Warner Music Restructures: Atlantic and Warner U.K. Labels to Report to U.S. Management

Warner Music Group has unveiled a significant restructuring of its U.S. and U.K. operations, aimed at enhancing global alignment between its flagship labels, Atlantic Records and Warner Records. Under the new framework, senior executives in the U.K. will now report directly to their counterparts in the United States. Atlantic U.K. co-presidents Ed Howard and Briony Turner will join the worldwide leadership team of the Atlantic Music Group, answering to CEO Elliot Grainge. Meanwhile, Joe Kentish, who leads Warner Records and Parlophone Label Group in the U.K., will now report to Warner Records Group Chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck and COO Tom Corson.

This realignment comes on the heels of the recent announcement that Tony Harlow, Warner Music U.K. CEO, will step down in October after nearly six years in the role. The remaining U.K. operations—including shared services for both Atlantic and Warner Records—will be overseen by Simon Robson, President of EMEA Recorded Music and the company’s top recorded music executive in the U.K., in collaboration with Isabel Garvey, COO of Warner Music U.K. This mirrors structural changes already implemented in Nashville, where regional leadership now reports to central offices in Los Angeles or New York. The announcement did not address whether the reorganization might lead to workforce reductions.

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl emphasized the strategic importance of the U.K. market, stating, “The UK is home to some of our most influential artists and promising new talent, whose impact resonates globally. This realignment will amplify support for British artists while reinforcing the UK’s status as one of our top priority markets.” Industry analysts note that such consolidations are becoming increasingly common among major labels seeking to streamline international strategy in an era dominated by global streaming platforms.

Label executives expressed strong support for the new direction. Joe Kentish described the shift as a fusion of “British creativity with American firepower,” a combination he views as critical in today’s fast-evolving music landscape. Atlantic U.K.’s Ed Howard and Briony Turner highlighted the symbolic significance of the Atlantic Ocean—their label’s namesake—as a bridge between markets, suggesting that deeper transatlantic collaboration is a natural progression after two decades of joint artist development efforts.

Simon Robson emphasized that the reorganization will enable U.K. artists to more effectively leverage global promotional tools and audience engagement strategies. “This offers British talent unparalleled access to expanded resources and international reach,” he noted. The move is widely seen as an effort to elevate the worldwide presence of U.K. artists while strengthening Warner’s competitive position in an industry where cross-border coordination and operational scale are increasingly essential for success.