Michele Hamelink Joins Sony ATV's Pan European A&R Team

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has further strengthened its hugely successful pan-European A&R team with the addition of Michèle Hamelink as European A&R Scout.

Hamelink, who has worked at Sony/ATV's Benelux office in Amsterdam since April 2012, joins a set-up which works with songwriters from across Europe with the aim of helping them to reach their full international potential. It is headed by Guy Moot, Sony/ATV UK Managing Director and President, European Creative.

Guy Moot said: "I am excited that in Michèle we have once again been able to promote within and add another great talent to our ever-expanding pan-European A&R team. Sony/ATV is the only company that has this kind of set-up in which we work alongside our local MDs to deliver international opportunities to our songwriters from across Europe. The results show just how well this approach is working."

The team also comprises London-based Joint Head of UK A&R and VP International A&R David Ventura, A&R Europe SVP and Deputy Managing Director Scandinavia Johnny Tennander and European Head of Songpitching Lasse Ewald, both of whom work out of Stockholm, and Berlin-based Senior Manager A&R/European Creative Max Paproth.

David Ventura said: "Michèle totally understands the new A&R game with all its challenges. She has always shown an international vision, approach and ear. It is a real chance and pleasure for all of us to welcome her into the European team. Welcome Michèle!"

Johnny Tennander said: "Michèle is very alert and has great taste in music. She represents a new generation of modern A&Rs and she will strengthen our European A&R team even further."

Michèle began her music industry career as an intern at EMI in 2010, while graduated with a Bachelor of Entertainment Management in 2012 after writing a thesis entitled "The role of music publishers in a shifting environment of ownership versus access of music". As part of her thesis she interviewed Sony/ATV Benelux Managing Director Niels Walboomers, which led to a job at the company where she started as PA for MD/Creative Assistant, then became Junior Creative. Alongside her new European role, she has simultaneously been promoted to Creative Manager in the Benelux office. Artists and songwriters she signed and works closely with include Ganz, Kav Verhouzer and Weval.

Niels Walboomers said: "During the years that Michèle has been with our company she has developed into a skilful member of our A&R team. I am really happy to promote her to Creative Manager in Benelux where she will continue to report to me and Senior Creative Manager Suzanne van den Dool. I am confident that she will excel as a scout in our pan-European team."

Michèle Hamelink said: "It's truly an honour to be given this new role and I'm thankful for the confidence Guy Moot and the European team have in me. I am very excited to be working closely with the European team, learning from the best and making big things happen together."

Sony/ATV's pan-European A&R team provides a unique service to its songwriters, reflecting what has become a truly global music industry where an international hit can emerge from literally anywhere. The team can point to a countless number of successes where it has taken a songwriter with success in their local territory and allowed them to fully realise their international ambitions by utilising Sony/ATV's network of offices, A&R expertise and other songwriters from across Europe and beyond.

The operation's many successes include Avicii who, long before becoming a global international success, was put under the wing of the publisher's pan-European A&R team. Since first being signed, the Swede has gone on to achieve a string of worldwide hits, including "Levels", "I Could Be The One", "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother" as well as the album True.

The team has also worked closely with French DJ, songwriter and producer Martin Solveig whose hit "Hello" with Canadian synthpop trio Dragonette topped the charts in a number of countries across Europe as well as reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Solveig's new hit single "Intoxicated" with GTA has just reached the Top 10 around mainland Europe and last month charted at No. 5 in the UK.

Its other successes include French songwriter and producer Klingande whose single "Jubel" reached No. 3 on the Official UK Singles Chart and was No. 1 in around a dozen European countries, including Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.

The pan-European team also works with German duo Milky Chance whose debut single "Stolen Dance" was a Top 10 hit across Europe and was certified by the RIAA for 1 million digital download sales in the US where it topped Billboard's Rock Airplay, Alternative Adult Songs and Alternative Songs charts.

Meanwhile, recent additions to the roster include Norwegian DJ and record producer Kygo who followed a number of successful remixes for acts including Coldplay and Ed Sheeran by last year launching his own recording career. This has led to a series of big hits this year, including "Firestone" featuring Conrad Sewell, "Stole The Show" with Parson James and "Nothing Left" with Will Heard.

The team has also this year signed German music producer and DJ Felix Jaehn whose reworking of the Eighties classic "Ain't Nobody" with Jasmine Thompson has been a huge hit across Europe, including spending eight weeks at No. 1 in Germany, while it has just become a UK hit.

ABOUT SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING:
Sony/ATV Music Publishing, established in 1995 as a joint venture between Sony and Michael Jackson, is the world's leading music publisher. Together with EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV owns or administers around 3 million copyrights including those from such iconic music catalogs like Leiber & Stoller, Mijac Music, Motown and Famous Music. Sony/ATV also controls many of the best known songs ever written like "New York, New York", "Hallelujah", "All You Need Is Love", "You've Got a Friend", "Moon River", "Jailhouse Rock", "The Mission Impossible Theme", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Over the Rainbow", "Stand By Me", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Singin' in the Rain". In addition, Sony/ATV represents the copyrights of such legendary artists as The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Kraftwerk, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Richie Sambora, Sting, The Supremes, Wyclef Jean, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists, writers and producers includes Akon, Avicii, Calvin Harris, Jessie J, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, P!nk, RedOne, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Stargate, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

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