Universal Music Latin America has announced three key strategic appointments, under the leadership of Jesús López, chairman & CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula.
Alfredo Delgadillo has been promoted to CEO & President, Universal Music Latin Entertainment, assuming oversight of Universal Music Latino in the United States, while continuing to lead Universal Music Mexico and the Regional Mexican label Fono. He will be based in Mexico City and report directly to López. Delgadillo began his career at Universal Music Mexico in 1998 before joining EMI Music Mexico. Following UMG’s acquisition of EMI in 2013, he returned to Universal as GM of Universal Music Mexico, being appointed CEO & president in 2024. He has worked closely with such artists Danna, Mon Laferte, Caloncho, Ed Maverick, Zoé, José Madero and León Larregui, as well as Luis Fonsi, Juanes, Feid, Metallica and U2.
In a related move, Daniel Luna has been appointed general manager of Universal Music Latino, based in Miami and reporting to Delgadillo. Most recently, he served as founder & CEO of D Luna Music, following A&R and marketing roles at Warner Music Group.
Also, Angel Kaminsky has been appointed president of A&R and artist relations for Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, based in Miami and reporting to López. He has been with Universal Music since 2010 and has worked closely with such artists as J Balvin, Karol G, Sebastián Yatra and Feid. He began his career in Buenos Aires at his family’s independent record company, Microfon, and prior to UMG held senior roles at Warner Music Mexico, Warner Music U.S. Latin and Líderes Entertainment Group.
“These appointments represent the next phase of our evolution as a unified, forward-thinking organization,” López said. “Alfredo’s expanded leadership strengthens our regional integration and cross-border label strategy; Angel’s deep creative expertise ensures we continue to elevate artist development across all Latin markets; and Daniel’s operational leadership will position us to accelerate growth in the U.S. Latino market. Latin music is shaping global culture, and our focus remains clear: empower our artists, foster creative excellence, and build seamless collaboration across all territories to drive sustainable, long-term global success.”
+ ASCAP has announced that composer David Vanacore (“Hell’s Kitchen,” “Big Brother,” and for 50 seasons the score composer for “Survivor”) will receive the ASCAP Golden Note Award, presented to members who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Previous recipients include Lionel Richie, Jeff Lynne, Quincy Jones, Jermaine Dupri, Reba McEntire, Alicia Keys and composers Alf Clausen and Mark Snow. He has been named the top ASCAP winner for Most Performed Themes & Underscore 21 consecutive times. Vanacore will receive the award on April 28 at the ASCAP Screen Music Awards celebration in Los Angeles.
ASCAP has also announced the recipients of the 2026 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, recognizing gifted young jazz composers up to the age of 30. Recipients are listed below with their age, current residence and place of origin. If under the age of 18, only the age and state are listed:
Miranda I. Agnew, age 27 of Brooklyn, NY (Tucson, AZ); Sam Chandler, age 25 of Duluth, MN; Hannah Claire, age 24 of Dallas, TX (Coeur de Alene, ID); Rafael Enciso, age 26 of New York, NY (Ithaca, NY); Ariel Sha Glassman, age 30 of Chicago, IL (Dublin, OH); Sean Kiefer, age 21 of Cedar Falls, IA; Amos Landau, age 20 of Boston, MA (Jerusalem, Israel); Erik Larsen, age 29 of New York, NY (Visalia, CA); Aditi Malhotra, age 28 of Boston, MA (New Delhi, India); Hannah Marks, age 28 of Brooklyn, NY (Des Moines, IA); Will Robinson, age 18 of West Lake Village,
CA (Thousand Oaks, CA); Denin Slage-Koch, age 30 of Knoxville, TN (Richland, WA); Izzy Stone, age 21 of Rochester, NY (Palo Alto, CA); Teresa (Naphatraphee) Um, age 24 of Denton, TX (Chiang Mai, Thailand) and Immanuel Wilkins, age 28 of Brooklyn, NY (Philadelphia, PA).
Composers receiving Honorable Mention this year are: Bella Amada, age 24 of Philadelphia,
PA; Nick Mikhail, age 21 of Wayne, NJ; Klara Poznachowska, age 25 of Boston, MA (Warsaw, Poland); Noah A. Silver, age 16 of MA; Thomas Wandborg, age 28 of Los Angeles, CA (Hjoerring, Denmark) and Henry Zucarello, age 23 of Rochester, NY (Boston, MA).
