Music executives have often been portrayed in a negative light. Whether it is in songs or somewhere else, they typically get the bad end of the public bargain when they take on an act. However, even though they can potentially complicate creative processes and hinder an artist’s ability, they are an integral and inevitable part of the business. This is particularly true when it comes to talent agencies and booking agents.
In all of the entertainment industry, the term “The Big Five” gets thrown around. What it references are the top talent agencies in the world: WME, CAA, ICM, UTA, and Paradigm. They all represent musicians, actors, writers, athletes, and essentially anyone whose vocation falls under the entertainment umbrella. Given Nashville’s music scene, three of the five of them have a demanding presence in the city and represent some of the most famous artists. Here are three of the most prominent agencies in Nashville representing some of your favorite musicians.
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Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, CAA created a small office in Nashville in 1991 following Nashville’s boosting pop country scene. Primarily known for their work in the film/television industry, CAA started as a one-man show based out of a bedroom and had no intentions of growing. Though, as Nashville grew away from just producing country music, the agency grew larger at an exponential rate.
As of now, their country music roster includes Billy Strings, Charley Crockett, Dolly Parton, and Darius Rucker—and a slew of other prominent household artists within the country scene.
Opening a Nashville office in 1973, WME is a privately owned company that seemingly has its hands in every facet of the music industry. In addition to its Nashville success, the agency started the first electronic music division and successfully spearheaded an operation to bring Lollapalooza to South America. Yet, one of their most successful sects in mainstream media remains in Nashville.
Their country music clients include Alan Jackson, The Red Clay Strays, Lainey Wilson, and Luke Bryan. Like CAA, they have a near monopoly on the major country acts in Nashville and their roster goes far beyond the genre, as they also represent Adele, Bruno Mars, and countless others.
Even though it is the smallest of the three agencies, UTA’s presence in Nashville is still huge. Formed in Los Angeles in 1991, UTA did not open an office in Nashville until 2012. However, they still have put together a decadent career in that short time without having a massive country roster.
Representing high-level acts such as Megan Moroney, Midland, The Marshall Tucker Band, Steve Earle, and numerous others. Regardless of their late start and “smaller” roster, the agency still has a grip on the city and continues to sign up-and-coming artists.
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