LEE ANDERSON, 34
VP EAST COAST/AGENT, AM ONLY
Anderson books some of the biggest stars in electronic music — make that “some of the biggest stars in music, period,” clarifies the Connecticut-raised resident of Brooklyn. Among the clients of this former promoter are Skrillex, Zedd, Disclosure, SBTRKT, Rudimental, Steve Angello and Claude VonStroke. Three years after AM Only forged a partnership with Paradigm Talent, the smaller agency still has an “independent spirit, something I really like.”
IF I WASN’T IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS: “I’d be in lifestyle marketing. I’m fascinated with human behavior, especially trends and consumer buying habits.”
JEFFREY AZOFF, 29
AGENT, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY
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BRIAN MANNING, 38
AGENT, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY
Azoff, bearing arguably the most formidable surname in the music business, books one of the industry’s biggest veteran acts: The Eagles. Manning, a Bronx native and father of three, handles the hottest young group on the global concert circuit: One Direction. The Eagles have grossed $188 million on multiple tours repped by the scion of Power 100 executive Irving Azoff. Under Manning’s guidance, One Direction’s touring gross has topped $500 million. And each agent has a deep roster of other stars from Fleetwood Mac, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Journey, Meghan Trainor and newcomer Gavin James (Azoff) to 5 Seconds of Summer, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato and Maroon 5 (Manning).
HARDEST BUSINESS LESSON LEARNED [Azoff]: “You can catch more bees with tequila than honey.”
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION [Manning]: “I keep a circa 1972 Sony 8-track player in the office. It works. We have Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours in there right now.”
MIKE BERKOWITZ, 37
HEAD OF COMEDY/PARTNER, APA
Booking comedy acts is no laughing matter for Berkowitz, a Greenwich Village resident whose roster includes Aziz Ansari, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr and Hannibal Buress. This year alone he booked 11 comedians as headliners at Madison Square Garden, which has had only five previous comic headliners in its history. Louis C.K. sold out four Garden shows (though a blizzard canceled one). Berkowitz plans to help Colin Quinn take his one-man show to Broadway in the new year. “I can book shows in 200-seaters or 20,000-seaters. As long as there is a deal to be made, I’m there to make it.”
HARDEST BUSINESS LESSON LEARNED: “Your clients are your business, and if your clients are happy, you can always find a job.”
CORRIE CHRISTOPHER MARTIN, 37
SENIOR AGENT, PARADIGM TALENT
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MATT GALLE, 37
SENIOR AGENT, PARADIGM TALENT; PRESIDENT, PHOTO FINISH RECORDS
While Martin, a mother of two, has guided Imagine Dragons from clubs to their current arena tour, Galle, father of twin boys, has celebrated Shawn Mendes’ sellout at the 5,870-seat Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and the rise of client Halsey, who’s playing clubs and festivals through the fall. On Galle’s roster at Photo Finish Records, MisterWives have earned gold certification for their hit single “Reflections,” receiving a plaque at the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival in August.
FIRST JOB [Galle]: “I worked at a Mobil gas station when I was 15.”
ZACH ISER, 30
AGENT, ICM PARTNERS
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CAROLINE YIM, 36
AGENT, ICM PARTNERS
Iser and Yim live up to the name of their agency, as true business partners sharing responsibility for ICM’s urban division with an impressive roster including Kendrick Lamar, Jhene Aiko, Fetty Wap, Future and Rae Sremmurd. Iser, who lives in Manhattan, and Yim, a resident of West Los Angeles, have built a reputation for their ability to develop acts together. “We realized,” says Iser, “we could move up faster and cover our clients better working as a team.”
GREATEST RECENT ACHIEVEMENT [Yim]: “Watching my young talent grow, specifically Kehlani, who’s just done a 27-city club tour, and 26 of the dates sold out.”
KIRK SOMMER, 38
PARTNER, WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR
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JOEL ZIMMERMAN, 37
HEAD OF GLOBAL ELECTRONIC MUSIC, WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR
WME boasts two of the industry’s top agents, with complementary areas of expertise: Sommer, father of two, has an ear for the best of mainstream rock and pop (Adele, Sam Smith, Arctic Monkeys, Hozier), while Zimmerman, who also has two children, has established DJs like Calvin Harris and Deadmau5 as festival headliners and Las Vegas residencies for EDM acts. Working with The Weeknd, who’s headlining arenas, is 2015’s “most notable success,” says Zimmerman.
HARDEST BUSINESS LESSON LEARNED [Sommer]: “I need to focus more on that work/life balance; many of us do.”