Latest news with #Len
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Aging CEOs, Ambitious Nepo Babies and a Tech Revolution: Succession in the Music Biz
The business of music long has been an incestuous one, even when the players aren't related. But some of the leaders of today's recorded music industry — 84 percent of which is housed under the three major label groups, Universal, Warner and Sony — actually are. When Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG, took the reins in 2011, his son, Elliot, had barely graduated college. Today, the junior Grainge is running Warner's Atlantic Records (home to Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Bruno Mars) alongside another so-called 'nepo baby,' WMG's billionaire majority owner Len Blavatnik's 27-year-old son, Val Blavatnik, who is a member of WMG's board of directors with an increasing presence at the company. Elliot was brought in at age 30 in late 2024 to turn around the label's declining market share (from 10 percent at the end of 2020, down to 5.7 percent last year). While the results of his appointment are yet to be assessed, his track record for breaking acts on platforms like TikTok at his record label 10K Projects — where his successes included Ice Spice and the controversial 6ix9ine — preceded him. (WMG bought a majority stake in 10K in 2023.) More from The Hollywood Reporter Billy Joel Tells Howard Stern: "I'm Not Dying" ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on Writing a Musical Assisted by AI and Those Kiss Avatars: SXSW London Diddy Trial Sees Heckler Disrupt Court as Judge Learns Anonymous Witness' Name Leaked Online 'Everyone in the industry is doing the same stuff,' Elliot told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. 'I'm not doubting any of the human capabilities of these great guys, women and companies — however, they grew up in the fax machine era.' Elliot's ascent to CEO brought with it some upheaval — namely the exit of Julie Greenwald, a beloved executive who had shepherded the Atlantic labels for 20 years. Now, the industry's eyes are on the bigger Warner picture. Specifically, the company's succession line. THR talked to nearly a dozen executives across management, recorded music and publishing — all of whom requested anonymity to speak freely on the matter — who parroted a common refrain: that CEO Robert Kyncl, who joined WMG from YouTube in 2022, may be nearing the end of his run. (A rep for WMG says 'these are just totally false rumors,' declining further comment.) While not everyone had the same theory about who would take over if that happened, the most likely candidate, most agreed, was Val Blavatnik. 'Len will throw his kid in the seat as fast as he can,' one artist manager says. 'It's the succession. Warner's like a vanity [asset] for Len.' Adds a top manager: 'Val and Elliot are very close. It would make sense to bring Elliot in so he could sit and see for a while and help Val.' Another insider puts it more bluntly: 'This has always been a dynastic play for Len and Val.' To be fair, Kyncl is an easy target for rumor fodder given that he's the only CEO with a background in tech and media rather than music, and the music industry — with its less conventional work environment and reliance on intangibles like golden 'ears' — hasn't typically embraced outsiders. Coming off an underwhelming Q1 earnings report (WMG's stock price is down 16 percent since this time last year) also makes it easy for onlookers to put Kyncl under the microscope even if the chatter is unfounded. A change would be somewhat ironic, though, at a time when AI is poised to upend the music business if a digital native wouldn't have the mandate to navigate those rough waters. While insiders are turned toward Warner, it's worth remembering the fickle and cyclical nature of the music business, where hits still remain the top currency. With enough of them, the conversation could change. Currently WMG holds five of the Top 10 slots on Spotify's Global 50 chart as Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' (Atlantic) remains the biggest song in the world, Warner Records' Sombr hold two spots, 'La Plena – W Sound 05″ out of Warner Music Latina is seventh, and Atlantic's Rosé and Bruno Mars are in eighth with Apt.' If the past tells us anything, it's that seismic technological shifts have often served as a precursor for a changing of the guard at the record companies. In the early days of Napster and peer-to-peer file-sharing, Doug Morris (and his Universal colleagues, including Jimmy Iovine, who would go on to sell his Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line to Apple for $3 billion in 2014) was tasked with fending off the death of the CD, to mixed results. The era of digital downloads followed, making Apple's iTunes the world's biggest music store. Still, the 2000s would see year-over-year declines as album sales (typically $9.99 and up) ceded to song sales at 99 cents. By 2011, just ahead of the streaming era, Lucian Grainge spearheaded Universal's acquisition binge, beginning with the catalog-rich EMI (bought for $1.9 billion in 2012, not coincidentally the year Spotify launched in the U.S.) and continuing to the present, where its holdings now claim two-thirds of music's global market share. Today, Grainge, who netted handsomely when the company public in 2021, is the longest-tenured CEO across the three label groups. Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer is a not-too-distant second. After working at the company all of his professional life, he replaced Morris as chief executive in 2017 and has gone on to see some formidable wins, including record-breakers like Adele, and culture-shifting albums by Beyonce and Tyler, the Creator, to say nothing of bringing to the world Harry Styles. Is another change on the horizon? It's certainly a topic making the rounds as executives and industry insiders question when the old guard will pass the torch to a younger generation gearing up for the next era. Some wonder if Grainge will continue to occupy the top seat past his contract-end date in May 2028, though others suggest it's still premature to speculate on Grainge's successor as he's still very active in the company and has laid out a vision for the company for the years ahead. Still, succession has been discussed at UMG board meetings, and a source familiar with the agenda scoffs at the idea of going outside the UMG family in the future. Indeed, insiders and reports have cited Republic Collective CEO Monte Lipman (who runs the label group with his brother, Avery, its co-president and COO) and Interscope chairman/CEO John Janick as logical candidates from Universal's U.S. operations, but leaders in other territories shouldn't be counted out, says a source. 'There's a deep bench of internal players who are more than qualified to step into this position.' As succession names float, a pattern becoming more apparent is the lack of women helming labels contending to take the top C-suite jobs. For a time just a few years ago, that picture looked brighter as Michelle Jubelirer was chairwoman and CEO of Capitol Music Group, Greenwald was chairwoman and CEO of Atlantic Music Group, Ethiopia Habtemariam was CEO of Motown and Sylvia Rhone was CEO and Chairwoman of Epic. (The publishing side fares slightly better as Jody Gerson logs a decade as CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group while Carianne Marshall has been Warner Chappell's COO since 2018.) 'Old white men have had a choke hold on the industry for years,' says one female executive, who blames the lack of women on the industry's inability to properly groom talent. 'It's pretty pathetic of the labels, but it's not surprising. … And now there's been such a revolt around DEI, everyone has permission to just do the easy thing and hire the average white man instead.' (Rhone is the sole remaining female label head, but at 73, her retirement has become a perennial musing.) There are signs of hope under the conglomerate umbrella, however, with a slew of next-gen execs in the wings. At UMG's Island Records (home to Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan), Imran Majid and Justin Eshak were named co-CEOs in 2021; at Def Jam (Justin Bieber, Big Sean), Tunji Balogun came in as chairman CEO in 2022; and at Mercury (Post Malone), 32-year-old Tyler Arnold assumed the chairman and CEO title in March. Meanwhile at Sony, new leadership for Arista (Maneskin) was just announced with Clio Massey, daughter of outgoing chairman David Massey, transitioning to co-president alongside Matt D'Arduini. And WMG's own Warner Records has seen its parent company's most consistent recent successes between Zach Bryan, Benson Boone and Teddy Swims under the watch of co-chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck who, at 43, is among the more senior of the bunch. Elliot Grainge, now 31, certainly tips the scale towards a younger, more nimble record executive less constrained by the old-boys-club way of doing things. But when that elder is your father and mentor, the nepotism-whispers will linger until he's had enough hits of his own. And in a business where names like Azoff, Davis and Wasserman all evoke the nepo tag, the song remains the same. 'Imagine if Bob Iger had a son who went to work at a competing company — it would never happen,' says one prominent industry lifer. 'In music, it's like, 'Oh well, we're fucking morons.' Time and time again, these CEOs refuse to leave or to do what's right as far as their corporate responsibility.' A version of this story appeared in the June 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers 2024-25 season player grades: Alex Len
Lakers 2024-25 season player grades: Alex Len The massive Luka Doncic trade on Feb. 1 created a massive hole at the center position for the Los Angeles Lakers, as it sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers were already thin at that spot outside of Davis, and after the deal was made, they badly needed help there. They agreed to send rookie Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round draft pick and a future first-round pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams, a promising young center. But that trade was rescinded a few days later when Williams failed his physical. On Feb. 11, the Lakers signed veteran big man Alex Len from the buyout market in an attempt to plug their hole at the center position. Not a whole lot was expected from him, but they ended up getting even less from him. Alex Len's season stats In 10 games with the Lakers, Len averaged 2.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.3 blocks in 12.2 minutes a game. Overall, he had averages of 1.