Warner Music UK announced a change in leadership on Monday (May 17), elevating head of A&R Joe Kentish to president to replace Phil Christie, who is departing after a five-year run as head of the label.
In his new role — he officially starts on June 1 — Kentish will be charged with overseeing the direction of the label and its stable of artists, including Dua Lipa, whom he signed, along with Biffy Clyro, Muse, Liam Gallagher, Griff and Royal Blood, among many others.
Kentish joined Warner UK in 2014 as a senior A&R manager before being upped to head of A&R in 2016. His predecessor in that role? Christie, who had only spent two years in that position before taking over as president in April of 2016. (It marked the first time in eight years that the label had a standalone leader.)
Before landing at Warner UK, Kentish worked in A&R at Mercury Records (later Virgin/EMI), where his most notable signings included The Vamps, Just Jack and Pixie Lot. Earlier in his career he co-founded Middle Row Records.
Kentish is based in London and will report directly to Warner Music UK CEO Tony Harlow, who called him an "instinctively brilliant" executive in the company announcement.
"Not only is he an incredibly talented A&R, but he's someone with a comprehensive understanding of what great artist development takes," Harlow said. "He can spot distinctive British talent in its infancy and nurture it into a successful career that resonates in the UK and on the global stage; his unique creative relationship with Dua is a testament to that."
Dua Lipa's sophomore album, Future Nostalgia, recently won best pop album at the Grammy Awards and album of the year at the BRIT Awards. Her latest single, "Levitating," is currently climbing the Billboard Hot 100 chart, at No. 4.
"[Kentish is] a genuine music man whose artist-first, hands-on approach has made him a pleasure to work with," commented Ben Mawson, Dua's manager. "We wish him every success in this new role and have complete confidence in his ability to help us continue our ambitious journey with Dua."
The label said Christie will be leaving by the end of 2021 after five years in the role and seven years total at WMUK. Prior to joining the label side of things, Christie spent four years as senior A&R manager at Warner/Chappell, where his signings included London Grammar, Ben Howard, Tom Odell and the Brit Award-winning rock duo Royal Blood.
"The label is unrecognizable from the one I walked into in 2014," Christie said. "Now the time has come for me to look ahead and move on, and I couldn't be happier for Joe, who deserves every accolade. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family before thinking about the next step."
Harlow added that Christie's "hands-on approach to artist development sometimes gets overlooked in the intensity of the day-to-day running of a big label, but his expertise and guidance are always felt."
Not for the first time, Moby is speaking out against Donald Trump’s administration with clear frustration.
“The U.S. is collapsing under a deeply corrupt and shockingly ineffective administration,” the longtime electronic musician shared on social media. “These are unbelievably dark times.”
Moby went deeper into his thoughts through a video message, where he explained that people outside the United States keep asking Americans what is actually happening in the country.
“So many of my friends outside the United States keep asking me, ‘what the hell is happening over there?’ And honestly, we don’t even know,” he said. “The country is being controlled by one of the most corrupt, dangerous and incompetent administrations imaginable. Nobody fully understands what’s happening right now. These are very dark times in America.”
Moby joins a growing list of artists publicly criticizing Trump and MAGA politics, including Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Eminem and Billie Eilish.
Earlier this year, Moby uploaded another statement to social media where he addressed how people should respond following the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis. “The real question isn’t whether people should feel horrified or outraged by what’s happening in the United States,” Moby explained in the Jan. 26 clip. “The question is what are we actually going to do about it?”
The musician and activist also encouraged people to protest, saying demonstrations are a constitutional right and something he believes Trump’s administration is attempting to weaken.
In the end, he urged people to vote regularly, “not only during the upcoming midterms, even though those matter, but also in every special election throughout the year.” He also encouraged supporters to “stop giving money to the scumbag corporations backing Trump and ICE. We all know who they are. Boycott them.”
His newest remarks arrive as the U.S. Justice Department unveils a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies who claim they were unfairly investigated. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down following military action launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran in late February without approval from Congress, leading to rising gas prices across the globe.
Throughout his independent music career, Moby has earned 10 entries on the Billboard 200 along with two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and an enormous catalog of sync placements. Overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, he is viewed as one of the defining artists of his era. He scored two No. 1 albums there with Play from 1999 and 18 from 2002, alongside 18 top 40 singles and two nominations for Best International Male at the BRIT Awards.
Check out Moby’s newest social media post below.
