In another big move for Columbia Records’ A&R department, Katie Vinten has been named senior vice president of A&R for the label. The move was announced by Rani Hancock, the new executive VP and head of A&R for the Sony Music-owned label, to whom Vinten will report.
“Katie’s consummate understanding of song craft as well as her innate ability to nurture artists and creatives makes her a wonderful addition to the Columbia Records A&R team” stated Hancock. “We are thrilled to have her on board.”
“I’m so excited to thrive and learn under Rani and [Columbia chairman Ron Perry’s] leadership and am looking forward to holding myself to a standard as high as the Columbia Record’s legacy,” Vinten said.
Vinten brings an extensive background to the role. Prior to Columbia, she was co-head of A&R for Warner Chappell Music publishing, where she worked closely with then-CEO Jon Platt — now chairman of Sony Music Publishing — where she signed such hitmakers as Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter (who together wrote such hits as Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar,” Hailee Steinfeld, Kygo, Christina Aguilera and more.
She left the company in 2018, while continuing to work as a consultant, to found Facet Records & Publishing alongside Tranter, which struck a label deal with Warner Records later that year. However, she stepped back from that label at some point in the past year or so, Tranter told Variety in May. “We are still great friends — that woman changed my entire life and I will be endlessly grateful to her for that , but when it comes to Facet Records and Publishing, it is me all by my glamorous lonesome.”
She also runs her own management company, Black Diamond Management.