Los Angeles-headquartered indie record label, publisher and management firm Position Music has elevated Samantha Sklar to the position of Vice President of A&R, as announced by President and CEO Tyler Bacon and Partner and Head of A&R Mark Chipello.
Sklar’s promotion comes on the heels of her success in signing breakout songwriter Jack LaFrantz, who co-penned Benson Boone’s track Beautiful Things. The song has soared to the top of multiple charts, including #1 at both Top 40 and Hot AC, and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It recently ended a seven-week run at #1 on the Billboard Global 200, and is among 2024’s most streamed songs on Spotify, with over 599 million streams.
LaFrantz also co-wrote 10 out of 14 tracks on Boone’s debut LP Fireworks & Rollerblades, including singles Slow It Down and Cry, which also currently sit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Since joining Position Music in August 2022, Sklar has played a role in expanding the frontline pop publishing roster. She signed producer/writer Dru “Falconry” DeCaro, whose work on Em Beihold’s Numb Little Bug achieved platinum certification, reached #1 at Hot AC, and entered the top 10 at Top 40 radio, peaking at #6.
Sklar has also signed several other in-demand songwriters and producers including Joe Kearns, Zach Skelton, John “Feldy” Feldmann, and Alex “Abomb” Fernandez, among others.
“[Samantha Sklar] is a publisher through and through and has an incredible drive to serve writers and create opportunities for them. I am excited to watch Sam build this next chapter of her career and I am proud to have her as a key part of our A&R team.”
Mark Chipello, Position Music
Before her tenure at Position Music, Sklar served as an A&R at Warner Chappell Music Publishing, where she managed a roster of songwriters and producers. Notable among her signings was Stephen Kirk, who co-wrote BTS’ Butter, which topped the charts and achieved double platinum status. Sklar’s contributions also extend to assembling radio hits like Kygo and OneRepublic’s Lose Somebody, which garnered a BMI Pop Award for being one of the ‘Most Performed Songs of the Year’ in 2022.
“Sam Sklar is a dynamic and talented creative and well deserving of this promotion and recognition,” Chipello said in a statement.
“She is a publisher through and through and has an incredible drive to serve writers and create opportunities for them. I am excited to watch Sam build this next chapter of her career and I am proud to have her as a key part of our A&R team.”
”I’m excited to continue on with this next chapter – Mark and Tyler have created an amazing culture at Position and have really empowered me to take the initiative to build as if this company were my own.”
Samantha Sklar, Position Music
Sklar also commented on her promotion, saying, ”I’m excited to continue on with this next chapter – Mark and Tyler have created an amazing culture at Position and have really empowered me to take the initiative to build as if this company were my own. We are in the thick of an exciting time of growth for Position as a whole, I could not be more thrilled with what we have been able to achieve thus far and it’s truly only the beginning.”
“I wake up every day grateful that I get to do this for a living and fundamentally, none of it would be possible without all of the songwriters, producers and artists with whom I get to work. It’s that mentality that keeps me inspired and motivated to win for each and every one of them, as a result, taking this company to new heights,” Sklar added.
Sklar’s promotion follows the hiring of Jay Moore, former Chief Investment Officer at Ditto Music and Senior Director, Investments & Office of CEO at Kobalt Music, as Vice President, Head of Investments last month.
Position Music, founded in 1999 and distributed by Virgin Music, is home to artists, songwriters, and producers such as Jordan Suaste, NoMBe, Elohim, Kyle Dion, Ryan Oakes, Layto, Kid Bloom, Hunter Metts, Welshly Arms, Tinashe, KANNER, ¿Téo?, Judah & the Lion, Jack LaFrantz, Fantastic Negrito, Yonatan Watts, Dru “Falconry” DeCaro, No Love For The Middle Child, and others.
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