Warner Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has extended its strategic joint venture partnership with Lilly Raye Music, the management company and publisher run by founder Edward Matthew and A&R Manager Justin Martinez.

The partnership, established in 2020 and expanded in 2023, is focused on supporting collaborations between creatives across Asia, Europe, and the US.  Lilly Raye Music has continued to gain industry recognition for its growing influence – and it was nominated for Publisher of the Year at the MMF Awards Sweden 2024.

The partnership is stepping up its activity in Germany and the Netherlands, with a sharp focus on the dance and electronic scenes, and building its A&R firepower in the UK to support the careers of top-tier talent in that market.

Recent successes for the partners include:

• Grammy recognition for their work on Summer Walker’s CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP and Janelle Monáe’s The Age Of Pleasure – a total of three nods for Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Album, and Album of the Year.

• Elevating local talent in Sweden, helping deliver 10 Number One singles in the market over the last three years with the likes of Asme, Molly Sandén, and Saretti.  Lilly Raye also recently hired additional A&R support to keep evolving its Swedish roster.

• Artist collaborations, supporting the likes of BANKS, Doechii, GloRilla, and FLO in creating bold, genre-pushing records.  One focus has been on connecting creatives in Atlanta and Stockholm, with projects involving the world-renowned producer Mike WiLL Made-It, Dababy, and Swae Lee.

• Securing recognition for rising talent, with Emelie Walcott earning a nomination at the Denniz Pop Awards in Sweden for Rookie Songwriter of the Year, while several other promising writers are coming through on the roster.

• Growing their presence in Asia by 40%, as a direct result of strategic collaborations and a market-specific focus, including a Number One Billboard World Digital Song Sales single for LESSERAFIM’s ‘Unforgiven’, and a Number One Billboard Japan Hot 100 single with IVE’s ‘Wave’.

• Achieving major global sync placements, including a campaign featuring Jennie of BLACKPINK with Apple’s Beats by Dre, and a standout fashion campaign with ILLIT for Acne Studios.

• The Lilly Raye management team also continues to make waves behind the scenes, contributing to breakout success for artists such as Ayra Starr, Cian Ducrot, RAYE and Renee Rapp.

Edward Matthew and Justin Martinez say: “We’re delighted to renew our deal with Warner Chappell, which has expanded so much in scope over the past few years.  Connecting creative talent across three continents is as exhilarating and inspirational as ever, and Warner Chappell’s combination of global firepower, local knowledge and cultural curiosity makes it an essential partner for us.”

Lars Karlsson, Managing Director, Warner Chappell Music Nordics, adds: “I’m so pleased that we’re renewing our collaboration with Edward, Justin and the whole Lilly Raye crew.  They bring a passion and an energy to their work that is unrivalled, and they have an uncanny ability to spot talent and partner compatible creatives together.”Guy Moot, Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music, concludes: “We’ve built a really solid relationship with Edward and Justin over the past few years.  I trust their A&R instincts and their strategic nous.  They have an infectious enthusiasm for forging cultural connections between writers and producers from different parts of the world.  The amazing results speak for themselves, so I’m excited that we’re extending our partnership.”