First Access Entertainment

First Access Entertainment (FAE) is a joint venture entertainment company between Sarah Stennett and Access Industries founder, Len Blavatnik, with offices in London, New York City and Los Angeles. Launched in 2015, the venture absorbed Turn First Artists which was Stennett's original artist management company. Since then, the activities of the company have evolved to include a record label (Access Records), publishing (First Access Publishing), Sports Management (First Access Sports) and a seed funding venture called "Fund by First Access Entertainment".

First Access Entertainment
Private
IndustryEntertainment
Founded2015 (2015)
Founder
  • Sarah Stennett
  • Len Blavatnik
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Sarah Stennett (CEO)
  • Stephen John Hendry (Director)
  • Len Blavatnik (investor)
  • Rodger Garfinkel (CFO)
  • Le'Roy Benros (SVP of A&R)
  • Oscar Scivier (VP of A&R)
Services
ParentAccess Industries
Divisions
  • Access Records
  • First Access Publishing
  • First Access Sports
SubsidiariesFund by First Access Entertainment LLC
Websitefirstaccessent.com

The company is most known for managing recording artists Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding and Jessie J, as well as discovering Madison Beer. In 2019, American burlesque-come-recording group the Pussycat Dolls reformed and signed to Access Records as independent artists. Prior to his death in 2017, American rapper Lil Peep was also managed by FAE and his music was released posthumously through the company and Peep's estate. The rapper's death is subject to a wrongful death lawsuit by Peep's mother against FAE, the outcome of which was going through the US justice system in late 2019-early 2020.

History

First Access Entertainment began as Turn First Artists, an artist management and development agency based out of West London, founded by music manager, Sarah Stennett. Stennett has been responsible for launching the careers of artists including Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J.[1] Stennett also co-founded law firm SSB, which represents Adele, alongside setting up the Grammy award-winning songwriting and production team The Invisible Men, which includes her husband George Astasio.[2]

In October 2015, it was announced Stennett and Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, a privately held industrial group with major holdings in the music, media and telecommunications sectors, would form of a new joint venture called First Access Entertainment.[3] First Access Entertainment offers services across artist and model management, recorded music, music publishing, strategic brand partnerships, TV/film development and sports management.[4][5] In 2017, Oscar Scivier joined Access Records as their President of A&R from Ultra Records.[6] Blavatnik would resign as a company director in October 2019 and was replaced with Stephen John Hendry.[7]

Access Records and artist management services

Roster

As of 2020, First Access Entertainment is home to a range of acts including, but not limited to:[8]

Digital tours

During a 2020 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Senior VP of A&R at First Access, Le'Roy Benros, "oversaw a geofenced digital 'tour' for Lion Babe and Kwamie Liv, making free tickets available only to fans in the area where they would have performed anyway. It was good for fan loyalty". Commenting on the venture, Benros noted that in the future fans would have to pay for such opportunities. Referencing the current COVID-19 pandemic he said "the economy has taken a big hit, and brands are trying to find creative and effective ways to reach their demographic. Brands also know that a main source of an independent artist’s revenue stream has been depleted. I think it’s a mutually beneficial partnership as long as it doesn’t compromise the integrity and aesthetic of the artist."[15]

Other Ventures

First Access Publishing

Following its first 18 months in service, FAE signed a joint agreement with publishing companyWarner/Chappell to provide global support for FAE's "publishing roster for synchronization in film, TV, advertising, games and other media, as well as provide global copyright administration." Warner/Chappell CEO Jon Platt said of the venture, "we're very pleased to partner with the terrific team at First Access Entertainment. This partnership maximizes the skills of our two companies, and together we look forward to building long, successful careers for diverse and accomplished songwriters, now and in the future."[4] Stennett also commented on the venture during a press release, saying "I'm very much looking forward to working hand-in-hand with the incredible team at Warner/Chappell on developing and maximising the full scope of our artist’s repertoire across a broad range of media and entertainment platforms."[16]

First Access Sports

In 2018, FAE launched a sports management agency to represent sports stars from all fields. During an interview with Music Week, Stennett said "We recognise the extraordinary talent of our athletes as unique, powerful individuals, youth culture stars with enormous cultural presence and influence. Our mission is to create the foundations for exemplary performance within the scope of their core discipline and to enhance their visibility and ancillary value." Co-CEO Len Blavatnik added "First Access Entertainment has a proven track record in talent discovery and representation. We have a team in place that can push the boundaries of traditional sports management."[5]

Fund by Access Entertainment

Also in 2018, the company joined forces with Simon Tikhman to launch "Fund by Access Entertainment," a seed funding initiative for youth entrepreneurs launching ventures centred around culture. Of the venture, Tikhman said, "This is a natural next step – by seeding, incubating and giving aspiring companies access to the extensive global infrastructure of First Access Entertainment, they will have all the tools they need to take their ideas to the next level."[17]

The Qube

First Access was also a founding investor in "The Qube", a "first of its kind venue and community for music professionals to connect and collaborate. The flagship West London venue is a 22,000 square-foot premise designed by Munro Acoustics, featuring 30 state of the art soundproofed recording studios, breakout spaces and a tranquil garden terrace is due to open in January 2020." Other partners in the venture include, Riz Ahmed, Krept & Konan, Rudimental's Amir Amor, Mixcloud co-founder Nikhil Shah, and Concord Music.[18]

Controversies
Lil Peep was managed by First Access Entertainment as part of a joint venture agreement, prior to his death in 2017.

