Universal Music Group Expands Partnership
Universal Music Group has broadened its collaboration with Grammy-winning label, the Records Records Daniel Nigro label.
According to the official announcement, the new agreement positions Amusement as the “Central Libble-Under enterprise” within UMG, allowing newly signed artists to connect with the “UMG global family.”
Success of Chappell Roan
This expansion follows the successful debut of Chappell Roan’s album, The Rise and Fall of the Princess of the Middle West, which was signed under entertainment and released through Island Records.
The recently expanded UMG partnership with Nigro is also rooted in his long-term relationship with Olivia Rodrigo, an artist associated with Geffen/Interscope (both Island and Geffen/Interscope are UMG labels).
Making the announcement, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, Sir Lucian Grainge, stated: “Daniel embodies the type of creative brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit that underlies UMG.”
“I am thrilled to embark on this next chapter in our successful relationship, and I am eager to hear the culture that shapes the music and the artists Daniel will guide within our global family.”
“Daniel embodies the type of creative brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit that is the basis of UMG.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Universal Music Group
Daniel Nigro expressed: “After six years of working almost exclusively with various labels and artists under the station wagon, it was vital to formalize our relationship.”
“I want Amusement Records to be a place where artists can comfortably grow and develop at their own pace, but with all the necessary resources to thrive and succeed.”
“Moreover, it’s essential for me to have the freedom to choose the right team for each artist every time. I believe the people at Universal understand this, and I am excited about what lies ahead.”
Nigro founded Amusement Records in 2023 as a home for Chappell Roan, who left her previous label to release the music they created together for The Rise and Fall of the Princess of the Middle West.
In a recent interview with MBW, Nigro discussed launching his label to release music for Chappell Roan. He said: “I felt so strongly about this project that I knew it had to be released.”
“We started creating songs just between her and me, and when we felt the songs were ready, we would simply release them ourselves. This truly expanded the possibilities for A&R collaboration.”
The album was released in September 2023, and as of March 2025, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart, accumulating over 4.3 billion streams globally.
“After six years of working almost exclusively with various labels and artists under the station wagon, it was vital to formalize our relationship.”
Daniel Nigro
This month, five years after its initial release in April 2020, Roan’s Pink Pony Club reached the top 5 on the US Top 40, the top 10 on the Hot 100, and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
UMG highlights that Chappell Roan’s 2024 single, Good Luck, Baby!, has become “one of the most successful singles of the year,” hitting No. 1 on the Top 40 and selling over 12 million copies worldwide to date.
Recently, Nigro was awarded Producer of the Year at the 67th Grammy Awards for his work last year with Roan, Rodrigo, and the soundtrack for “Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Chappell Roan also won Best New Artist at the same Grammy ceremony.
He has collaborated closely with renowned artists such as Caroline Polachek, Sky Ferreira, and Conan Gray.
Throughout his career, Nigro has received 13 Grammy nominations and is a two-time Grammy Award winner. Additionally, he was honored as Producer of the Year at Variety’s Hitmakers Awards 2024 and recognized alongside Olivia Rodrigo as ASCAP Pop Music Songwriters of the Year.
The duo also won Best Outstanding Original Song for Dramatic or Documentary Production of Visual Media at the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) Awards for I Can’t Catch Me Now from “Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
