My Music Row Story: Make Wake Artists’ Sophia Sansone
Sophia Sansone
In less than a decade, Sophia Sansone has risen from an assistant role to become one of Nashville’s most respected young executives, now serving as a Managing Partner at Make Wake Artists. Since joining the company in 2017 as assistant to founder Chris Kappy, Sansone has distinguished herself through sharp strategic instincts, deep artist advocacy and an exceptional understanding of long-term career building.
A key member of Luke Combs’ management team during a period of historic growth, Sansone has played an integral role in helping guide one of the most successful careers in modern country music. She also manages Nicole Combs, serving as a trusted advisor across brand, business and philanthropic initiatives. In 2025, Sansone expanded her roster by taking on Grammy Award–winning act The Band Perry, leading their highly anticipated return to country music while honoring the legacy that made them one of the genre’s most influential acts.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Sansone credits much of her leadership style to growing up as one of ten siblings, an unconventional training ground that shaped her collaborative mindset, adaptability and decisiveness. Her impact has been consistently recognized by the industry. She was named to Nashville Briefing’s 30 Under 30 in 2021 and went on to earn repeated honors including Billboard Women in Music (2023, 2024, 2025), MusicRow’s Next Big Thing (N.B.T.) (2023), Variety’s Hitmakers (2023, 2024), Billboard’s Country Power Players (2023, 2024, 2025) and Billboard’s 40 Under 40 (2024).
Sansone will be honored as part of MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row class of 2026 on March 3 at the JW Marriott. Read more about the event here.
Photo: Courtesy of Sansone
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, with a big Italian and Greek family. I have nine siblings, and I was the first girl after five boys.
What were you into as a kid?
I was definitely a tomboy, so I was really into sports and I also boxed a lot with my brothers growing up, but at the same time I really cared about fashion from a young age and what I wore. I went to an all-girls Catholic school and had to wear a uniform all the way until college, but I always loved fashion and my dream was to move to Chicago and work in it. I also liked pop culture and would watch E! News and Oprah religiously after school.
I went to The Catholic University of America in DC for two years, where I played field hockey, and then I transferred to Vanderbilt. During the summers, I would work at Fox Sports Midwest in St. Louis, helping the local teams with whatever they needed. I worked on the production and marketing side of things, helping pull clips for the jumbotron, literally whatever you could think of. At one point, I was sitting in a closet going through old Cardinals baseball footage and pulling clips they wanted.
I grew up a big country music fan, but I really didn’t understand the industry at all. I didn’t know there were songwriters. So when I moved here and started going to writers’ rounds, that was when the light bulb went off.
Photo: Courtesy of Sansone
How did you get your feet wet?
I started just managing my friends and being around artists and songwriters. I remember going to a round at a bar on Demonbreun and seeing Jonathan Singleton play “Watching Airplanes,” which he wrote. I had no idea someone other than the artist wrote songs. It really opened my eyes.
I finished up at Vanderbilt and was doing a lot of hustling on the side, managing my friends. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I knew I wanted to get into the industry somehow. I expressed that to my parents, but there were no job openings that I could find. All I had was babysitting money and a degree. I couldn’t afford to live here, so I had to move home.
My parents encouraged me to go to law school, so I started studying for the LSAT, took it, and applied to law school. But the whole time, I’d drive to Nashville every other week, stay with friends, and get coffee with whoever would take me in the industry. Everyone was so great, but no one had a job opening.
Photo: Courtesy of Sansone
One day, my girlfriend saw a Facebook post from Kappy at Make Wake. He was looking for a day-to-day position for a bunch of his baby acts at the time. I knew who Luke Combs was. He had just had a No. 1 with “Hurricane,” and “When It Rains It Pours” was at radio. I also had lots of mutual friends with his then-girlfriend, Nicole.
I met with Kappy at the then Edgehill Cafe in 2017, admitting I was under-qualified for the job but asked him to take a chance. He ended up hiring someone else for the day-to-day role, but he said, “I can’t not hire you, and I really want you to grow and learn under me,” which is all I ever wanted. So he hired me as an assistant, paid me as much as he could, and gave me my chance.