Death of Lil Peep

In 2017, American rapper Lil Peep died of an accidental drug overdose; the rapper was managed by First Access Entertainment. Peep's mother Liza Womack filed wrongful death charges against First Access in 2019, "accusing them of negligence and other breaches of contract which, the lawsuit alleges, contributed to the rapper’s death in 2017 of an accidental drugs overdose." The lawsuit claims that the company had a role in providing access to drugs and "allowing a culture of drug-taking on Lil Peep's tour, despite being aware of his addictions, as well as supplying the rapper with illegal drugs and prescription medications, and at times actually encouraging him to take them."[19] In responding statements, First Access expressed disappointment in the lawsuit:

Lil Peep's death from an accidental drug overdose was a terrible tragedy. However, the claim that First Access Entertainment, any of its employees, or Chase Ortega, or anyone else under our auspices, was somehow responsible for, complicit in, or contributed to his death is categorically untrue. In fact, we consistently encouraged Peep to stop abusing drugs and to distance himself from the negative influence of the drug users and enablers with whom he chose to associate

— company statement from First Access.[19]

First Access formally filed court documents at the Los Angeles Superior Court on 23 December 2019 to dispute all claims including claims of "negligence, breach of contract, and wrongful death." Stennett told Rolling Stone that "[she] felt very protective of him from day one." In later documents and court filings, First Access said that their work with Lil Peep was an "arm's length business arrangement", something disputed by the rapper's mother.[20]

Despite court filings, First Access supported the release of Peep's first posthumous album Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 2 (2019) which reached number four on the Billboard 200 albums chart, a career-best for the rapper.[21] FAE has since released statements about their belief that had no contractual responsibility for Lil Peep's personal life and that a ruling to suggest so would damage management businesses, "Imposing a duty on FAE Ltd. or FAE LLC to prevent [Lil Peep's] drug overdose would extend the boundaries of legal obligations far beyond any precedent, and far beyond the contractual obligations and reasonable expectations of parties doing business. It would convert businesses engaged in the music and entertainment industries into full-time babysitters for artists. That clearly was not the parties' intent upon entering the JVA [(joint-venture agreement)].[11]

Adam Lublin

Adam Lublin, a former executive of AEG, worked for FAE as a consultant. In 2019, he was charged with "two counts of burglary and one count of sexual abuse" at the Manhattan Criminal Court, before being charged "on a second count of sexual abuse and burglary against the first victim's roommate". The company subsequently terminated all business with Lublin.[22]

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References
  1. Gensler, Andy (6 December 2014). "Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding's Turn First Mgmt Company Run By 'Lionesses'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. Sullivan, Caroline (1 December 2013). "Rita Ora on Sarah Stennett: 'She's got balls, and she's from Liverpool'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. Gensler, Andy (28 October 2015). "Exclusive: Zayn Malik Manager Sarah Stennett, Access Industries Formally Announce Joint Venture". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  4. "First Access Entertainment inks global admin deal with Warner/Chappell". Music Business Worldwide. 14 June 2017. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  5. Paine, Andre (15 November 2018). "First Access Entertainment launches sports division". Music Week.
  6. Jones, Rhian (9 March 2017). "First Access names Ultra Records exec Oscar Scivier VP of A&R". Music Business Worldwide. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  7. "FIRST ACCESS ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED – Officers". Companies House. 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  8. "First Access Entertainment Roster". firstaccessent.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  9. Stoked PR (7 September 2018). "ASHLEE SIMPSON & EVAN ROSS RELEASE THEIR DEBUT SINGLE,". Pressparty. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  10. Rendon, Francisco (4 October 2018). "Q's With Adam Mersel Of First Access Entertainment: How The Young Manager Is Taking Bebe Rexha To Pop Stardom". Pollstar. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  11. Ingham, Tim (6 January 2020). "First Access lawyers warn that Lil Peep lawsuit could leave music companies as 'full-time babysitters for artists'". Music Business Worldwide. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  12. Deen, Khyle (18 February 2020). "Madison Beer unveils music video for new track titled Selfish > New Music > Music | Purple Revolver". Purple Revolver. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  13. Copsey, Robert (27 January 2020). "Pussycat Dolls confirm comeback song React release date". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  14. Homewood, Ben (7 May 2020). "Inside the making of Rita Ora's new album". Music Week. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  15. Brown, August (15 May 2020). "Concert tours are on hold. But sponsored livestreams can save musicians' paychecks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  16. Gumble, Daniel (14 July 2017). "First Access Entertainment inks global publishing deal with Warner/Chappell". Music Week. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  17. Holland, Andrea (27 February 2018). "First Access Entertainment Launches Seed Fund to Tap Into Youth Market". Business Wire. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  18. Garner, George (13 December 2019). ""It's a home for a new generation of creators": New West London musical space The Qube set to launch in January". Music Week. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  19. Cooke, Chris (9 October 2019). "Lil Peep's mother sues First Access Entertainment over rapper's death". Complete Music Update. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  20. Bernstein, Jonathan; Wang, Amy X. (31 December 2019). "What the Messy Legal Battle Over Lil Peep's Death Reveals". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  21. Williams, Nick (30 September 2019). "First Access Entertainment's Sarah Stennett On Managing Lil Peep's Legacy". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  22. "Former AEG, First Access Exec Adam Lublin Charged With Second Sexual Assault". 18 September 2019. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
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