Ian Harrison.

Ian Harrison has been named CEO of A2IM, effective Oct. 1.

Harrison brings more than 20 years of leadership in the independent music sector. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Hopeless Records, guiding campaigns for more than 300 releases, selling over 15 million copies and earning over 20 Gold and Platinum certifications as well as securing No. 1 records in both the U.S. and the U.K. His work as part of the Hopeless Foundation (Sub City) has raised over 3.5 million dollars for a variety of music and mental health charities. He has been actively involved with A2IM since 2012 as an Indie Week committee member, five-time speaker, and mentor. He also serves on the Worldwide Independent Network’s board and has previously held a board seat with the Music Business Association. He has earned recognition on Billboard’s Indie Power Players list in 2024 and 2025, as well as the 30 Under 30 list earlier in his career.

“The independent community is stronger and more dynamic than ever, yet also facing accelerating challenges that will test our resilience and adaptability. A2IM exists to ensure our members can grow independently in the face of these changes and thrive on their own terms,” shares Harrison. “I am grateful to the A2IM Board for their trust as I step into the CEO role at such a pivotal moment. I take on this responsibility with a deep commitment to serving our community. I am especially grateful to Dr. Richard James Burgess for a decade of exceptional leadership that established A2IM as a vital voice in our industry, and to Lisa Hresko and the entire A2IM team whose dedication makes our work so impactful. This includes remembering our colleague Alex Machurov, whose contributions and spirit will remain part of A2IM’s legacy. I also want to thank Louis Posen and my colleagues at Hopeless Records, where I spent the past two decades, for shaping me as a leader and deepening my commitment to this community. Independent music has been my life’s work, and I am excited to serve in this new capacity. I look forward to working closely with our members, the global trade organization community, commercial partners, and policymakers to ensure independent voices remain at the center of the music industry’s future.”

Harrison succeeds Dr. Richard James Burgess, who will step down at the end of this year following a decade of service. Burgess built Indie Week and the Libera Awards into the world’s largest independent conference and award show, respectively and has spent his career lobbying for the rights of independent artists and labels in Washington, D.C., and globally.

“I am honored to have served this extraordinary community for the past decade, and I could not be more pleased to welcome Ian Harrison as A2IM’s next CEO,” adds Burgess. “Ian’s deep experience, and lifelong commitment to independent music position him perfectly to guide A2IM into its next chapter. I look forward to supporting a seamless transition and to watching him take the organization, and the indie community it represents, to new heights.”

Pictured (L-R): Alicia Mathews, Myles Hoffman and Brianna Steinitz.

Make Wake Artists has expanded with a new in-house label division. The department will be led by Alicia Mathews (Head of Marketing & Commercial Partnerships), Brianna Steinitz (Director of Administration & Operations), and Myles Hoffman (Marketing Manager).

Make Wake Artists was launched in 2015 by Chris Kappy when he began managing Luke Combs. Through its “Fans.F1rst.” strategy, its 20+ artist roster has earned multiple Diamond/Platinum/Gold certifications, No. 1 singles, and sold-out worldwide tours.

“When I started Make Wake Artists in Nashville 10 years ago, my dream was to build a home where artists could thrive; where their music, their values, and their vision would be protected and amplified,” Kappy shares. “Luke Combs was the first artist to believe in that vision, and together we’ve been able to share his music with millions of fans worldwide. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve built, and this anniversary is as much a celebration of our entire roster, and our incredible team as it is of the company itself.”

“My mission for this division is to support our independent artists with major-level execution while allowing them to maintain creative freedom, and the space to tell their story through music on their own terms,” Mathews says. “It’s been a dream to grow this from the ground up during my time here. I’m incredibly grateful to Kappy for championing my vision and for instilling his Fans.F1rst. philosophy into everything we do. I’m so proud of this team and what we’re building, but what truly matters is fostering the connection between an artist and their fans. The fans are the ones who give us the opportunity to do meaningful work in this space.”

Pictured (L-R): Greg Sowders (WCM), Guy Moot (WCM), Bernie Leadon, Carianne Marshall (WCM) and Trevian Kutti. Photo: Courtesy of WCM

Bernie Leadon, Eagles founding member and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, has signed with Warner Chappell Music to a long-term, worldwide publishing agreement. Leadon will release his first solo album in more than two decades, Too Late to Be Cool, on Oct. 10.

