Rani Hancock Appointed Executive Vice President, Head Of U.S. Creative At Kobalt

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Rani Hancock. Photo: Charlie Gross

Kobalt has appointed Rani Hancock to the position of Executive Vice President, Head of U.S. Creative at the company. She will now lead the company’s creative teams in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.

Hancock joins Kobalt from her position as EVP, Head of A&R at Columbia Records, where she worked with Dove Cameron, Maren Morris and JoJo Siwa, among others. In her previous role as Executive Vice President, A&R at RCA Records, she signed chart-topping artists including Miley Cyrus, Kesha and Becky G and A&R’d projects for Pitbull, Britney Spears and more. During her stint as President of Sire Records, she signed Bryce Vine and Cavetown, oversaw projects by Tegan and Sara and Andra Day, as well as executive produced the Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

At Kobalt, Hancock will report directly to Jeannette Perez, the company’s President & Chief Commercial Officer.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rani Hancock to Kobalt Music,” says Perez. “Her exceptional creative vision and proven track record make her the perfect fit to head our U.S. creative team. Rani’s deep understanding of the evolving music landscape, combined with her passion for nurturing talent, will be invaluable as we continue to empower songwriters, artists and producers in achieving their greatest potential.”

Laurent Hubert, CEO of Kobalt adds, “Rani is a creative executive who has always looked at the songwriter as a foundational player in our business. That point of view, along with her vast experience in our business, embodies the kind of leadership and creative acumen that makes her the ideal leader to guide our U.S. creative team moving forward.”

A Berklee College of Music grad, Hancock began her career working for Clive Davis at Arista Records, later joining him as part of the founding team at J Records. She has A&R’d six No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 singles, three No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 albums and 17 Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 singles throughout her career.

“Joining Kobalt is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that truly values songwriters, artists and producers,” shares Hancock. “Laurent and Jeannette have built an amazing team and a culture of creativity and innovation. I’m incredibly excited to work alongside them to champion the next generation of creative talent. Kobalt’s commitment to empowering artists aligns perfectly with my own values, where great songs and great songwriters always come first. I can’t wait to contribute to their continued success.”

LB Cantrell
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