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Sony Music Publishing Nashville today announced the acquisition of the long-running independent publishing and artist development company Big Yellow Dog Music, effective immediately. With the agreement, the company now owns and administers Big Yellow Dog’s catalog of songs and serves as full-service publisher for its roster of songwriters.
Founded in 1998 by Kerry O’Neil and Carla Wallace (pictured above, center and right, with Sony’s Rusty Gaston) and based in Nashville, Big Yellow Dog Music is home to multiple hits by Meghan Trainor and Maren Morris, as well as songs by Chris Stapleton, Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Leon Bridges, Leon Thomas, and more.
O’Neil said, “These last 26 years have been a once in a lifetime journey full of amazing songs, including some worldwide hits. Now it’s time for a new chapter and Carla and I are so pleased to have our friends at Sony carry the torch from here. We know our writers and their great catalog are in sure hands. Thank you to Jon, Rusty, Cam and Brian. Most of all, I want to thank Carla for her unique and bold creative leadership over all these years.”
Wallace added, “There’s no way to capture 26 years of dancing, creating, and pure joy at Big Yellow Dog Music. Sharing each day with an endlessly talented, passionate, and hilarious team has been an unforgettable gift. Championing extraordinary artists, hearing future hits before the world, and watching dreams take flight has been nothing short of magical. It has been a true privilege to partner with one of the most brilliant minds in Nashville, Kerry O’Neil. l know our legacy will continue to thrive in the very best hands with Rusty Gaston and the Sony team.”
Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Big Yellow Dog has been a Music Row institution for more than a quarter century. Carla and Kerry are two of the most respected publishers in this business, and they have set the bar for independent success in Nashville and beyond.”
+ Big Loud Records has named Stacy Blythe and Jordan Pettit as co-presidents. Blythe, who joined Big Loud Records in 2015, transitions from her current role as EVP of promotion effective immediately, while Pettit moves over from his role as VP of artist & industry relations for Opry Entertainment Group; he will begin at Big Loud on February 2. Both Blythe and Pettit will report directly to Big Loud Partners Seth England, Joey Moi and Craig Wiseman.
Together, Blythe and Pettit will oversee all label operations, including artist development, A&R, promotion, marketing, merch, strategic planning and special projects; Blythe will continue to lead the Big Loud Records promotion team.
“Stacy’s impact on Big Loud has been felt from the beginning — her dedication, vision and leadership have shaped our culture and our success in profound ways,” says England. “As she steps into this new role, it feels like a win for everyone who has grown alongside her. At the same time, we’re thrilled to welcome Jordan, whose experience and relationships across the industry bring fresh energy and perspective to our team. This combination of homegrown leadership and new expertise positions Big Loud for an incredible future.”
+ Merlin, the digital music licensing organization that represents tens of thousands of independent record labels, distributors, and rightsholders, has announced its new board, bringing together leaders from the independent music industry in 12 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania.
Newly elected to the board are Bugwu Aneto-Okeke, Measurable Accurate Digital Solutions (Nigeria); Charles Caldas, Exceleration (Portugal); Manami Ogawa, Starbase (Japan); Rachel Buswell, Domino (UK); and Sascha Lazimbat, Zebralution (Germany). In addition to the elected members, Merlin has appointed Dan Waite, Better Noise (UK) and Verónica Rojas, Casete (Mexico) as board observers.
Re-elected to the Merlin Board and continuing their service are: Carlos Mills, Mills Records (Brazil); Chris Maund, Mushroom (Australia); Darius Van Arman, Secretly Group (US); Golda Bitterli, Revelator (Israel); Justin West, Secret City Records (Canada); Louis Posen, Hopeless Records (US); Marie Clausen, Ninja Tune (US); Megan Jasper, Sub Pop (US); Pascal Bittard, IDOL (France); and Tom Deakin, AudioSalad (UK).
Beggars Group and Merlin founder Martin Mills will continue to serve as a director of Merlin Network, the organization’s parent entity, alongside Darius Van Arman, who continues as Merlin chairperson, and Merlin CEO Charlie Lexton.
Merlin extends its appreciation to its outgoing board members: Eniko Gallasz (WMMusicDistribution), Fer Isella (Limbo music), Jeffrey Chiang (Fluxus), Jennifer Newman Sharpe (Exceleration), Michael Ugwu (Freeme Digital), and Simon Wheeler (Beggars) for their service and contributions.
