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HYBE has announced a major step forward in its global expansion strategy with a new management partnership focused on African and diaspora music. The company is joining forces with Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle, two influential managers whose work has helped shape the international rise of African artists. The partnership signals HYBE’s intent to play a deeper role in the fast growing African music market while supporting artists through long term global development.
According to the announcement, the collaboration will launch a global management initiative designed to amplify African artists, support cross cultural storytelling, and create sustainable creative pathways across the United States, Asia, and other major markets. As part of this effort, HYBE plans to establish a pipeline for both emerging and established talent, with the goal of signing and developing new artists under this expanded vision.
Tyla will be the first artist supported through the partnership. She will continue to be managed by Hixon and Gayle, with HYBE providing additional global reach, infrastructure, and resources. Tyla, who was honored at Variety’s Young Hollywood event last summer, represents the type of globally minded African artist the partnership aims to elevate without compromising authenticity.
Jason Jaesang Lee, CEO of HYBE, described the collaboration as a pivotal moment for the company. He praised Hixon and Gayle as cultural architects whose vision aligns with HYBE’s ambitions. Lee emphasized that combining their expertise with HYBE’s global network would help create a strategic and sustainable bridge for African artistry, allowing authentic voices to connect with fans around the world.
Hixon echoed that sentiment, noting that his work has always centered on connecting great artists with the right global opportunities. He said HYBE’s international perspective complements the way he and Gayle build artist careers and allows for greater freedom of movement and storytelling on the world’s biggest stages. Gayle added that African artists are entering a moment of unlimited potential and that the partnership will help expand their reach while preserving the roots that make the music unique.
The announcement was part of a broader set of industry updates. The ASCAP Foundation revealed that Patricia Leonard has been appointed executive director, succeeding Nicole George Middleton, who was recently promoted to executive vice president and head of creative membership at ASCAP. ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams highlighted Leonard’s extensive background in arts and philanthropy and expressed confidence in her ability to guide the organization forward.
Leonard brings more than twenty years of experience, including leadership roles at the Princess Grace Foundation, Manhattan Theatre Club, and the Metropolitan Opera. Founded in 1975, the ASCAP Foundation continues to support American music creators through education, talent development, and humanitarian programs, reaching more than 300000 individuals in 2024 alone.
In another significant move, Nick Hartley announced his retirement from his roles as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at PIAS, effective December 31st 2025. Hartley’s decades long career has spanned leadership roles at EMI, PolyGram, and PIAS, where he played a key role in the company’s global expansion and its acquisition by Universal in 2024.
Together, these developments highlight a period of transition and growth across the global music industry, with HYBE’s African music initiative standing out as a clear signal of where the future is heading.