+ The Black Music Action Coalition has announced “BMAC x America250 Voices of Tomorrow,” a nationwide youth talent search and music collaboration initiative “rooted in truth, powered by legacy, and driven by the next generation of voices in music,” according to the announcement, which adds, “This is not just a talent search; this is a national call to purpose. At a moment when America is being asked to reflect on its history and redefine its future, BMAC is calling on young creators across the country to step forward and use their voices to tell the truth, challenge the present, and inspire what is possible.”
Selected artists will enter a collaborative process with leading artists, producers, and songwriters. Each selected participant will receive a $10,000 BMAC Music Maker Grant, along with a year of mentorship, development, and access to BMAC programming and industry connections. The program was made possible through an initial gift from the Hearthland Foundation.
Application Window: April 1, 2026 to April 30, 2026; the call is open to all musical genres; applicants must be 18 years or older and residents of the United States. For more qualification details and information see https://www.bmacoalition.org/voicesoftomorrow.
+ Los Angeles long-running Teragram Ballroom has named Molly Majorack its new talent buyer, replacing outgoing buyer Scott Simineaux. She will work closely alongside fellow Teragram Presents rooms, collaborating with the Bellwether’s Jordan Anderson and Moroccan Lounge’s David Murphy.
Most recently, Majorack has been focused in Orange County, buying for the Observatory & Constellation Rooms in Santa Ana, House of Blues and the Parish in Anaheim, and Riverside Municipal Auditorium and Fox Performing Arts Center. She was previously based in Washington D.C., first booking U Street Music Hall for I.M.P. and later a variety of rooms for Live Nation.
“I’m incredibly happy and excited to have her in the family,” states Michael Swier of Teragram Presents. “Molly’s reputation precedes her, as expressed by those who have personally worked with her and by the accolades the industry bestows upon her; we welcome her with arms wide open.”
Of Simineaux, he added, “During his eleven-year tenure, Scott has been a loyal defender and a fierce advocate for the Teragram, and most of all, he became a true friend,” shares Swier. “I wish him all the success he deserves in this next life.”
+ Sony Music Publishing has promoted Shane Knotts to senior VP of global royalties, effective immediately. Based in the company’s Nashville office, he will continue to report to EVP of worldwide administration Dale Esworthy. He joined the company in 1994 as royalty manager.
Esworthy said, “Shane’s application of lean principles and love of making everything more efficient has allowed SMP to continually handle increasing volumes of data smoothly and proficiently for our songwriters and clients. We couldn’t be happier to recognize Shane’s ongoing contributions with this promotion.”
+ British singer-songwriter Fliss has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Pulse Music Group, as announced by co-CEOs Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham and president Ashley Calhoun. The South London-based singer -songwriter’s debut single, “Coming Around,” will appear on her forthcoming debut project expected later this year. She is managed by Sarah Stennett, CEO/co-founder of the London-headquartered FAE Music Group, alongside Jessica Nolan Teyha Bingham Thaker.
+ Concord Music Publishing announced the signing of Nashville-based artist, songwriter, composer, and producer Austin Bianco. The worldwide go forward co-publishing deal is effective immediately. Bianco attended Nashville’s Belmont University and signed his first publishing deal right after college. He quickly became involved in writing and producing in various music genres including pop, hip-hop, country, and EDM as well as writing music for film and TV. He has secured synch placement with credits including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “American Horror Stories,” “All American,” “The Bold Type,” Netflix’s “Elite” and HBO’s “The New Pope,” and has collaborated with Hayley Warner, Sierra Ferrell, Breland and more.
+ Parallel Vision, label founded by Daniel Oakley, Darren Potuck and Cage the Elephant’s Brad Shultz has signed Florida-based duo Modern Cult, in partnership with Big Loud Rock. The band’s debut single, “Be My Friend,” was produced by Shultz.
+ Direct-to-fan platform Tipify has named Sam Shah to lead its artist relations and development. He previously held an A&R roles at ATO Records and worked as an artist manager at Mick Management. He later founded General Public Management in Austin, Texas, and launched a digital video platform focused on helping fans discover emerging artists.
“Independent artists have never had more tools available to them, and yet the gap between making great music and building a sustainable career has never felt wider,” said Dan Carucci, CEO of Tipify. “Bringing Sam on board right now as we’re scaling our artist community and deepening our platform is about closing that gap. He knows the label world, he’s managed artists through real career moments, and he’s built programs from scratch. That’s exactly what this role calls for.”
