United Talent Agency

We're proud to share that UTA has again signed on to Vote.org’s pledge to provide employees with paid time off to vote and to promote civic engagement, as part of its ElectionDay.org program. As the largest nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote platform in America, Vote.org works to remove workplace barriers to voting and provide citizens with convenient online registration tools. Learn more at its website.

Last week, in honor of Women’s Equality Day, UTA hosted our client Minda Harts at our Beverly Hills headquarters for a screening of her new film “The Memo.” Based on her best-selling book, “The Memo” is a psychological thriller that follows a fictionalized version of Harts (played by actress Kyla Pratt) as she confronts barriers faced by women in the workplace. After the screening, UTA’s Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay W. moderated a Q&A with Hart (who executive produced the film; pictured center) and director Vanna James, screenwriter Nakia Stephens, and SEED Media founder Valeshia Butterfield (pictured left) to discuss the film’s themes of resilience and empowerment and the creative process behind the production. Photo by Arnold Turner /  @Eclipse Content for SEED Media Co.

“Toby Keith: American Icon,” a two-hour NBC special tributing the late country legend, premieres today, and the concert is especially meaningful for the Nashville-based UTA agents who helped create it. In July, UTA’s Curt Motley and Nick Barnes (pictured center) joined forces with Adam Reed & Thinkfactory Media and Universal Music Group Nashville’s Sing Me Back Home Productions to bring together today’s biggest country acts for a live concert and charity event. Benefitting the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, the concert was recorded for NBC's televised special. The special will also air on Peacock. “Toby became one of my best friends,” says Motley, who represented Keith for 30 years. “His impact on the industry was enormous. We are excited to honor the Big Dog Daddy with such a fitting celebration concert on NBC.” Adds Barnes, “He had a legacy that will outlive us all. It was an honor working with Curt to put something on that will continue Keith's charitable giving and provide him one last spotlight on the national stage.” Motley and Barnes’ colleagues Jeffrey Hasson and Matthew Morgan (Co-Heads of UTA Nashville), Sam Kirby Yoh (Co-Head of Worldwide Music), Bob Roback (Chief Operating Officer) and Scott Clayton and David Zedeck (Co-Heads of Worldwide Music) were among those who attended the concert in support (also pictured). Performers included UTA clients Dolly Parton, Jamey Johnson, Tyler Hubbard, Trace Adkins, Clay Walker, Krystal Keith, Sammy Hagar and Leanne Morgan — plus Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, and many more. 📷: Getty on behalf of Universal Music Group “Toby Keith: American Icon”

"With Tyla, Wizkid, Burna Boy and more, UTA’s early bet on Afrobeats has paid off." Variety's Emanuel Okusanya charts UTA's emergence as a leader in representing today's most prolific Afrobeats artists, partnering with them on record-breaking tours, high-profile brand partnerships, unexpected collaborations, and then some. Read the story, featuring UTA's Obi Asika (Co-Head of UTA U.K.), Mike G (Partner and Agent, Music), Christian Bernhardt (Agent, Music), and Irene Agbontaen (Senior Director of Artist Brand Strategy, Music Band Partnerships), here. https://lnkd.in/gqME2v6g

When production designer Martyn John booked the Netflix series “The Gentlemen,” he was immediately tasked with finding, and then piecing together, a house that would be “another character in the show.” John was familiar with the regal English expanse created by Guy Ritchie; he was the supervising art director on the 2019 feature that inspired the show. For the spinoff series, he had to seamlessly bridge the exterior of the Badminton House estate (fictional home to UTA client Theo James’ character) with the interiors of five other homes, plus a collection of custom-built sets, to create a single grand manor. “Those aristocrats spent millions building and decorating their houses back in the 18th century,” says the UTA Production Arts client. “It’s hard doing something that lavish on that scale, on a budget. I had to be clever about it.” The production designer says he ended up paying a “king’s ransom” on silk wallpaper to bring the manor’s luxury to life. The decision paid off: John is nominated for a Primetime Emmy this year for his work on the second episode, "Tackle Tommy Woo Woo.” Read more from John’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter below.

We are excited to announce that we have signed singer-songwriter Phil Wickham for representation.   The three-time Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian artist debuted at number one on the Billboard Christian Albums chart in 2018 with his seventh album, “Living Hope.” Currently, Wickham is on the “Summer Worship Nights” tour, and will continue to headline throughout North America through October.

UTA has launched a new Christian music division, led by Music Agent Jonathan Roberts. It will serve as an extension of our Heartland initiative, which was founded in 2020 by Agent Nick Barnes, and will tap into UTA’s vast music network and resources, spanning from music crossover to brand partnerships. “We are leveraging the full strength of the agency, bringing together agents who are inspired by the genre and its connection with fans,” says Scott Clayton (Partner & Co-Head of Worldwide Music). Read more via Billboard. 

We join MediaLink in congratulating Melanie L. Washington, Esq. (Principal and Head of Global Contract Advisory) for being inducted into the American Advertising Federation's prestigious 2024 Advertising Hall of Achievement!

We’re excited to announce that UTA is bringing ZCON — the first major conference of its kind, created by the first generation of its kind — to New York City this October. A two-day experience, ZCON includes panels and programming featuring only Gen Z speakers, curated by Next Gen, a practice of UTA Entertainment Marketing. It’ll bring together around 500 of today’s most influential next gen voices, creators, and changemakers with CEOs, CMOs, entrepreneurs, and business executives to help brands innovate and transform across the creator economy, digital media, social impact, and entertainment. The event will also feature the ZCON Awards, hosted in partnership with Cosmopolitan, which will celebrate the “Cosmo Class of 2024,” recognizing the top disruptor brands, talent, and trends from the past year. Led by UTA Next Gen’s Olivia Frary, Shaina Zafar , Nate Jones and Ziad Ahmed, ZCON debuted in 2023 in Los Angeles with the goal of centering the voices of diverse young people in business, brand building, and culture. Stay tuned here for more announcements about our venue, partners, and speakers, and follow our Instagram (zcon.xyz).

"Emily in Paris" — created, co-showrun, and executive produced by our client Darren Star — premiered the first part of its fourth season on August 15 and has already amassed nearly 20 million views, translating to more than 56 million hours watched. The second half of season four will premiere on September 12; Star teased to USA Today that upcoming episodes will surprise fans “in some unexpected ways.” Additional UTA client involvement includes music supervisor Brienne Rose with Curtis Brown Group clients William Abadie (as Antoine Lambert) and Debi Mazar co-starring.