Brooklyn-born independent record label, Partisan Records, has formed a global partnership with Virgin Music Group, the world’s leading partner to independent artists, labels and entrepreneurs. Under the new deal, Partisan Records’ repertoire will be distributed globally via Virgin Music Group, collaborating on a dynamic approach to global marketing. Read more: Virgin Music Group and Hungama Digital Media Announce Alliance to Expand Music Distribution Worldwide.
Partisan is home to such acclaimed artists as IDLES, Blondshell, PJ Harvey, Cigarettes After Sex, Laura Marling, Ezra Collective, and more. The label has earned numerous GRAMMY® nominations, most recently the trifecta of Rock categories (Song, Performance, Album nominations) for IDLES’ latest album ‘TANGK’ at the upcoming GRAMMY Awards®. ‘TANGK’ reached #1 on the UK album chart, the band’s second #1 after 2020’s Ultra Mono, and #2 in Germany. Partisan also achieved a #1 UK charting album with Fontaines DC’s ‘Skinty Fia’ (2022).
Cigarettes After Sex’s 2017 debut is certified Platinum in the US (now reaching over 1.4M sales) led by single “Apocalypse,” which has surpassed 1.5B Spotify streams. Cigarettes After Sex have sold over 10M streaming equivalent albums and upwards of 600k tickets around the globe on their current arena tour, including a sold-out Madison Square Garden, supporting their most recent album ‘X’s’.
“Partisan Records have done what is increasingly difficult in today’s music business, forging an important cultural movement around an independent record label,” said JT Myers, Co-CEO of Virgin Music Group. “They have identified and nurtured some of the world’s most impactful career artists and we are looking forward to working alongside them to expand their audiences all around the world.”
Established in 2007 in Brooklyn, NY, Partisan has offices in New York, London, Los Angeles and Berlin. The label has emerged as a modern industry leader by prioritizing long-term artist development through a community-driven, artist-first approach across a culturally and commercially relevant roster.
Alongside their imprint labels, section1 and Desert Daze Sound, Partisan collectively earned 14 nominations at the 2024 A2IM Libera Awards (the most for any label), including a win for Label of the Year and 5-win-sweep for Blondshell. In 2023, Ezra Collective became the first-ever jazz group to win the coveted Mercury Prize for their instant-classic album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’.
Partisan’s current roster also features such artists as Geese, Angélica Garcia, Lip Critic, Beth Orton, Body Meat, NoSo, TTSSFU, Westerman, HONESTY, Léa Sen, WITCH, Cameron Winter, Just Mustard and more. section1’s roster features Blonde Redhead and Fazerdaze, with more coming in 2025.
“Under JT Myers and Nat Pastor, the new Virgin Music Group is the obvious partner for Partisan’s next chapter,” said Zena White, Partisan COO. “Much more than a distributor, they provide a dynamic environment, fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, focused on achieving the highest caliber of results for our artists.
The combination of the Virgin and teams allows for Partisan to marry the best of the and teams that helped get us here with the extra resources of Virgin required to meet our ambition to be the most trusted music company for artists of all genres, worldwide.”
Universal Music Group fully acquired in a transaction that was announced last month.
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