Jamie Kinelski appointed SVP of A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has appointed Jamie Kinelski as its new Senior Vice President of A&R.

Based in the company’s New York offices, Kinelski will report to UMPG Executive Vice President and Head of US A&R Jennifer Knoepfle.

Kinelski joins UMPG from Kobalt, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President and head of West Coast Creative since 2022.

During her time there, which began in 2014, she signed and developed a roster of talent, including artists and producers such as Rogét Chahayed, Cuco, Father John Misty, Kali Uchis, and Pop Wansel. She also played a key role in establishing strategic partnerships with Heavy Duty Publishing and 88Rising.

Before her time at Kobalt, Kinelski worked as Director of Creative Services in the Pop/Rock division at ASCAP, where she was instrumental in signing artists like Big Sean and HAIM.

In her new role at UMPG, Kinelski will focus on identifying, signing, and developing both emerging and established songwriters, artists, and producers. She will work alongside Knoepfle to expand and strengthen UMPG’s US A&R division. Knoepfle was promoted to her current role in October.

“I am also deeply grateful for the opportunity to expand my role at UMPG, where I have the honor of working with two of the very best executives in the business: Jody Gerson and Jennifer Knoepfle.”

Jamie Kinelski

“We are so fortunate to welcome someone as seasoned and well respected as Jamie to UMPG. She is a tremendous asset to the dynamic and fresh executive team we are building, and her vast publishing and leadership experience will be extremely valuable to our company’s continued growth and innovation,” Knoepfle said.

“Jamie is a fierce advocate for songwriters, and I look forward to working with her to provide an incredible experience and nurturing environment for the talented creators we work with today, and those we’ll be welcoming in the future.”

“Jamie is a fierce advocate for songwriters, and I look forward to working with her to provide an incredible experience and nurturing environment for the talented creators we work with today, and those we’ll be welcoming in the future.”

Jennifer Knoepfle, Universal Music Publishing 

Commenting on her appointment, Kinelski said: “I am so fortunate to work with some of the most revered songwriters and musical creators in the world, each and every day.

“I am also deeply grateful for the opportunity to expand my role at UMPG, where I have the honor of working with two of the very best executives in the business: Jody Gerson and Jennifer Knoepfle.

“I couldn’t be more excited to begin this new chapter and take on the important goal of growing our incredible A&R team and working with them to pursue my greatest passion: discovering and mentoring new talent, who remain the lifeblood of our industry.”

UMPG, the global publishing division of Universal Music Group, represents a catalog of songs across all genres. Its roster includes artists and songwriters such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Adele, and U2, among others.

Earlier this week, Universal Music Group and Spotify inked a licensing agreement. It includes a direct licensing agreement between Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and Spotify in the United States (plus multiple other territories).

Music Business Worldwide

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