Tom Lewis appointed VP Decca, A&R and Artist Strategy

28 November 2018 - Press release

Universal Music Group announces the promotion of Tom Lewis to the role of Vice President of Decca, A&R and Artist Strategy.

Tom steps up to the new position after joining Universal Classics & Jazz 15 years ago, starting as Label Manager for the Jazz division, then becoming Head of Consumer Marketing. He moved into A&R three years later, as Head of A&R and then Senior Director of A&R and Artist Strategy. Tom will continue to report to Rebecca Allen, President of Decca Records.

Rebecca Allen says, “As Decca continues to evolve and grow into a leading global music company, so must our approach to A&R, to our artists, and to our unrivalled passion for seeking out and breaking new artists. With this in mind, I am thrilled that Tom’s role will further expand into the heart of the label, and with his uniqueness as a music executive, as a music lover and as a music producer, there is no doubt in my mind, that his passion, energy and drive, will help define many more moments in Decca’s illustrious history.”

Tom Lewis says, "I'm absolutely delighted and honoured to take on this new challenge. It feels like such an exciting time at Decca. We celebrate our 90th Anniversary next year and have spent a long time looking back on our history. It really is a special place to work. The label is buzzing and full of a spirit of adventure."

After studying Jazz at the University of North Texas, and completing a Psychology degree at the University of Bristol, Lewis began his music career at EMI, working in domestic and international marketing for six years before leaving for Universal in 2003. Here, Tom played a key part in launching the career of Jamie Cullum and worked with the likes of Diana Krall and Madeleine Peyroux. In his move over to A&R in 2006, Tom worked with a diverse range of artists including Imelda May, Alfie Boe, The Fron Male Voice Choir, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, Katherine Jenkins and Gareth Malone & his Military Wives Choir.

When UCJ and Decca merged in 2009, Tom established an A&R team that oversaw the signings of The Lumineers, Aurora, The Shires, Jeff Goldblum, Seal and the million-selling Michael Ball & Alfie Boe. Last year Lewis won Music Business Worldwide’s Adult Contemporary A&R Award of the Year.

As he takes his new role, Tom also expands the A&R department by bringing in a new Head of A&R, Rachel Holmberg, previously the Editor for BBC Music Introducing, running the new music initiative that sits within BBC Radio. Rachel is also on the Music Advisory Board at the Roundhouse in London as well as being on the voting academy for the Brit Awards, MoBo Awards and a judge for the AIM Awards. Rachel was in Music Week’s ‘30 Under 30’ in 2016 and appeared in the Radio Academy ‘30 Under 30’ earlier this year.

Also joining the team, as A&R Manager, is Sam Mumford. Sam has, most recently, been A&R Manager for Imagem, signing artists and writers including Temples, Circa Waves, Oh Wonder and Owen Cutts (Stormzy). He was instrumental in securing established writers such as Cathy Dennis and worked closely with artists across the Imagem roster including Mark Ronson, Nick Mulvey, Fiona Bevan and Dee Adam.

Decca remains firmly at the forefront of the UK classical and jazz markets with its three labels Decca Records, Decca Classics and the newly-formed Mercury KX, alongside an expanded roster of affiliate label partners including Deutsche Grammophon, Verve, Blue Note, Universal Nashville and Concord.

In recent years, Decca Records has been selected as the official label partner of high profile events such as the Royal Wedding, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics. The Decca roster includes an extraordinary array of the music world's greatest stars, among them Rod Stewart, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Ludovico Einaudi, Katherine Jenkins, Alfie Boe, Nicola Benedetti, Joseph Calleja and Andrea Bocelli. Next year the label celebrates its 90th anniversary.