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.5 blocks in 8.3 minutes a game for the season. Overall analysis When the Lakers signed Len, there was some hope that he could at least be an innings-eater and be somewhat serviceable for about 15 minutes or so a game. In the past, the 31-year-old had been the type of player who could provide solid rebounding and defense for roughly 20 minutes a game while finishing strong near the rim. But his abilities had significantly diminished over the last few years. In his first game with Los Angeles, he played 22 minutes and grabbed seven rebounds while adding four points, two assists and one block. But from that point on, his playing time was sporadic, and there were many games during which he never got off the bench. Defensively, he just didn't cut it, and he wasn't the type of rim-runner or lob threat L.A. needed offensively. In the team's five-game loss in the NBA playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Len appeared in two games for a grand total of three minutes and 40 seconds. During that time, he grabbed four rebounds but made no other statistical contributions. Len's contract situation Since Len was only signed for the remainder of the season, he will become a free agent this summer. It is hard to imagine the Lakers bringing him back, especially given how rapidly he fell out of head coach JJ Redick's rotation. In fact, it could be argued he was never in that rotation to begin with. Overall season grade: D-minus
Wales Online
03-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
She was starved of oxygen and it was already too late, then her dad made a promise
She was starved of oxygen and it was already too late, then her dad made a promise Professor Len Nokes was at home on that fateful day when he received a phone call Claire Nokes suffered a cardiac arrest (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Nobody in the Nokes family will ever forget the date of December 28, 2016. It was the day their lives changed forever in the most devastating circumstances. Claire Nokes, described as a bubbly, funny and hardworking young woman, suddenly collapsed at a friend's house after going into cardiac arrest. Despite the tireless efforts of first responders at the scene, followed by staff at the University Hospital of Wales, she was starved of oxygen to the brain and would tragically never recover. After spending nine months receiving round-the-clock care at Rookwood Hospital, Claire passed away at the age of just 26. Her father Professor Len Nokes was at home on that fateful day when he received a phone call saying Claire had collapsed. He drove half a mile to the scene, arriving at the same time as paramedics. He then watched the desperate efforts to revive her. By the time her heart had restarted she had been without oxygen for so long she had significant brain damage. 'I was watching what was going on and could see on the screen her heart was in a rhythm that wasn't shockable 'Her heart stopped beating for so long she had a lack of oxygen to her brain and later passed away naturally in hospital. Article continues below 'From that moment onwards I decided I didn't want another parent to go through what we had gone through.' It emerged Claire had undiagnosed myocarditis, and Len has since dedicated his life to raising awareness and campaigning to persuade businesses to register their defrbrilator devices and install them in unlocked cabinets on exterior walls so they can be used 24/7 by anyone. Len, who went into 'doctor mode' to try to cope with the initial shock and grief of Claire's death, said it was extremely difficult to keep it together in such horrific circumstances. 'I think the worst part was the hope that she would improve, but it never happened. All we kept on being told was that 'only time will tell',' he added. 'I called the nurses my 'angels' because without them, I don't think my wife Sarah and I could have survived. They were constantly there for us.' Cardiff City club doctor Len Nokes and daughter Claire (Image: Len and Sarah Nokes ) Len said Claire and the family were greatly supported by the Prop Appeal, a fund managed by the Cardiff & Vale Health Charity, which supports patients and families going through brain injury rehabilitation. 'The Prop Appeal helped buy things for the ward which you wouldn't expect the NHS to pay for,' added Len, who is now a patron for the appeal. 'They brought in technology to provide visual and hearing stimulation, as well as help the physiotherapists. It was the little things they did that made a big difference. 'I have a smile of my face just thinking about her. Everyone I speak to says she was just so full of life. She was an amazing, lovely lass who I miss every single day.' Two years after Claire's death, Len decided to release a book, entitled Only Time Will Tell: A Father's Journey, detailing a raw and honest account of his journey while Claire was in hospital. 'Sitting holding Claire's hand in hospital, I promised I'd write a book about what she was going through and what I was going through,' he said. 'It's my journey, no-one else's. It's not Sarah, my wife's or Chris, my son's journey. They've got their own perspective.' Len has also helped keep Claire's memory alive in many other ways. He is now the independent chair of Save a Life Cymru, a body established by the Welsh Government to help improve people's awareness of cardiac arrests and basic life support skills such as CPR and defibrillation. And his next venture promises to be a memorable occasion – a charity football match at Cardiff City Stadium. Len pictured with his daughter Claire (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Next week, on Friday, May 9 (kick-off 6.30pm), a Cardiff City Select XI, captained by Joe Ledley, will take on an international All Stars XI led by another former Bluebirds favourite, David Marshall. Other famous faces set to play include Craig Bellamy, Sean Morrison, Gavin Rae, Kevin McNaughton, Scott Young, Lee Tomlin, Lee Peltier, Craig Conway, Robert Earnshaw, Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Fraizer Campbell, Darren Purse, Ben Turner, Lee Camp, Chris Burke, Andy Legg, Damon Searle, Jason Fowler, Lee Trundle and Anthony Pilkington. All the money raised on the day will go towards the Prop Appeal. 