ENTERTAINMENT ONE SECURES PUBLISHING DEAL WITH SAM WILLS
(October 6, 2020 London, UK) In its commitment to deepening relationship with top music talent, Entertainment One (eOne) announces a global publishing and label deal with UK-based singer, songwriter and producer Sam Wills, one of the mostly hotly tipped artists of the UK future soul/R&B movement. Under the deal, eOne has secured global collection on all publishing revenue for Wills’ complete catalogue and future works and will provide label services for the debut album for Sam’s own artist project.
Wills is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and classically-trained vocalist, influenced by old school soul and hip-hop, all delivered with a fresh UK twist. In addition to establishing himself as an artist in his own right, Wills has spent the last few years out of the spotlight but gaining heavyweight status in the songwriting and production arenas, penning Jorja Smith’s globally-acclaimed single ‘Where Did I Go?’ (54M streams on Spotify) and writing/producing alongside the likes of Jordan Rakei, Tom Misch, Cadenza, SG Lewis, Disclosure, Joe Hertz and Barney Artist.
Gary Mandel, eOne’s Vice President, Creative, says, “Not only did Sam’s own songs and performance strike a chord with us, but we also love the songs he has written for his friends and other artists. By signing Sam for both records and publishing, we can create a more forward-thinking model for proper grass roots artist development – giving him the tools and resources when he needs them most to lay solid foundations. We are so excited to have him kick off our UK publishing roster.”
Wills says, “I’m so happy to have a team that fully believes in me and understands my creative vision. I’ve always been very cautious to make sure I’m working with people who support and encourage me to be authentic, rather than telling me how I need to be and what I need to sound like. It’s refreshing and I’m very excited to be working with Gary and the eOne team moving forward.”
This year, Wills has released a few tracks from his own forthcoming project, due out in 2021. “Traingazing,” has amassed over 1M views on Spotify, while his latest single “Turn Back” was released last week. Listen to “Turn Back” here.
eOne’s publishing division includes the Chuck Berry catalog, Grammy-winning songwriter/producers The Stereotypes and Aaron Pearce and even Peppa Pig. The current music catalog also includes songs from Mariah Carey, Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Disclosure, Death Row publishing, Zed’s Dead/Deadbeats Publishing, hard rock/metal artists including Within the Ruins and The Contortionist, hip hop producers Vinny X, Gin$eng and Trox, as well as a vast catalogue of film and television audiovisual rights, including rights for Designated Survivor and popular kids TV show, PJ Masks.
Follow Sam Wills:
For more information, contact Giovanna Melchiorre
at 212-353-8800x5279 / gmelchiorre@entonegroup.com
About eOne
Entertainment One Ltd. (eOne) is a talent-driven independent studio that specializes in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. As part of global play and entertainment company Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), eOne's expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales; family programming, merchandising and licensing; digital content; and live entertainment. Through its extensive reach and scale, and a deep commitment to high-quality entertainment, eOne unlocks the power and value of creativity.
eOne brings to market both original and existing content, sourcing IP from Hasbro’s portfolio of 1500+ brands, and through a diversified network of creative partners and eOne companies including: international feature film distribution company Sierra/Affinity; Amblin Partners with DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; Makeready with Brad Weston; unscripted television production companies Renegade 83, Daisybeck, Blackfin and Whizz Kid Entertainment; live entertainment leaders Round Room Live; world-class music companies Audio Network, Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning emerging content and technology studio Secret Location.