Warner Urban: Stewart SVP; Sparks VP
• Warner Records announced Ron Stewart has been elevated to SVP of Urban Promotion, and Cory Sparks has joined the label as VP of Urban Promotion.
In his newly expanded post, Stewart will lead promotion strategy and campaigns for all urban artists across the roster. Based in New York, he reports to Mike Chester, EVP of Promotion & Commerce, who said, “Ron is one of the most respected and admired promotion executives in the business and all of our artists benefit from his musical insight and unmatched expertise. And Cory has a proven track record and has been instrumental in breaking some of today’s biggest superstars. I’m looking forward to working with both of them and the overall team in expanding the reach of our multi-faceted Promotion department.”
Stewart began his career in 2003 as an intern, then Promotion assistant at Jive Records and joined Warner Records in 2019.
Cory Sparks joins Warner Records after over a decade with Epic Records, most recently as VP of Promotion. The Atlanta-based Sparks reports to Ron Stewart, who remarked, “I’m blessed to be able to work with an amazing team of executives here at Warner Records. I want to thank Mike, Tom [Corson] and Aaron [Bay-Schuck] for trusting me with this opportunity to spearhead our promotional efforts on behalf of our emerging and established urban artists. And I couldn’t be happier to bring Cory Sparks. He’s joining our company with years of experience and a deep knowledge of music, and I know he’ll be a stellar addition to the team.”
Sparks began his career at Epic in 2012, first as Midwest/Southeast Regional Promotions Manager, before rising to Sr. National Director and VP of Promotion. He also served stints at Interscope/Geffen Records as well as eOne Music. “I’m excited to be working with an incredible roster of notable artists and executives here at Warner Records,” Sparks said. “I look forward to contributing to an already winning team.” [Photos courtesy of Warner Records]
