announced the publication of “The ArchAndroid” graphic novel, starring Monáe.

+ Concord Music Publishing has signed Nashville based alternative, pop, and country singer-songwriter Zachary Knowles. The worldwide publishing deal, effective immediately, includes all Knowles’ future works.

Knowles is a 25-year-old singer-songwriter originally hailing from Magnolia, Texas. After making music and releasing it on SoundCloud as a teen, Knowles released a full EP of music and opened for Alec Benjamin on tour in 2019.

“Concord feels like family,” said Knowles. “When I met Melissa, it felt like I’d known her for years. The thing that stuck out to me most was her genuine care, and interest in the human behind the art. She quickly became a champion for the vision and goals I have for my career and hit the ground running long before my signing. Shoutout to Lily Bunta too for believing in my journey and working hard to make things happen. I can’t wait to celebrate big things with this team in the near future and couldn’t be happier with who’s next to me.”

“When I first met Zachary, I felt an instant creative connection,” said Melissa Spillman, vice president of A&R at Concord Music Publishing in Nashville. “He is a multi-faceted songwriter and artist who can create great music in so many different genres, and I am thrilled to have him join the Concord family. He is one-of-a-kind, and I look forward to celebrating many successes together!”

+ AWAL has announced the appointment of Aniket Parpillewar as head of India and South Asia. Based in Mumbai, Parpillewar’s leadership will continue to lead on a range of services including marketing, creative, sync licensing, promotion and distribution as well as access to real-time music analytics.

He joins AWAL from Amazon India, where he was head of music at Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Parpillewar will report jointly to Paul Hitchman, AWAL’s COO and Vinit Thakkar, managing director of Sony Music Entertainment India.

+ Singer-songwriter Alexandra Savior has signed to RCA Records. Savior has released the song “Unforgivable,” produced by Drew Erickson (Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty), as her debut on the label.

“We’ve all had experiences like this as women—it’s universal,” shared Savior. “I needed to write a song that was a mantra, so that I could stop blaming myself for experiences I’ve had where I was mistreated. I felt if I kept telling myself these things were unforgivable, maybe I would finally start to believe it myself.”

+ Warner Chappell U.S. Latin has signed a worldwide administration agreement with Venezuelan pop singer Joaquina. Recognized for her fusion of folk, pop, and rock genres, she became the youngest winner of the best new artist award at the Latin Grammys in 2023.

Joaquina shared: “I believe a huge part of my purpose in life is to write songs and tell stories through them—it’s actually the writing process itself more than anything that motivates and inspires me to make music. That’s why I’m so grateful to now have a team that believes in me and my craft as a songwriter before anything else, and I’m excited for this new chapter. Muchas gracias por creer en mí.”

Gustavo Menéndez, president, U.S. Latin and Latin America, WCM said: “It’s not often that an artist like Joaquina comes along with such a deep talent for songwriting and storytelling, and at such a young age. It’s been amazing to watch her rise so quickly, and we can’t wait for the amazing music she has yet to share with the world.”

+ BMI has launched Spark, a new program designed for BMI songwriters, composers and producers. Spark features exclusive offers and special discounts on leading music creation tools and tech, valuable career insights, educational content and health and wellness resources, all tailored to ignite the creative development, lifestyles and well-being of BMI’s affiliates.

“We developed BMI Spark after hearing from our songwriters and composers about the services and resources they wanted to best support them throughout their careers,” said Mike Steinberg, BMI’s executive VP, chief revenue and creative officer. “Our curated program of exclusive discounts, special offers and invaluable resources is designed to help our affiliates elevate their craft, spark their creativity, and enhance their well-being as they navigate the music industry. We look forward to growing Spark by continuing to add new partners and providing new benefits to support our incredible creative community.”

+ PRG (Production Resource Group), a provider of production solutions for entertainment and live events, has announced promotions within its corporate events division, including production veteran Matt Hohmann to senior director of production services, alongside the addition of five technical directors.

“As we continue to elevate the impact of our Corporate Events division, I am excited to announce Matt’s well-deserved promotion, along with the appointment of our new Technical Directors,” said Ariane Coldiron, PRG senior vice president, corporate events. “Technical excellence is central to the PRG mission and these developments will enhance our ability to deliver exceptional experiences that create lasting value for our clients.”

“I am glad to be a part of a company that is continuously innovating and understands how technology can propel the ideas and visions of event producers. Combining strategic planning with a deep production acumen, we’ll ensure that every show is planned, advanced, and resourced properly. We’re proud to reinforce PRG’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and technical excellence,” said Hohmann.

Tuesday, March 1

Kristin Chenoweth has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation in all areas.

The Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer and actor is starring in and producing  ”The Queen of Versailles” through her own Diva Worldwide Entertainment. Set to make its Broadway debut in the 2025-2026 season, the musical will see Chenoweth reunite her with “Wicked” composer, Stephen Schwartz and made its world premiere at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre last year.

Chenoweth is best known for her Tony-nominated performance as the original Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked.” She won a Tony for her role in “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and has starred in films including “Four Christmases,” “The Boy Next Door,” “Bewitched,” “The Pink Panther,” and most recently, Netflix’s “Our Little Secret.”

On television, she is known for her Emmy-nominated role in “Glee,” her Emmy-winning performance in “Pushing Daisies,” and appearances in “Schmigadoon!,” “The West Wing,” and NBC’s “Hairspray Live!” Chenoweth has also released multiple studio albums.

+ Peermusic has promoted Elizabeth Rodda to president of U.S. Latin, Latin America and global society relations, as announced by CEO Mary Megan Peer, to whom Rodda reports.

Rodda will now oversee the company’s Latin initiatives and new signings in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, in addition to overseeing initiatives and repertoire across South America, Mexico and Central America. Peermusic’s US Latin Creative team will now report to Rodda, who continues to be based out of Peermusic’s Miami office.

Rodda will also continue to serve as a representative of Peermusic to global collection societies, as she works to optimize revenue growth and rights flow for all Peermusic songwriters.

Peer commented: “In her two years with peermusic, Liz has continued to develop of our Latin America operations, supporting the creative work and growing the income of peermusic songwriters throughout the region. In expanding her role to lead our US Latin initiatives, we are recognizing the close ties between the US Latin and Latin American and increasing the opportunities for our Latin writers globally.”

Rodda added: “Peermusic has a long legacy of championing Latin music and promoting songs of cultural importance and it is an honor to keep that torch bright for the next generation of music creators. Today, our creative teams are firing on all cylinders in attracting top talent, creating opportunities for Latin songwriters in the global music market, proactively pitching for synchronization, and helping to take the careers of our writers to the next level. I’m honored to work with Mary Megan and the Peermusic team as we continue to support our writers with a dedicated team and an unparallelled international footprint.”

+ The 23rd annual Pop Conference will take place from March 13 to 15 on the USC University Park campus. The event will include panels, roundtables, keynotes, and special events in collaboration with the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM-US) and Critical Minded.

This year’s theme, “Baby, It’s a Look: Popular Music, Style, and Fashion at the Edge,” draws its inspiration from a 2017 Leikeli47 lyric and marks the first joint gathering of PopCon and IASPM-US since 2012.