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Kevin Weaver is an American music industry executive and Grammy Award-winning music producer.[1] He currently serves as the President of Atlantic Records, West Coast, in which he provides executive-level leadership and oversees West Coast artist development projects while pushing to expand the scope of the bi-coastal company's content business. In addition, he is responsible for the placement of Atlantic Records' music within films, televisions, and video games, as well as providing oversight on the creation, A&R, marketing, promotion, and distribution for all of the company's soundtrack projects. Weaver also operates a successful publishing co-venture between Atlantic Records Group and Warner/Chappell Music. In 2019, Weaver was included in Atlantic's group entry at #9 on Billboard Magazine's "Power 100 List", and in 2020 and 2022, [2] he was among those included in Billboard Magazine's re-branded "Power List" of the top executives in the music industry, alongside Atlantic Records co-chairs Craig Kallman and Julie Greenwald, and Atlantic's President of Black Music, Mike Kyser.[3]
Kevin Weaver | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | President of Atlantic Records, West Coast |
Career
editAtlantic Records
editIn 1994, Weaver joined Atlantic Records, contributing to the direction of soundtrack projects from 1995 to 1998 under the Lava label. From 1998 to 2000, he continued working in the same area as an executive at Tommy Boy Music, whereupon he transferred back to Lava. In 2006, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Atlantic Records. Two years later in 2008, Weaver was named Executive Vice President of Atlantic Records Group. In 2014, he was named President of Film and Television, and in 2017 was ultimately promoted to the newly created title President of Atlantic Records, West Coast.
Soundtracks
editWeaver produced the Girls: Volume 1 and True Blood Volumes 1 & 2 soundtracks, which subsequently earned him two Grammy Award nominations. Further executive producer and/or A&R Executive soundtrack credits and contributions include Avatar (Music from the Motion Picture), Paper Towns, The Hangover 1 & 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Rio 2, Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Step Up 2 & 3, Happy Feet, Bright, and more.
His other projects include the soundtrack for Boardwalk Empire, Vol. 1 (Music From The HBO Original Series) which he produced and won a Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media,[4] along with the soundtrack for The Fault In Our Stars[5] which featured the RIAA Certified multi-platinum single “Boom Clap” from Charli XCX.[6]
He was also an executive producer for Ed Sheeran's one-hour NBC television special in 2015, "Ed Sheeran - Live at Wembley Stadium,” and spearheaded the deal for Coldplay's 2014 NBC concert special "Ghost Stories".[7] In 2013, he produced CeeLo Green's “Magic Moment” Broadcast Christmas Special at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, and was an A&R Executive on the Cee Lo's Magic Moment album.[8]
In 2015, Weaver produced the Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album, which peaked at #1 on the US Billboard 200 Chart and also hit #1 on iTunes in over 65 territories. The Furious 7 soundtrack included the single “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth), which Weaver provided A&R services for.[9] The single has since garnered over 4.5 Billion streams and sold over 5 million singles worldwide.[5][6]
In 2016, Weaver also produced Suicide Squad: The Album, the soundtrack companion to Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated summer blockbuster, Suicide Squad.[10] The album boasts the highest debut for a soundtrack in 2016 and the largest streaming week for a soundtrack in history with over 32 million streams. Alongside debuting at No. 1 atop the Soundscan/Billboard 200,[11] the album hit No. 1 on the iTunes Top Overall Albums chart in 66 countries around the world, including the United States.[12] The album includes the chart-topping single “Heathens” from rock band Twenty One Pilots,[13] as well as hit singles from artists such as Skrillex, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Lil Wayne, and many more.[14]
The Greatest Showman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
editIn 2017, Weaver released The Greatest Showman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which received an RIAA Gold Certification, marking the first soundtrack to score four weeks of 100,000-plus units on the Billboard 200 chart since its transition in December 2014. After spending three consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Albums chart (the first soundtrack to top the chart for three consecutive weeks since Disney's Frozen in 2014), the album broke Suicide Squad: The Album’s record (33 million) twice-over for all-time top streaming weeks for a soundtrack with 39.6 million streams (up from 37.4 million the week prior). The album has reached #1 on iTunes in 75 countries, in addition to charting at #1 in Ireland, #1 for five consecutive weeks in Australia, and #1 for 4 consecutive weeks in the UK.
