Capitol Music Group Launches Nashville Division, Hires Candice Watkins as President

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Capitol Music Group, a subsidiary of UMG, unveiled a fresh Nashville branch this week, incorporating Capitol Records Nashville and the Capitol Christian Music Group. The esteemed country artist Candice Watkins has been chosen to spearhead the operation.

Nikki Watkins has been appointed as both the president of Capitol Records Nashville and the executive vice president of Capitol Christian Music, according to the company’s announcement. Prior to this role, Watkins was senior vice president of marketing at Big Loud in Nashville, where she collaborated with artists such as Morgan Wallen, Hardy, and Stephen Wilson Jr., among others. Before her time at Big Loud, Watkins held positions at UMG Nashville, Red Light Management, Mozes Inc., Borman Entertainment, and Cross Point Church.

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Capitol Records Nashville and Capitol Christian Music have named Nikki Watkins as their respective president and executive vice president, the company shared. Previously, Watkins served as senior vice president of marketing at Big Loud in Nashville, where she worked with artists including Morgan Wallen, Hardy, and Stephen Wilson Jr., among others. Before her time at Big Loud, she held roles at UMG Nashville, Red Light Management, Mozes Inc., Borman Entertainment, and Cross Point Church.

Brad O’Donnell, who currently presides over Capitol Christian Music Group, will continue to lead the label, encompassing Motown Gospel and Tamla. As for Capitol Records Nashville, it previously functioned under UMG Nashville’s umbrella, which has recently been rebranded as Music Corporation of America (MCA). Following this change, Capitol Records Nashville’s current artist lineup will remain under MCA’s management. Meanwhile, Watkins and her team are tasked with expanding Capitol Nashville’s roster.

Capitol Music Group’s restructuring underscores our dedication to expanding our creative center in Nashville, focusing on Christian, gospel, and country music. We eagerly anticipate discovering and nurturing the upcoming crop of country musicians on Capitol Records Nashville. We are delighted to have Candice Watkins, a top-tier executive, steer our country music ventures and contribute her knowledge to our gospel and Christian music divisions as well.

Today’s news is part of a series of changes that have been unfolding over several months within UMG’s international operations. This latest update marks another significant development for UMG’s Los Angeles-based Interscope Capitol Labels Group, based in Nashville. In February, Mike Harris took over as CEO at UMG Nashville, replacing Cindy Mabe; Dave Cobb joined as the creative head. By April, UMG unveiled their MCA rebranding. As for Interscope Capitol, they also announced the resurrection of the iconic Lost Highway Records label, with Kacey Musgraves joining in April.

John Janick, Interscope Capitol’s chairman, stated that the introduction of this new setup will enable our executives in Nashville to provide superior service to the exceptional musicians on our label. Notably, Candice is a highly skilled music marketing executive with an impressive history of nurturing emerging artists. Placing her at the helm of our country music division in Nashville and integrating her extensive artist development knowledge into our CCMG team will undoubtedly benefit our artists and enhance our executive team overall.

In a statement, Watkins called it “a true honor” to take on the new executive roles at Capitol.

Watkins stated that these labels have a significant history of working alongside some of the brightest talents in our field, and he’s eager to be part of their ongoing achievements and cultural influence. He’s thrilled about the opportunity to work with John, Tom, Lillia, and Brad in boldly promoting innovators and visionaries.

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2025-05-13 16:25