UMG Nashville Promotes Stephanie Wright, Brad Clark

Pictured (L-R): Stephanie Wright, Brad Clark

Universal Music Group Nashville, the label group consisting of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville, has announced two promotions. Stephanie Wright has been promoted to Senior Vice President of A&R and Brad Clark has been elevated to Vice President of Commercial Development.

Wright, who joined Universal Music Group Nashville almost 20 years ago, previously served as Vice President of A&R and she will continue to handle A&R initiatives for UMG Nashville artists including Adam Hambrick, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, CB30, Clare Dunn, Gary Allan, Jordan Davis, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Sam Hunt and more. A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Wright came to the music business through her cousins, the Platinum-selling sibling trio SHeDAISY. Since then, Wright has been instrumental in critically-acclaimed albums including Lee Ann Womack’s Call Me Crazy, Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo. A 2017 and 2018 Nashville Business Journal Woman of the Year honoree, Wright recently became a member of the TJ Martell Foundation’s southern Region Board of Governors.

“When I arrived at UMG six years ago,” says Mike Dungan, UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO, “I was pleasantly surprised to witness the ‘quality ears,’ the professionalism and the full grasp of all things A&R that came from Stephanie. Since then she has proven that she is top of class and I am very happy to recognize her many contributions with this promotion.”

“Nashville’s music community is unparalleled when it comes to collaboration and creativity, and as a result, the artists, writers, songs and ultimately the formats are better for it,” adds Wright. “I am so honored to work with our artists and an incredible team – Mike, Cindy, Brian and the rest of the UMGN staff – who dig into this process, invest time and energy to create the best paths for our roster.”

Originally from a small town in North Carolina, Clark started his career at Capitol Records in 2003 after graduating from Belmont University with a degree in Music Business and Marketing. In his new role, Clark will continue to handle sales and retail strategy for the entire roster of UMG Nashville artists. Some recent notable campaigns include ticket bundles for Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, in addition to Eric Church’s 61 Days in Church live recordings with Apple Music.

“Brad has worked his way up through the ranks of UMG Nashville with hard work and a very strategic approach to the business,” notes Mike Harris, COO of Universal Music Group Nashville. “He has the keen ability to break down data and translate this information to the overall UMG Nashville retail strategy. Brad is a big reason why we have enjoyed amazing retail success over the past years as well as great relationships with our accounts.”

“With such a talented roster of artists and executives, I’m honored to be a part of the UMG Nashville family,” says Clark. “Each day brings the opportunity to learn, to grow and to adopt as we navigate our business for the future. I’m thankful for this role and the support of the entire team; especially from Mike Harris, Cindy Mabe and Mike Dungan.”