Capitol Records appointed Ian Holder and Tariq Stewart as senior vice presidents of A&R, where they will jointly sign and develop talent for the label’s urban roster. Both executives bring extensive track records from rival Sony, and will focus on expanding Capitol’s roster and shaping its creative direction. They are both based in Los Angeles and report to Capitol Music Group president Lillia Parsa.
Holder joins Capitol following eight years at Sony Music Publishing, where he served as svp of creative. There, he worked with a wide range of hitmakers including Jack Harlow, Lil Durk, Polo G, Moneybagg Yo, Pusha T, A$AP Ferg and producers behind hits for Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Justin Bieber. Earlier in his career, he worked at BMI, signing artists such as Post Malone, Rae Sremmurd and Frank Ocean, and began as an A&R intern at Columbia Records in 2003. Holder said he’s honored to help continue Capitol’s “rich legacy of artistry.”
Stewart comes to Capitol from Sony’s RCA Records, where he worked alongside president Mark Pitts on Chris Brown’s Grammy-winning 11:11 (Deluxe) album and signed breakout artists including Afrobeat star Libianca and dancehall act Skillibeng. He also contributed to projects from A$AP Ferg, Flo Milli and Rich The Kid. A former defensive lineman at Florida A&M, Stewart launched his A&R career at RCA in 2020. Calling this a “hugely exciting time” for Capitol, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to help build the label’s next chapter.
“Ian and Tariq have both had remarkably successful careers identifying and developing career artists,” said Parsa. “As we continue to build the team at Capitol, Ian and Tariq will play crucial roles in shaping the label’s culture through the artists we sign. We’re thrilled to have both of them in these important roles at Capitol.”