“I have been associated with Warner Chappell and the rest of Warner Music since 1971. I am delighted to renew my connections with them now at this point in the 21st Century,” shares Leadon. “Warner Chappell and Warner Music have always been at the pinnacle of support for songwriters and other music creators, and that reality is still very evident in the current leadership and staff. My sincere thanks go to all of them.”

“It’s no exaggeration to say that much of the music we call Americana today owes a deep debt to Bernie’s boundary-crossing inspiration,” adds WCM’s Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO, and Carianne Marshall, Co-Chair and COO. “He has helped shape a canon of iconic music, from his early years with genre-defying groups like The Flying Burrito Brothers and Dillard & Clark to his generation-defining work with the Eagles to his countless collaborations with other artists. His creativity, musical brilliance, and pure devotion to his craft have made him a true American treasure, with six decades of extraordinary songs and sounds to his credit. We’re honored and excited to welcome him into the Warner Chappell family.”

In 1971, Leadon co-founded the Eagles alongside Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Randy Meisner. After stepping away from the Eagles in 1975, he worked with Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills and Alabama among others. In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Eagles.

Leadon penned all the songs on his upcoming album, including the recently released tracks “Too Many Memories,” “Just a Little,” and “Go On Down to Mobile.” It also marks Leadon’s reunion with esteemed producer/engineer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Glyn Johns.

Curb records has released the 11 track project, REAGAN: Songs Inspired By The Film, today (Sept. 26).

The new collection of songs follows the official film soundtrack release on Aug. 29. On the new album, the original tracks are from an array of artists including Alabama, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and more, who drew inspiration from the themes and characters of the film. The project was produced by Mark Joseph and Vince Emmett, and Tim Cook served as music supervisor.

“We were so pleased to have an eclectic and amazing group of artists come alongside the project,” says Joseph. “It was great to partner with Mike Curb and the Curb Records team to bring these collections out.”

REAGAN: Songs Inspired By The Film Track List:
1. “America’s Dream” Gary Cherone (Gary Cherone)
2. “City On A Hill” Travis Tritt (Travis Tritt)
3. “I Saw The Time” Alabama (Randy Owen)
4. “This Is America” Wayne Newton (Caryn Borland)
5. “Rancho Del Cielo” Ricky Skaggs (Caryn Borland)
6. “Always” Commodores (William King)
7. “Keep On Moving” Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives (Marty Stuart)
8. “I Knew It Would Be You” Kathie Lee Gifford, Claude Kelly (Kathie Lee Gifford, Richard Spitz)
9. “Do We Want To Win” Tanya Tucker (Chuck Cannon, Regie Hamm)
10. “Do I Say Goodbye” Sweet Comfort Band (Bryan Duncan, James Raymond, Rick Thompson)
11. “Start The World Over Again” Lee Greenwood (Lee Greenwood, Mike Curb, Ronald Reagan)

Kuke Music Holding Limited, a classical music services platform in China, has acquired a controlling interest in Naxos Music Group, one of the world’s largest independent classical music companies. Naxos Music Group is based in Nashville and is the label of The Nashville Symphony.

Under the terms of the agreement, Kuke acquired a controlling interest in Naxos Music Group through two transactions involving Naxos One Holding Limited (“Naxos One”) and Desun Holding Limited (“Desun”), one of the two existing shareholders of Naxos One.

Kuke firstly subscribed for 17,500 newly issued Class B ordinary shares of Naxos One for a total worth of US$105 million. Kuke secondly acquired 108 Class A ordinary shares of Naxos One from Desun, which automatically converted into 108 Class B ordinary shares of Naxos One upon transfer for a total of $1.35 million. The deal was settled entirely through the issuance of Kuke’s Class A ordinary shares as consideration.

“This strategic acquisition of Naxos Music Group represents a landmark transaction that will significantly enhance our position as a leading classical music services platform,” says Peixian Tan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kuke. “Naxos’s world-class content library, combined with its proven global distribution capabilities, creates compelling synergies with our existing music education and technology platforms.”