Ben and Daniel Parmar, the co-founders of influential London-based label PMR, have been appointed co-Presidents of A&R at Virgin EMI.
The duo start their new roles with immediate effect, reporting to Virgin EMI President Ted Cockle.
Alongside their new roles, the brothers will continue to run PMR, which becomes a partner label of Virgin EMI.
Since launching PMR in 2010, Ben and Daniel’s biggest successes have included BRIT and Mercury-nominated debut albums from Jessie Ware and Disclosure which have between them sold more than 5m copies worldwide.
A platinum-selling chart-topper in the UK, Disclosure’s 2013 debut album Settle had notable success in the US, topping the Billboard dance/electronic album charts and spinning off a 3m-selling Top 10 single, Latch.
Ben is returning to Universal Music having started his career in A&R at Polydor in 2002. While there he signed Mercury Prize-winning trio Klaxons as well as working on the Grammy-winning debut album from La Roux.
After leaving to manage Jai Paul and Julio Bashmore, he launched PMR with his brother Daniel – who moved into music from TV production – initially as a joint venture with Island Records (UK), then run by Ted Cockle with Darcus Beese as co-Presidents.
“Ben and Daniel are taste dictators who will add further cultural and creative vigour to Virgin EMI.”
Ted Cockle, Virgin EMI
Ted Cockle said, “Having been there at the formation of PMR, which came along and reshaped British dance music, I’m delighted to be here again to see it go a stage further. Ben and Daniel are taste dictators who will add further cultural and creative vigour to Virgin EMI.”
Ben and Daniel become co-Presidents of A&R as Virgin EMI enjoys chart success with Lewis Capaldi, Queen, Loyle Carner and The Chemical Brothers. The Universal Music UK label is now preparing for new albums from Bastille and Emeli Sandé.
Ben Parmar said: “PMR has been an amazing ride so far, but we’re really excited by the prospect of scaling things up as part of a label with the global weight and influence of Virgin EMI. Their legacy and Britishness really sang to us and something feels very right about bringing our entrepreneurial spirit, energy and vision to a bigger, frontline operation.”
“PMR has been an amazing ride so far, but we’re really excited by the prospect of scaling things up as part of a label with the global weight and influence of Virgin EMI.”
Ben Parmar, PMR & VIrgin EMI
Daniel added: “We have always been super ambitious at PMR and the success of Disclosure gave us a taste of how to break an artist globally. We’re looking forward to doing even more of that as part of Virgin EMI, bringing everything we’ve learnt building PMR from the ground up to the absolute powerhouse of Universal.”
PMR’s new roster of artists includes SG Lewis and Amber Mark, both widely tipped for 2019 with hundreds of millions of streams between them.
[Pictured: Daniel Parmar, Ted Cockle, Ben Parmar]Music Business Worldwide
