Management

ALANA BALDEN

Manager

MORGAN DENTCH

Director of touring

FULL STOP MANAGEMENT

The team at Full Stop Management, part of The Azoff Company, has overseen a year of powerhouse performances by its roster of superstars and rising artists. “From Harry Styles packing stadiums worldwide, to U2 launching the Sphere, to Lizzo’s sold-out worldwide tour to Tate McRae’s breakout tour, Full Stop’s artists delivered unforgettable and life-changing musical experiences,” Dentch says. Styles ranked No. 3 on the year-end Billboard Boxscore chart, with 69 performances for 3.1 million fans and grossing $338.2 million.

POLLY BHOWMIK

ALLI MAIN

Founders

A&P ARTIST MANAGEMENT

In 2023, London-based A&P guided signature client Kylie Minogue to her biggest single in years with “Padam Padam.” The viral track, with over 65% of its TikTok streams from users under 35, according to A&P, expanded the singer’s reach to a new generation, became her first Pop Airplay chart hit since 2004 and earned her a Grammy Award in February for best pop dance recording. Bhowmik says Minogue’s additional achievements have ranged from a successful launch for her Las Vegas residency, “which sold out in hours,” to selling 11 million bottles of her branded wine. Minogue will receive the Icon Award at the Billboard Women in Music event on March 6 (see story, page 52).

RACHEL DOUGLAS

Partner

BLAIKE FORD

Senior vp of artist partnerships and services RANGE MEDIA PARTNERS

Range celebrated superstar wins and breakout successes alike over the past year. Jack Harlow celebrated a Hot 100 chart-topper with “Lovin on Me,” production-songwriting duo Nova Wav was shortlisted for an Academy Award with “Keep It Movin’ ” from The Color Purple, Mariah Carey launched her own Barbie doll, and Pentatonix embarked on an arena tour. Meanwhile, the company has developed breakout stars behind viral hits like Paul Russell (“Lil Boo Thing”) and TALK (“Run Away to Mars”), as well as country artists Hailey Whitters and Dylan Gossett. “We’re thrilled about our clients’ huge accomplishments this year,” Douglas says.

MARTHA EARLS Owner

NEON COAST

Earls says, “2023 was an incredible year for Neon Coast,” as client Kane Brown became the first Black artist to headline and sell out a show at Boston’s famed Fenway Park when he played there as part of his Drunk or Dreaming tour in June. In addition, client Restless Road released debut album Last Rodeo, Nightly dropped sophomore set Wear Your Heart Out and followed it up with a sold-out headlining tour, and Dylan Schneider was named one of Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artists To Watch in 2023.

KATHLEEN FLAHERTY

Owner

K21 ENTERTAINMENT Co-manager

MORGAN WALLEN

Executive director

MORGAN WALLEN FOUNDATION

Morgan Wallen, the top winner at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards with 11 trophies, had a banner year that included his massive hit, “Last Night,” spending 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. But for Flaherty, who co-manages the country superstar with Seth England, her greatest achievement was her work with the Morgan Wallen Foundation, which she runs for the artist. Over the past year, the foundation donated more than $1 million to music and sports youth programs in underserved communities including $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville.

JESSICA GIRALDO NAVARRO Co-manager

KAROL G

Giraldo Navarro couldn’t be prouder of her team’s achievements over the last year in support of

Karol G’s “musical and professional project,” as she describes it. That includes, among many other things, helping the Colombian star headline the highest-grossing tour by a female Latin artist in history with the 17-performance Mañana Será Bonito stadium tour. Her team also participated in the strategy, planning and execution of the album of the same name that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — a first for a Spanish-language album by a female artist — and went on to win the Latin Grammy for album of the year. Follow-up Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) reached No. 3 on the same chart. All of this is “the sum of the efforts of a great team headed by Karol, and I have had the opportunity to structure and lead it,” Giraldo Navarro says, adding, “Beyond all these successes that I can list, I have felt proud of the place that women occupy in this industry.”

MARY HILLIARD HARRINGTON MANDELYN MONCHICK

Artist managers

SHARON LORD

Head of marketing and artist development ANN KINGSTON

Head of philanthropic initiatives/artist manager RED LIGHT MANAGEMENT

When Lainey Wilson, managed by Monchick, won this year’s Grammy for best country album for Bell Bottom Country, it was just the latest success story for Wilson after winning entertainer of the year and four other honors at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards. Hilliard Harrington, whose roster includes Dierks Bentley, Elle King, Caylee Hammack and The Band Loula, executive-produced New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash for CBS, which was the highest-rated country music program in 2023, according to Red Light. She also helped launch new independent Nashville label LEO33. Lord has been instrumental in marketing and creative strategy for Brandi Carlile as an artist, songwriter, producer and author, while also working with Lainey Wilson, Brittany Howard, ODESZA, Rhiannon Giddens, Black Pumas (ATO Records) and more. Kingston works alongside Coran Capshaw in managing the Dave Matthews Band, which in February was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In her role as head of Red Light’s philanthropic initiatives, Kingston oversees DMB’s Bama Works fund, which has raised over $65 million and manages the band’s significant environmental activism.

RACHELLE JEAN-LOUIS CEO/artist manager

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

Jean-Louis helped guide Victoria Monét from beloved songwriter to seven-time Grammy nominee — and winner of the Grammy for best new artist. (Monét praised her manager in her televised acceptance speech.) The singer also performed on sold-out U.S. and U.K. tours and had a smash single (“On My Mama”) that topped the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Jean-Louis co-executive-produced and A&R’d Monét’s Jaguar II, which landed at No. 6 on Top R&B Albums, and oversaw rising viral sensation Saint Harison, one of Apple Music’s 2023 Up Next Artists. Says Jean-Louis: “2023 was an incredible year of breakthroughs.”