'I've always loved the [Cardiff City] players; I call them my kids, even the older ones,' Len joked. 'We now have a Former Players' Association, and I put a message in the WhatsApp group asking whether anyone would be interested in taking part in a charity match. Before I knew it, whoosh – the floodgates opened. We had such a terrific response. 'It's so important to continue to raise money for the Prop Appeal. Cardiff City FC have been magnificent in making this happen. So many people are giving their time and efforts for free and I can't thank them enough.' Article continues below Tickets to the City XI vs All Stars XI are on sale now. For tickets, and more information on the Prop Appeal, managed by Cardiff & Vale Health Charity, visit
NZ Herald
24-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Hastings WWII pilot and veteran on Anzac Day and making it to 100
'We did see a bit of [combat] but it was in the distance, the Americans were controlling it.' He said their main role was to support the likes of the US troops in the Pacific and conduct scouting missions among other tasks. He flew a variety of planes but his main aircraft was a Kittyhawk. 'We went to different islands [and] were sent all over the place.' Len, whose older brother Sid also survived the war, said he can still recall the war ending and 'grabbing the first bottle' he could find when the news came in that the war had concluded. However, returning home without old friends was difficult. 'My colleague and I, we had both graduated together, had gone away together and were sent overseas together, and one morning we were flying together and the idea was to fly to 14,000 feet then level off and we were going to do scouting,' he said, of a particular mission prior to the war ending. He said something went wrong with his friend's plane and it crashed off the coast of an island. 'That was the finish of him.' Understandably, Len gave up flying when he returned from the war. He was offered a position with the Royal Air Force in England but knocked it back. 'I thought my duty, I suppose, now was to go home and show some respect at home,' he said, working with his father at his mechanic shop. 'Coming home you felt as though you'd had enough [of war] and felt lucky to be where you were, so I was quite content to be back home.' He worked in various jobs through his adult years including owning and operating an orchard. His wife, Judith, said it was important for them to attend an Anzac Day service every year, often accompanied by the wider family. Judith said their family - which included three children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren - were proud of Len. 'He has been a really good man, we have had a great life together.' Last week, Len received a letter from King Charles III thanking him for his service in WWII. Remarkably, Len also survived the 1931 Napier earthquake during his first day of school, at Te Awa School.
Perth Now
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Wallabies star commits through to next Rugby World Cup
Star centre Len Ikitau will be available for the next World Cup after re-signing with Rugby Australia and the Brumbies until the end of 2027. The 26-year-old signed a flexible deal with RA that allows him to take a sabbatical with the Exeter Chiefs in the UK Premiership beginning in late 2025, before he returns to Australian rugby ahead of the 2026 international season. Making his Test debut against France in Melbourne in 2021, Ikitau has earned 39 caps and played 69 Super Rugby matches for the Brumbies. While he was a shock omission from the 2023 World Cup, Ikitau was a regular starter under Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt last year. He capped a strong 2024 campaign with a stellar spring tour, that saw him capture headlines for his audacious flick pass that sent Max Jorgensen over for the Wallabies' match-winning try against England at Twickenham. "I'm really happy to have my future sorted and I can now put my full focus in performing well for the Brumbies and hopefully the Wallabies later this year," Ikitau said in a statement."I'd like to thank the Brumbies and Rugby Australia for their flexibility in this agreement and my family and I are looking forward to a unique life experience in the UK with Exeter."To know we'll be coming back home to Canberra and the Brumbies is very reassuring, especially with the home Rugby World Cup not far away." RA's director of high performance Peter Horne said they believed an overseas stint would be good for Ikitau's development. "Such is his standing in the game, Len's services were in high demand by clubs and leagues around the world but he made clear from the start his desire to be a long-term Wallaby and his excitement to represent his country at a home Rugby World Cup in 2027," Horne said. "We believe the short stint in the UK will prove beneficial to Len's continued development and look forward to welcoming him back in the Australian rugby fold before the first Test of the 2026 season."
