Simms New VP/A&R At Columbia

• Columbia Records has named Sterling Simms as Vice President of A&R. The announcement was made by Rani Hancock, Executive Vice President, Head of A&R for Columbia Records, who commented, “Sterling’s multi-faceted experience as an A&R executive, publisher, Grammy-nominated songwriter and former artist give him a unique ability to relate to artists and creative partners on every level. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Columbia A&R team.”

Simms was a Def Jam recording artist earlier in his career. He later embarked on his publishing career at SONGS Music Publishing where he held an A&R role, followed by stints at Universal Music Publishing and Atom Factory. He was most recently VP of A&R at Hitco Music.

Simms remarked, “I have to thank [Columbia Chairman & CEO] Ron Perry and Rani for this opportunity. I starting off my publishing career at SONGS Music Publishing, and now being back with Ron at Columbia is such a full-circle moment for me. I can’t wait to join the incredible team and be a part of making history for the artists and the label.”