LA Chapter to honor A&I Music Entertainment and brothers Todd and Jeff Brabec, NY Chapter to honor Faith Newman of Reservoir
November 29, 2023 (Los Angeles, Nashville, New York) – The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) has announced this year’s slate of holiday parties in Nashville on November 30, Los Angeles on December 5, and New York on December 7. In addition, the AIMP Los Angeles Chapter will present its Indie Publisher of the Year Award to A&I Music Entertainment and its Individual(s) Award in Support of Songwriters and Publishers to Todd and Jeff Brabec, and the New York Chapter will present its 2023 Indie Spirit Award to Faith Newman, Executive Vice President of A&R and Catalog Development at Reservoir.
The AIMP Nashville Chapter will kick things off with their members-only “AIMP Nashville Holiday Party,” which will be held on November 30 from 4-6pm CT at Never Never in Nashville. Attendees will be treated to cocktails and appetizers as the Chapter celebrates this year’s accomplishments and prepares for 2024. Those who would like to join the Chapter or who wish to check their membership status can contact aimpnashville@gmail.com.
“The AIMP Nashville Chapter has much to celebrate this year, from our return to The Ryman for this year’s AIMP Nashville Country Awards, to our 9th annual Songwriter Series honoring up-and-coming writers, to the release of the 6th season of our AIMP Nashville Pubcast,” said Ree Guyer, President of the AIMP Nashville Chapter. “It has been an honor to lead the Chapter as President for the first time this year, and I’m excited to look back on our successes on behalf of the Nashville independent music publishing community while preparing for another great year ahead.”
Next, the AIMP Los Angeles Chapter will host their “AIMP LA 2023 Holiday Party & Annual Awards” event on December 5 from 5-8pm PT at the BMI offices in Beverly Hills, CA. Registration is available here through December 2nd, and costs $45 for AIMP members and $55 for non-members, with all net proceeds benefiting the Linda Komorsky AIMP Scholarship. Wine, beer, and appetizers will be served.
The AIMP LA Chapter will also present its Indie Publisher of the Year Award to A&I Music Entertainment at the event with CEO Amelia Cueva accepting. A&I is a publishing house, music consultant, and management company that strives to provide clients with a personal, professional, and caring atmosphere. Consisting of music publishers Empresas CB (SESAC), A and I Music Entertainment (BMI), and La Tapatia Publishing (ASCAP), A&I almost doubled the amount of clients they work with and administer for in 2023. Their catalog includes songs recorded by Peso Pluma, Legion RG, Grupo Firme, Grupo Arriesgado, Alfonso Payan, Rafael Kelly, El Padrinito Toys, El Pantera de Culiacan, Larry Hernandez, Beto Sierra, Santa Fe Klan, Grupo Clasificado, and many more.
The AIMP LA Chapter will also present its Individual(s) Award in Support of Songwriters and Publishers to twin brothers Todd and Jeff Brabec. Todd, an AIMP LA Chapter Board member, is an Entertainment Law attorney and former ASCAP Executive Vice President and Worldwide Director of Membership. Jeff is Senior Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (BMG), specializing in evaluating, analyzing, projecting income, and negotiating music publishing catalog acquisitions. He also sits on the board of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) and the Canadian Publishers Committee (CPC) of SXWorks, LLC. Together, the brothers co-wrote the best-selling music business book Music, Money and Success: The Insider’s Guide to Making Money in the Music Business, which was named one of The Best Music Books of 2019 by Variety after the release of its 8th Edition that year. They are also both Adjunct Professors at USC. Collectively, they have previously been recognized with the Deems Taylor Award for Excellence in Music Journalism, The Texas Star Award by the Entertainment & Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Texas for Outstanding Contribution and Achievement in the Field of Entertainment Law, the 2005 Educational Leadership Award from the Music & Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), and the 2019 California Copyright Conference Apollo Award Honoring Leadership and Achievement In the Music Industry.
“Thanks to the AIMP LA Board and the Los Angeles independent music publishing community for making my first year as LA Chapter President an inspiring one,” said Marc Caruso, President of the AIMP LA Chapter. “Now as we look back at 2023, I’m excited to honor A&I Music Entertainment for all their work promoting the Latin music community and the Brabec brothers, who have long helped all rights-holders understand how to make money from their art. Here’s to a great 2024!”
The AIMP New York Chapter will round things out with its “AIMP NY 2023 Holiday Party,” which will be held on December 7 from 6-9pm ET at Little Rebel in New York City. Registration is available here through December 4th, with tickets at $75 for Premier members, $100 for Professional members, and $150 for non-members (which includes an NY Chapter Professional membership for 2024, a $75 value). Drinks and hors d’oeuvres (including vegetarian options) are included in the price.
The AIMP NY Chapter will also present its 2023 Indie Spirit Award to Faith Newman, who currently serves as Executive Vice President of A&R and Catalog Development at Reservoir. There, she pursues acquisitions and signings of new catalogs and talent for the company. Newman’s expertise has led to Reservoir’s signing of 2 Chainz, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Migos’ Offset and Takeoff, Young Thug, Joey Bada$$, Young M.A, Joyner Lucas, Killer Mike, Just Blaze, and Mannie Fresh, among others. She has also overseen the acquisitions of numerous historic catalogs including the Philadelphia soul record label Philly Groove Records and its sister publishing catalog Nickel Shoe Music, The Isley Brothers, Billy Strayhorn, Willie Mitchell, Norman Harris, Allan Felder, Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire, Hoagy Carmichael, Michael Cooper and Felton Pilate of ConFunkShun, Leon Ware, Walter Orange and Tommy McClary of the Commodores, Dallas Austin, Larry Smith, Fred Parris of the Five Satins, Marley Marl, and many more. Additionally, Newman has served as a key figure in Reservoir’s integration of recently acquired Tommy Boy Music, where she works to curate new releases and support the catalog’s legacy acts including De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, House of Pain, and more. Newman was also tapped to serve as a board member for The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, working closely on its 2025 launch. She was previously named to Billboard’s 2022 and 2023 Women In Music Top Executives list, as well as Billboard’s 2022 and 2023 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list.
“I’m extremely proud of everything the AIMP has accomplished this year, including the launch of the AIMP Atlanta and Friends event with our new Atlanta Chapter that is wrapping up a successful first year,” said Michael Lau, National Chair of the AIMP and President of the AIMP NY Chapter. “Now, I’m looking forward to celebrating the year with my fellow NY Chapter members while recognizing Faith Newman, whose contributions to the NY independent music publishing community over the last 3-plus decades have been invaluable. Carrying that legacy forward on Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, her work with The Hip Hop Museum will ensure the genre’s history is never forgotten as it pushes into the future.”
About AIMP
The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) was formed in 1977 and has local chapters in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and Atlanta. The organization’s primary focus is to educate and inform music publishers about the most current industry trends and practices by providing a forum for the discussion of the issues and problems confronting the music publishing industry. The opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions with others on issues of mutual concern is fostered by the atmosphere at the AIMP’s monthly meetings, forums, and workshops, the videos of which can be seen (along with more general info on the organization) at www.aimp.org.