+ Universal Music’s Nashville-based Lost Highway Records has signed singer-songwriter Meels. The label will release her new EP, “Across the Raccoon Strait,” on January 30.
Lost Highway co-heads and EVPs Robert Knotts and Jake Gear said, “At the heart of her artistry, Meels paints a vivid picture with her music through a lens that simultaneously feels familiar yet uniquely her own,” commented, Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Heads of Lost Highway. “Championing unique and artistic voices is paramount to the foundation of Lost Highway and in that spirit, we are honored Meels has agreed to join the Lost Highway family.”
+ Hybe America continues its growth spurt with the appointment of Gene Whitney as the company’s new general counsel. Based in Los Angeles, he will oversee the company’s legal strategy in North and South America, guide corporate governance across all business units, and support the company’s continued growth in international markets. He joins from Riot Games and previously held senior positions at Amazon Music, Meta, SoundCloud, Vevo and Universal Music Group.
“Gene brings a rare combination of legal expertise, business acumen, and a deep understanding of how music operates across emerging platforms,” said chairman-CEO Isaac Lee, to whom Whitney will report. “His leadership will be instrumental as Hybe continues to expand globally and elevate the value of our artists, IP, and creative ecosystem.”
+ Universal Music Group has announced the appointment of Hannah Poferl as its chief data officer, effective immediately. She will be based in Santa Monica and report to UMG COO Boyd Muir.
Poferl joins UMG after nearly 12 years at the New York Times, where she had served most recently as its first-ever chief data officer since 2021, among other roles.
At UMG, Poferl will lead the company’s data and analytics strategy and functions and will have responsibility for audience development and engagement, including the use of data and AI technologies.
Muir said, “We are thrilled to welcome Hannah to the UMG team. Her exceptional reputation and track record of strategically utilizing data, analytics and AI technology to grow, connect and engage audiences with creativity and culture, mirrors our own vision for transforming the ways artists and labels can connect with fans.”
+ Maxim Karlik has joined Creative Artists Agency as an agent in the Global Touring division. In his role, Maxim will focus on client strategy and new business opportunities across the agency. Karlik will be based in CAA’s Los Angeles office.He joins from UTA.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Maxim to our team,” said CAA Co-Head of Global Touring Rick Roskin. “His deep passion for building authentic, high-impact opportunities for artists — paired with a proven track record of delivering meaningful results — makes him an ideal fit for our group’s vision. We’re excited for the collaborations and creative momentum he’ll help lead here at CAA.”
+ Sony Music Publishing, in partnership with producer and songwriter Daniel Nigro and his publishing venture, Amusement, have signed hitmaker Jon Buscema to a global deal. Buscema scored cuts of collaborated with Conan Gray, Devon Again, Noah Rinker, Grace VanderWaal, Sofia & the Antoinettes and more; he also has landed placements with Apple, Google, Amazon, Netflix, HBO, Guinness, IKEA, Ford, and others.
Nigro said, “I’m beyond excited to sign my first producer to Amusement. Jon is one of the smartest and most thoughtful producers I’ve come across in years, and shares my ideals on the importance of always putting the song first.”
+ Jet Management has added music manager Dorothy Caccavale to its team, where she will will help guide the careers of a roster that includes rising electronic house/techno/indie dance music DJ and producer Omri., Berlin-based melodic house dynamo Nils Hoffmann, and San Francisco-born experimental pop architect Underscores.
Founded in 2020 by John Scholz and Tyler Goldberg, both formerly of C3 Management, Jet’s also includes Justice, Empire of the Sun, Sam Gellaitry, Madeon and more.
+ Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation, a major largest distributor of vinyl records and a leading curator of physical entertainment products and collectibles, has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Smith as senior VP of sales and marketing for Alliance Authentic, the company’s newly launched premium platform for investment-grade vinyl collectibles. Smith joins Alliance Authentic from the online vinyl marketplace Discogs, where he was VP of marketing.
“Jeffrey is one of the most respected and proven leaders in the global vinyl ecosystem,” said Jeff Walker, CEO of Alliance Entertainment. “He understands collectors, marketplaces, and how to build trusted, high-performance commerce platforms at scale.”
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