James Blake Brings ‘Sinners’ Song to Cannes Lions

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At the 2025 Cannes Lions conference held in the French Riviera, brands competing for exposure were evident along the Croissette, with “beaches” serving as both networking hubs and entertainment spots. Meanwhile, off the beaten path, there were exclusive events, such as The Hollywood Reporter‘s Wednesday afternoon Marketing Power Players gathering.

Attending an exclusive event on the colossal yacht owned by the Khan family, renowned for their vast sports holdings such as the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, English Premier League club Fulham F.C., and All Elite Wrestling, I was in the company of some truly impressive figures. The guest list boasted the likes of Bernie Cahill, co-founder of Activist Artists Management; Michael J. Wolf, founder and CEO of Activate; Marcie Allen, president of Anzie Blue; Katie Welch, Chief Marketing Officer for Rare Beauty; Kim Larson, co-head of creators and gaming at YouTube; Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios; Sergio Cabello, head of brand for The Macallan; Bianca Franklin, global business developer for music at H&M and Kerri Mackar, executive vice president, global brand partnerships at Universal Music Group – all listed among the top marketers of 2025 by THR. What an unforgettable experience!

Among the distinguished attendees, I had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with Bonin Bough, CEO of Group Black, David Siegfried, the visionary founder and CEO of Official AI, Greg Kahn in his role as CEO at GK Ventures, Jennifer Breithaupt co-CEO at All&, and Jenny Kim, TikTok’s head of entertainment partnerships. What an extraordinary gathering!

James Blake, a Grammy-winning artist known for his singing and songwriting, sang two tunes, one of which was his newest track titled “Séance,” from the soundtrack of Ryan Coogler’s movie “Sinners“. This piece was jointly written by him and Ludwig Göransson, a two-time Oscar winner for best original score, who was in charge of composing the film’s music and was speaking at Spotify’s beachside office during Cannes Lions as a highlighted speaker.

Blake, who had previously been a guest DJ for THR’s event and spoken at Cannes Lions, stated that he delved into the metaphysical love connection between the main characters in the song, not their vampire aspects. He found the song eerily fitting when he watched it, as it seemed to mirror his own writing themes.

In one of his songs titled “Go Easy, Kid”, singer Blake shared the limelight with Monica Martin. Their harmonious voices combined with Blake’s backing music received hearty cheers from the small but enthusiastic crowd. Jameela Jamil, Blake’s wife and an actress, was present at the event. Prior to filming a new Ron Howard movie, she was publicizing her podcast named “Wrong Turns“. As for Blake, he is set to release a new album in October.

Despite the people being truly remarkable, it’s worth noting that Tony Khan plays crucial roles as founder, CEO, general manager, and creative head for AEW, a combat sport league valued third globally (after UFC and WWE). Nevertheless, everyone was drawn to the intricate details of this grand ocean marvel, a yacht designed by Shad Khan, who also owns the Jaguars, Fulham F.C., AEW, and Flex-N-Gate. This colossal vessel boasts a pool, an underwater theater, a helipad, numerous bars and dining areas, and designer furnishings in every spacious guest suite.

Tony Khan’s impressive roles within AEW didn’t go unnoticed, but attention was primarily focused on the elaborate design of Shad Khan’s eight-story superyacht. This marvel at sea comes equipped with a pool, underwater theater, helipad, multiple bars and dining areas, and designer furnishings in each roomy guest suite.

The father-son duo glowed with pride over AEW’s success following its deal renewal with Warner Bros. Discovery, which ensures the continuation of their hit shows, ‘Wednesday Night Dynamite’ on TBS and ‘Saturday Night Collision’ on TNT. Tony Khan, one of the team members, highlighted that AEW has consistently been a significant part of cable television, especially for TBS, a channel with a wrestling history dating back to the 1970s. He credited key supporters like CEO David Zaslav, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, and Bruce Campbell, Warner Bros. Discovery’s chief revenue and strategy officer. Despite several changes in leadership during their collaboration, Khan emphasized that AEW has grown stronger under Warner Bros. Discovery. Now, with the addition of the Max platform, they aim to reach a new audience or reconnect with fans who had lost access due to cutting the cord.

Globally, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has also gained popularity on ITV, a network known for its wrestling history. “We’ve managed to amass a large audience through linear viewing and have surpassed all other wrestling companies as the most-watched TV company,” stated Khan. “By many significant measures, AEW ranks as the leading wrestling company in the UK.

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel like I’m crashing an A-list party when I hear about the Khans’ soiree on the Kismet. The guest list the night before was nothing short of stellar, packed with heavyweights from entertainment and beyond. Names like Casey Wasserman, head of both an agency and the Olympics 2028 committee, Fox Corp. CEO Rob Wade, and basketball legends Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin were all present. Quite the crowd!

It appears that the younger Khan is emulating his entrepreneurial father while growing the $2 billion AEW empire. He recently traveled to Mexico for AEW’s inaugural event, which occurred on June 18th. Additionally, he’s working to bring the AEW roster’s brand to television and film. For example, professional wrestler MJF will star in “Happy Gilmore 2,” a sequel to a movie he watched in the theater as a child.

Khan remarks, “Wrestling is unique because it’s played throughout every week of the year. It’s like an endless journey through various cities and locations. It’s quite exciting, as there’s always something new and it never ends.

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2025-06-19 23:55