Madonna, WMG Announce Global Deal
• Madonna and Warner Music Group announced a milestone, career-spanning global partnership that includes a new agreement for her entire recorded music catalog. With global sales of over 300 million records, Madonna is the best-selling female artist of all time, with countless accolades that include seven Grammy Awards, 24 ASCAP Pop Music Awards, and numerous international trophies. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
This partnership marks the revitalization of a decades-long relationship with Warner that began with the release of Madonna’s debut single in 1982. The deal encompasses her entire Sire/Maverick/Warner catalog, which includes Madonna, Like a Virgin, True Blue, Like a Prayer, and Ray of Light. It also includes her three most recent studio albums, MDNA, Rebel Heart, and Madame X, which will join the Warner catalog beginning in 2025. All in all, the new deal includes 17 studio albums plus singles, soundtrack recordings, live albums, and compilations. Warner Chappell Music also globally administers all of Madonna’s songwriting work.
With 2022 marking the 40th anniversary of Madonna’s recording debut, this new deal heralds the launch next year of an extensive, multi-year series of catalog releases. For the first time, Madonna will personally curate expansive deluxe editions for many of her landmark albums, as well as introduce unique releases for special events, and much more. The series of releases will be overseen by Warner Music’s catalog team, led by Kevin Gore, President of Global Catalog, Recorded Music, with the first release TBA soon.
This monumental deal was executed by Madonna’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary at Maverick, Allen Grubman of Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sachs P.C., her business manager, Richard Feldstein of NKSFB, and Max Lousada, CEO, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group. Madonna said, “Since the very beginning, Warner Music Group has helped bring my music and vision to all my fans around the world with the utmost care and consideration. They have been amazing partners, and I am delighted to be embarking on this next chapter with them to celebrate my catalogue from the last 40 years.”
• And there’s more — on October 8, Madonna will be releasing her highly anticipated documentary film, MADAME X, exclusively on Paramount+. Madonna also announced her birthday wish for friends and supporters is to adopt a bed at the Mercy James Centre hospital in Malawi, built especially for children. There are 50 beds in the hospital’s ward, and Madonna has challenged supporters to adopt all 50 beds in honor of her birthday. For more information on how to donate, visit raisingmalawi.org/adopt-a-bed.
