The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has promoted Nicole George-Middleton to Executive Vice President & Head of Creative Membership. Reporting to CEO Elizabeth Matthews, George-Middleton will sit on the ASCAP Senior Leadership Team and she will oversee songwriter, lyricist and composer relations at ASCAP and lead the ASCAP Creative Membership Department.
“Nicole is an extraordinary executive with a passion for music and an expansive vision for how ASCAP can help our creator members thrive in an increasingly complex and challenging environment,” commented ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. “Nicole is an innovative leader who brings an unparalleled level of tenacity, intelligence, hard work and good humor to every situation. She is committed to ASCAP’s ‘creator first / future forward’ mission and I have every confidence that she will successfully execute her vision to provide creators the agency and support that they deserve.”
Most recently, George-Middleton held the positions of Senior Vice President of Membership as well as Executive Director of The ASCAP Foundation. Nicole will continue to serve as Executive Director of The ASCAP Foundation while The ASCAP Foundation begins the search for her replacement so that she can devote full-time to her new role.
“Through my work both in membership and at The ASCAP Foundation, I have been fortunate to build relationships with ASCAP members in all genres of music which is fulfilling on every level,” added George-Middleton. “I look forward to working with the entire ASCAP membership team to find new ways of supporting the careers of our members by promoting and celebrating their creative work and cultivating new opportunities for them to make connections and succeed.”
In her role as SVP of Membership, she was instrumental in signing and retaining top ASCAP talent including Cardi B, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Sexyy Red, Migos, Mustard, Big Sean, Swizz Beatz, Tyla, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Victoria Monét, Lil Baby, G. Herbo, Muni Long, Raphael Saadiq, Theron Thomas, Timbaland, 50 Cent, Kid Cudi, The-Dream, Andre 3000, Alicia Keys and Tommy Richman, among others. She successfully launched a number of member programs to celebrate and foster the careers of our members, including the ASCAP Grammy Brunch, Women Behind the Music, Country/Urban Song Camp as well as elevating ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Music Awards and ASCAP’s Aspire Internship Program to develop the next generation of music industry talent.
George-Middleton has been at ASCAP since 2008, and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Membership, in 2016, responsible for the oversight and daily operational management of ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul and Symphonic and Concert Membership Departments.
In 2021, Nicole added the new role of Executive Director of The ASCAP Foundation to her already existing responsibilities. In this additional role, she ensured that The ASCAP Foundation successfully fulfilled its mission of nurturing the music talent of tomorrow and sustaining the creative incentive for today’s music creators through a variety of educational, professional and humanitarian programs and activities. The ASCAP Foundation’s music programs reach over 300,000 people annually, including 60,000 students at 700 K – 12 schools nationwide who do not have access to music education.
Before coming to ASCAP, Nicole was Director of Business & Legal Affairs at Zomba Music Group, and prior to that she practiced entertainment law at The Middleton Law Group PC. She received her B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, the Executive Committee of She Is The Music, and was named to the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Power Players List in 2019 – 2024.