Mount Sinai Hospital’s Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine has introduced the Sheila Jordan Trailblazer Award, in honor of the legendary jazz singer who passed away in 2025 — and the honoree is her daughter Tracey, a music industry veteran currently working with the Recording Academy and de Passe Entertainment. The Center will present the award annually at their Wonderful World Gala to a music industry executive whose career reflects artistic excellence, cultural impact, and the power of music. Past honorees at the gala include Samara Joy, David Sanborn, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Eddie Palmieri, Wayne Shorter, Jackson Browne, Dionne Warwick, Jon Batiste, Pete Seeger, Levon Helm, Dave Brubeck, and more.
Tracey, daughter of Sheila and pianist Duke “Jordu” Jordan, began her career at Solters/Roskin/Friedman PR before taking on senior roles at Motown, Arista Records, ABKCO, MTV Networks, SiriusXM and others. Over the years she worked closely with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Tupac, Prince, Tony Bennett, Dolly Parton, Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, New Edition, the Notorious B.I.G., Clive Davis and many more. The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was established in 1994 to provide an innovative model of patient care integrating music and medicine.
Armstrong was a patient at the hospital at which LACMM was founded. + Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Verse 2 Music today announced the extension of their global publishing agreement with country songwriter Joybeth Taylor, best known for co-writing Ella Langley’s record-breaking smash and 2026 ACM Song of the Year winner “Choosin’ Texas.” The companies also announced the expansion of their partnership with Joybeth through the addition of TAYCAN Entertainment. In addition to being one of Langley’s primary collaborators, Taylor has cuts with Morgan Wallen (she also co-wrote his hit duet with Langley, “I Can’t Love You Anymore”), Jordan Davis, Kane Brown, Hudson Westbrook, Chase Matthew, Vincent Mason, Warren Zeiders, Koe Wetzel, and many more. Taylor said, “To extend with Sony / Verse 2 and add Taycan on is a dream come true.
I couldn’t have a better team championing me and my songs! Excited for everything to come!” + PR powerhouse Huxley has expanded into creative management, representing artists including stylist Edda Gudmundsdottir; stylists and creative directors Alexandra Cronan and Kate Foley (Studio &); hair stylists Jacob Kajrup and Emilie Bromley; creative agency Zak Group; make-up artists Marcelo Gutierrez; and Mata Mariélle and casting director Najia Li Saad. + Grammy-nominated artist-actor Vic Mensa has signed a distribution partnership with indie distribution giant UnitedMasters, which will re-release his debut project “Innanetape” on streaming services for the first time on Sept. 30, followed by a new album in 2027. Mensa’s other projects include “The Vic Mensa Show,” his new conversational series, alongside his Webby Award-winning “The Orange Tree Series,” the forthcoming film project “Halfrican.” Alyssa Castiglia, UnitedMasters Senior Director of A&R/Head of A&R Research, said “Vic Mensa is a rare artist whose timeless music, multidisciplinary creativity, and commitment to truth make him exactly the kind of visionary UnitedMasters is proud to champion.” + Jessica Thomas has been appointed Head of A&R for 100 Management/ 100 Publishing and will report to founder Luke Mitzman.
She brings her long-term management clients, songwriters JBach and Trey Campbell, and will based out of the company’s offices in Los Angeles. She previously served as an A&R consultant for Adam Lambert and, in 2024, as Director of A&R, Ads & Brand Partnerships for Milk & Honey Silo. Hunter will continue to identify new brand partners that align with BMI’s business needs and creative opportunities, create new revenue streams to benefit BMI’s affiliated songwriters, composers, and publishers, and maximize existing partnerships to build mutual brand awareness.
Hunter joined BMI in 2000 and has held various executive roles in General Licensing and Industry Relations and worked closely with key accounts and trade associations in the media and hospitality industries before moving to the Creative department in 2014 as Executive Director, Partnerships and Events. Prior to BMI, Hunter worked at Deloitte, where he earned his CPA license. + AEG Presents has announced a partnership with Greenhouse Talent, one of Europe’s leading independent concert promoters. This investment formalizes a longstanding relationship between the companies and brings Greenhouse Talent into AEG Presents’ expanding European network of distinguished promoters.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