+ In a recent study on the impact of Instagram on music and artist engagement, both on and off platform, parent company Meta partnered with Luminate, Variety’s data partner and the insights and analytics firm behind the Billboard charts. Results include:
* 58% of all music superfans use Instagram to engage with artists or music content;
* Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) of Instagram’s daily music engagers qualify as superfans, which is nearly double the rate of the overall base audience (18%);
* The concentration of superfans on Instagram rises to 38% among Gen Z and younger consumers;
* Daily music engagers on Instagram are disproportionately aged 18–34 and are more likely to have higher disposable incomes, with 28% earning over $100,000 annually compared to 20% of the base audience.
With regard to financial impact and spending trends:
* Daily music engagers on Instagram spend an average of $55 per month on non-live music activities, compared to $34 for the base audience;
* Those users have a 71% paid DSP (Digital Service Provider) usage rate and are more likely to purchase vinyl (21% vs. 12% for the base audience);
* Instagram users lead in live music engagement, with 45% attending events in the past year, significantly higher than the base audience (32%) and TikTok users (41%).
Finally, the study found that:
* The median “Instagram Artist” saw 23% year-over-year growth in off-platform streaming (Q2 2024 to Q2 2025), while the median artist overall grew only 3%; and
* Growth driven by Instagram is often persistent, supported by users who are 51% more likely to follow artist fan pages and 48% more likely to look up music on DSPs post-discovery.
Meta’s VP of music and product partnerships Tamara Hrivnak said, “Meta’s study with Luminate validates our belief that Instagram is the best place for artists to foster deep relationships with their fans and build their careers. Instagram uniquely connects artists with music fans who spend and engage more on music – we’re home to the densest population of Superfans in any social environment.”
Jaime Marconette, VP of music insights and industry relations at Luminate, added, “Superfans are the primary drivers of the modern music economy, and Luminate provides the standardized data necessary to measure their actual impact across the industry. Our analysis confirms that Instagram is a central environment for building these deep relationships, as it hosts a high concentration of fans willing to invest their time and money back into the artists they follow.”
+ United Talent Agency has named 35 partners to the agency, spanning across 23 departments and multiple offices. The full list appears below.
In making the announcement, UTA CEO David Kramer stated, “Congratulations to our new partners, whose contributions have been at the center of our momentum — championing clients, building teams, and pushing our business forward in a rapidly evolving industry. Their achievements exemplify what differentiates UTA: ambition paired with integrity, collaboration at the highest level, and a commitment to always looking ahead. Partnership is more than a title—it’s a recognition of impact, trust, and dedication to our clients and one another. As we enter our next phase of growth, their partnership will play a critical role in shaping the future of our agency.”
Mahzad Babayan, Creators
Hanley Baxter, Filmed Entertainment/Talent
Christian Bernhardt, UTA LIVE/Music
Alisann Blood, UTA LIVE/Music Brand Partnerships
Brandi Brammer, UTA LIVE/Music
Jules De Lattre, UTA LIVE/Music
Ty Flynn, Creators
Janelle Francis, Finance, Klutch Sports Group
Jason Garber, Filmed Entertainment/Production Arts
Jonny Geller, The Curtis Brown Group
Abby Glusker, Filmed Entertainment/TV Lit
Amanda Hymson, Filmed Entertainment/MP Lit
Greg Iserson, Filmed Entertainment/TV Lit
Chris Jefferis, Finance
Justin Kao, IQ
Daniel Landver, Creators
Ernie Liu, Technology
Charlotte Perman, UTA LIVE/Speakers
Pilar Queen, Publishing
Caryn Rosoff, Sports and Brand Insights
Josh Rothstein, Strategy and Corporate Development
Claudia Russo, Corporate Communications
Lily Safran, Filmed Entertainment/TV Lit
Sara Schoch, UTA LIVE/Music Brand Partnerships
Joe Schwartz, UTA LIVE/Comedy Touring
Jerry Silbowitz, Sports Media
Lesley Silverman, Creators
Stephanie Smith, IQ
Max Stubblefield, Filmed Entertainment/Unscripted Television
Pasha Tasvibi, Business Affairs
Stephen Travierso, Filmed Entertainment/Talent
Elisa Vazzana, UTA LIVE/Music
Kevin Volchok, Filmed Entertainment/Talent
Paul Weis, Technology
Bjorn Wentlandt, UTA LIVE/Comedy Touring
James Wright, UTA LIVE/Music
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