Independent publishing firm OTM Music has revealed a series of appointments in the UK and US.
On the UK side, Kate Sweetsur has joined the team as the new head of A&R alongside Chi Chi Nwakodo (senior sync creative) and Ethan Mizen (A&R manager).
Meanwhile, Kristin Genovese has been appointed as the US head of sync.
Launched by Alex Sheridan in 2017, OTM Music provides creative services for its diverse roster of songwriters, who have collaborated with the likes of SZA, Travis Scott, and A$AP Rocky.
After securing investment as part of a JV with Sony Music in 2018, OTM went on to partner with Firebird Music Holdings with support from investment firm Raine Group.
"I could not be more delighted to welcome these additions to our growing team at OTM,” said CEO Alex Sheridan. “In Kate we have one of the most respected creatives in the business; Kristin’s drive and passion make her one of the best sync executives going; having known Chi Chi well from her time at SMP [Sony Music Publishing] she perfectly complements our team; and Ethan comes with some great signings under his belt from his time at House Anxiety, ready to build on that with us. Serving a boutique roster with such a great team will continue to help us serve our writers and keep our most prized asset – their positive word."
It follows a series of new deals with artists including Sudan Archives, Metronomy, Still Woozy and Honne for OTM Music, which is based in London, New York and Los Angeles.
In the past year, the publisher has also signed deals with longtime Kid Cudi producer Dot Da Genius and DJ and producer Sub Focus. Melissa Masken, who previously worked with Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Lizzo and Paul Simon, joined as OTM’s head of North America and SVP creative.
Along with expanding its roster, OTM has also secured placements with several major brands, including Starbucks, Ikea, Microsoft, Google, Ford, Nike, Amazon, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Netflix, Adidas, Facebook, HBO and Red Bull. 2023 saw OTM surpass 75 licences with Apple.
OTM songwriter/producer Gianluca Buccellati collaborated with Arlo Parks on debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams, which won the Mercury Music Prize and earned a 2021 Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album.
With more than 20 years’ experience in music publishing A&R, Kate Sweetsur has joined OTM Music as head of A&R. This follows her most recent role as EVP A&R at Downtown Music Publishing, where she worked with signings Alison Goldfrapp, Kingdoms, Wunderhorse, Jimmy Hogarth, Sam Dixon, Fryars and Jack Leonard, as well as up-and-coming artists including Fred Roberts, Beren Olivia and Lauran Hibberd.
Previously, Sweetsur was SVP A&R at Big Deal Music, where she worked with songwriters such as Dan Wilson, Julian Bunetta, John Ryan, Teddy Geiger and Steph Jones. She has also held senior positions at BMG Music Publishing and Chrysalis Music, and signed artists and songwriters including Fraser T Smith, Labrinth, Joy Crookes, Steve Mac, Wayne Hector, Steve Robson, Karen Poole, Shaznay Lewis and Ed Harcourt.
Sweetsur is a member of The Cat’s Mother, matching young women to female mentors in the music business and helping them find their way into the industry.
Kristin Genovese has joined OTM as head of sync (US). Genovese has experience on both the major (Sony Music) and independent publisher (Third Side Music, Heavy Duty, Downtown Publishing) side, as well as a background in music supervision (MTV, Vice).
Genovese has secured sync placements for both frontline and catalogue music in projects worldwide. Her main focus is on advertising and trailers. Highlights include global Sofi Tukker campaigns for American Express, Smartwater and Smirnoff; award-winning campaigns for Meta & NYTimes; The Cinematic Orchestra for Budweiser; Harry Styles for Google Year in Search; Elvis Presley for Apple; Bill Withers for Ford; a Super Bowl spot for T-Mobile; trailers for HBO, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu; and major motion pictures like Fast X, Till and The Menu.
She's also hosted industry events, parties and benefit concerts that have raised money on a global and local scale.
With almost a decade of sync experience, Chi Chi Nwakodo is a senior creative at OTM focusing on sync and bespoke composition within UK TV and film. Prior to this role, Nwakodo was the head of music at Pitch & Sync, leading the music supervision team’s creative and licensing strategy across commercial sync and bespoke composition in advertising.
Having spent many years as a creative at Sony Music Publishing, Nwakodo secured sync deals with brands such as eBay, Marshalls, Farfetch and McDonald's.
Alongside her award-winning work in music publishing, she has managed mentoring schemes for Power Up and Shesaid.so and is a trustee of Sensoria Pro and committee member for MIL Lisboa. In 2023, Nwakodo was awarded the Best Publisher Award at the Young Music Boss Awards.
Finally, Ethan Mizen has joined OTM Music from his most recent position as A&R manager at boutique label House Anxiety. He has worked with artists such as Royel Otis, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Genesis Owusu and Carpetgarden.
Mizen was previously at Marathon Artists and Covert Talent, where he worked with acts such as Tom Walker, Jalle and writer/producer duo The Nocturns. He will work alongside Kate Sweetsur, head of A&R UK.
PHOTOS: Bree Hart/Bradley Meinz
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