Warner Music Group announced Tuesday that Gregg Nadel will become co-chair and co-president of Warner Music Nashville, taking a position alongside Cris Lacy as one of the leaders of Warner’s Nashville operations.
Nadel (pictured above) succeeds Ben Kline, who was described as deciding to step down after a decade with the company. Kline and Lacy had been elevated to co-chairs and co-presidents at the beginning of 2023, jointly following in the footsteps of John Esposito, after that longtime label topper announced his retirement in 2022.
Nadel comes in to assume co-leadership of WMN after most recently serving as president of Elektra Entertainment Group, a role he assumed in 2017 following a stint as general manager. There, he worked with such country or roots-based acts as Bailey Zimmerman, Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, the Highwomen, Sturgill Simpson and Brittney Spencer.
Nadel and Lacy will report to Warner Records CEO/co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck and COO/co-chairman Tom Corson, who report to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl. It was announced that Lacy and Nadel and their team will continue to work with Nashville artists co-signed with Atlantic Music Group. The moves become effective Oct. 1.
Nadel has held positions with WMG since 1997, when he joined Atlantic Records out of college. He had worked with stars like Ed Sheeran in his role as Atlantic’s SVP, A&R and Marketing before moving over to take on top roles at Elektra.
A joint statement from Bay-Scuck and Corson said that Nadel “grew up at WMG, and over the past three decades, he’s brought his impeccable taste, wisdom, and guidance to an exceptional array of original, powerful voices. He’s an ambidextrous A&R and marketing expert with a global perspective, which will be a tremendous asset at a time when Nashville artists are crossing boundaries and reaching the world stage like never before. Like Gregg, Cris has expanded from her roots as an A&R force into a true multi-dimensional leader, and together, they’ll be a phenomenal team to take Warner Music Nashville into a dynamic future.”
The two Warner Records co-chairmen also said they would “like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ben Kline. Over his past decade with WMN, his tireless passion for the label’s artists and team has set the company up for continued, expanding success. He leaves with our deepest admiration and best wishes for his next chapter.” Kline himself issued a statement through the label group offering a thank you to WMG’s leadership and “to Cris Lacy for her never-wavering support for the artists and their musical visions. I’m excited for the next adventure.”
Said Nadel, “I’ve had the honor of working with incredibly talented artists across many sounds and styles, and through it all, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the heartfelt music that comes from Nashville’s rich creative culture. I’m excited to be diving deeper into this brilliant community of musicians and storytellers, and I’m especially excited about working alongside Cris Lacy and the entire team. Thank you to Tom and Aaron for this incredible opportunity.”
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