That’s awesome. Tell me about getting started.
My first day of work was CMA Awards day. Kappy had me meet him at this address around 9:00 a.m. I showed up, and Luke was in the middle of a really big interview with a huge crowd. Then we went to Bridgestone for soundcheck, and there were all of these big names in the room, like Scooter Braun and Taylor Swift. I was like, “What is happening to me?” Kappy threw me right in.
I’ll never forget Mary Catherine Kenny, who was Luke’s PR at the time, coming out the door at Bridgestone to grab us. She was quick and decisive and wasn’t phased by all the people. She just radiated boss energy. I realized I had joined an environment where I was going to have to work really, really hard and use my voice. You could get eaten alive if you didn’t keep up with the pace. A lot of it looks glamorous, but there’s so much happening behind the scenes.
Photo: Courtesy of Sansone
Within six months of working at Make Wake, Kappy called me into the office and asked me to be Luke’s day-to-day. I was like, “Are you sure? I’m so new.” I was so honored. I’ve been his day-to-day ever since and have been able to grow a lot on the team, which has instilled a lot of confidence in me.
Now you are also Partner at Make Wake.
Yes, about two years ago, Kappy asked me to be a Partner. That was a huge honor for me, and I feel really grateful for it. About a year ago, I also signed The Band Perry, which was something I never expected to do because Luke is so busy and the company is busy. I also manage Nicole with her brand marketing sponsorships.
But when Kimberly Perry messaged me that she was returning to country music, I had to meet with her. I was honored. Once we talked, I knew I needed to do it. I built a team around it, and I’m really grateful.
What is a day in the life like for you, balancing all of that?
Every day is different. Before work, I try to work out and do my Bible study before I get ready for the day. I really prioritize my mornings now. It’s better for everyone that way. [Laughs]
Then, depending on the day, I’ll go to meetings, and after that it’s more meetings, calls and emails. If we’re in an album cycle, we’re going to interviews and the studio, and now touring is ramping up, so I’ll be going to stadium shows for Luke and shows for The Band Perry.
Photo: Courtesy of Sansone
Kappy still goes to every show for Luke, and I go to a lot of them. We’re so close with the touring team. We get so much done out there, and there’s so much camaraderie. It’s a grind, but it’s rewarding, and it’s a privilege to me.
Tell me about a moment in your career that you are most proud of.
When Luke and Tracy Chapman performed “Fast Car” at the Grammys, that was an incredible moment. It was such an important moment for Luke and such an honor for him. The fact that Tracy appreciated his cover of the song and wanted to perform with him was a full-circle moment. No one knew it was happening at the Grammys besides our teams.
I become the seat filler for Luke when he’s on stage at award shows, so I was sitting with Nicole when he came on stage. It was indescribable and such a proud moment, you could feel that the entire room was in awe too, which was really cool and felt like a huge step for country music.
I’m also really, really proud to be managing The Band Perry. It’s a big step for me to have something that I signed, and I’m honored.
Photo: Courtesy of Sansone
Who have been your mentors?
My Pop has always been my mentor in business. He pushes me to think bigger and gives the best advice. I also talk with my brothers about business all the time, having those conversations with both of them has shaped so much of how I approach my career.
My mom is incredible. She raised 10 kids while also building her own path as an entrepreneur. She is a fitness coach, specifically for the elderly, wrote a bestselling book titled Women First, Family Always, and was featured on Oprah and in O Magazine. She’s my role model in every sense, her work ethic, her heart, and the way she shows up for people.
My brother Jimmy has gotten me through some pretty challenging times and pushes me to work on myself mentally, emotionally and physically. Of course, Kappy is my mentor in this industry. There are a lot of other names I could mention, too. I have a lot of people I can lean on.
What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
I’ve gotten a lot of amazing advice. I’m really close to my grandparents. My Pa, who was extremely wise, always said, “Treat the janitor the same way you treat the CEO. You’re not better than anybody, and nobody’s better than you.”
It’s simple, but it’s important. Treat everybody with kindness and respect.