The song This Is Me” from the 20th Century Fox musical film The Greatest Showman (2017) achieved critical and commercial acclaim. It received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards and won the award for Best Original Song – Motion Picture at the 75th Golden Globe Awards. The song surpassed 115 million streams globally and was remixed by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Audé for a dance-oriented version.
"This Is Me" gained further exposure in 2018 when it was featured in NBCUniversal's promotional campaign leading up to and during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The song served as the soundtrack for the network's promotional materials and was included in their primetime coverage of the Opening Ceremony on February 9, 2018.
Artist Development
editWeaver has been involved in the development of the careers of artists such as Kid Rock, Bruno Mars, Fun, Icona Pop, Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran, Matchbox Twenty, Flo Rida, T.I., Jason Mraz, Christina Perri, James Blunt, Cee Lo Green, the Zac Brown Band, Jewel, and numerous others.
Awards
edit| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | True Blood | Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media | Nominated |
| 2010 | True Blood - Volume 2 | Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media | Nominated |
| 2011 | Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1 | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Won |
| 2016 | Suicide Squad (Collector's Edition) | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Nominated |
| 2016 | Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1 | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "See You Again" Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth), Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Best Original Song - Motion Picture | Nominated |
| 2018 | "This Is Me" Keala Settle, The Greatest Showman | Best Original Song - Motion Picture | Won |
| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Fault In Our Stars (Music from the Motion Picture) | Favorite Soundtrack | Nominated for this |
| 2016 | Suicide Squad: The Album | Favorite Soundtrack | Nominated for this |
| 2018 | The Fate of the Furious: The Album | Favorite Soundtrack | Nominated for this |
| 2018 | The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Favorite Soundtrack | Nominated for this |
| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Boom Clap" Charli XCX, The Fault In Our Stars | Artist To Watch | Nominated |
| 2015 | "See You Again" Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth), Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Best Hip-Hop Video | Nominated |
| 2015 | "See You Again" Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth), Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| 2016 | "Heathens" Twenty One Pilots, Suicide Squad: The Album | Best Rock Video | Won |
| Year | Nominated Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Suicide Squad: The Album | Favorite Soundtrack | Won |
Philanthropy
editACLU
editIn 2006 Weaver was honored with the prestigious ACLU Bill of Rights Awards. Co-honorees included The Dixie Chicks and director Paul Haggis. Weaver raised nearly half a million dollars towards the support and litigation of cases and other needs that protect Constitutional Civil Rights.
T.J. Martell Foundation
editWeaver has been a board member of the T.J. Martell Foundation since 2008, chairing the annual TJ Martell West Coast Family Day Event multiple times. He is responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to support funding for pediatric cancer, leukemia and AIDS treatment research.
References
edit- ^ "Kevin Weaver Photos Photos: The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Press Room". Zimbio. Retrieved 2016-11-14. [verification needed]
- ^ Billboard Staff (2022-01-26). "The 2022 Billboard Power List Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ^ "Billboard's 2019 Power 100 List Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ "Kevin Weaver". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "Ed Sheeran, Jake Bugg, Grouplove and Lykke Li Featured on Soundtrack to 'The Fault in Our Stars'". The Hollywood Reporter. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "Kevin Weaver Named President, Film & Television for Atlantic Records Group". [verification needed]
- ^ "Atlantic Records Group Ups Kevin Weaver To President, Film & TV". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "Wiz Khalifa's 'See You Again' Knocks 'Uptown Funk' Off No. 1 on Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "How the 'Suicide Squad' Soundtrack Came to Life". The Hollywood Reporter. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "Top 200 Albums | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-19. [verification needed]
- ^ "'Suicide Squad' Soundtrack Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]
- ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-19. [verification needed]
- ^ "Chart Watch: 'Suicide Squad,' #1 Movie, #1 Soundtrack". 16 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-17. [verification needed]