Japanese entertainment powerhouse Avex has strengthened its presence in the North American market through a strategic investment in S10 Entertainment, a joint venture between Brandon Silverstein and Jay Z’s Roc Nation. The investment announcement, made by Avex Inc.’s global CEO Katsumi Kuroiwa at an investor conference in Tokyo, marks a significant expansion of their existing partnership, as S10 continues to demonstrate its industry influence with the addition of Grammy-nominated artist Big Sean to its management roster.
Brandon Silverstein’s Vision Attracts Major Asian Investment
The deal builds upon an already fruitful relationship between the companies. S10’s founder and CEO Brandon Silverstein has successfully collaborated with Avex through S10 Publishing, which has produced recent hits for artists like Tate McRae (“greedy”) and Doja Cat (“Agora Hills”).
“Adding the Avex team to our management ecosystem was a natural progression in deepening our ever-growing relationship,” explains Silverstein, whose company has accumulated over 40 billion streams across its publishing catalog. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have globally-minded partners like Jay Brown, JAY Z, and the Roc Nation family.”
Strategic Growth Continues with Major Artist Signing
The investment announcement coincides with another significant development for S10: the addition of Big Sean to its management roster. The Detroit native, who spent the previous decade with Roc Nation, has already made waves in 2024 with his feature on Eminem’s “Tobey” reaching No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100—his 55th entry on the prestigious chart.
Naoki Osada, who has led Avex USA’s Los Angeles operations since its 2020 launch, emphasizes the strategic alignment between the companies: “We’ve achieved a tremendous amount with Brandon in recent years, and over that time built a great trust between us. We share a lot in common with our respective companies’ DNA, and extending our partnership was a natural and organic step.”
The partnership’s potential is already evident in S10’s recent successes, including Myke Towers’ “Adivino” featuring Bad Bunny, which claimed the top spot on Spotify’s Global Chart. This follows Towers’ 2023 hit “Lala,” which set records as the longest-standing solo Latin Global No. 1 in Spotify history. Currently, S10 boasts six songs on Spotify’s Global Top 50.
For Avex, which employs 1,500 people across 11 global offices and promotes over 1,500 shows annually, the investment expands its North American footprint while offering S10’s artists enhanced access to Asian markets. The deal builds upon Avex USA’s existing operations, which include the record label SELENE and Avex USA’s Future of Music investment fund, which expanded to $25 million in 2022.
Roc Nation Co-Founder and Vice Chairman Jay Brown sees the partnership as a natural evolution: “Joining forces with Avex perfectly extends the S10 and Roc Nation family. Both Brandon and Avex are innovators, and this partnership offers endless possibilities and opportunities.”
The strategic investment strengthens both companies’ ability to develop and promote artists across international markets. With Brandon Silverstein’s proven track record in talent management and Avex’s global infrastructure, the collaboration creates new pathways for artists in both the North American and Asian markets.
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