X Factor Israel and Universal Music Group announce collaboration 04 May 2021
UMG to offer recording deal to winning Israeli artists
RESHET 13, Fremantle Media, SYCO Entertainment and Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music-based entertainment company, today announced a new collaboration to help elevate X Factor Israel and its future Israeli winners to a global stage. As part of the collaboration, the winner of The X Factor Israel will sign an international recording deal with UMG Israel, in collaboration with Simon Cowell's powerhouse entertainment company Syco.
Simon Cowell, the legendary record and television producer and world-famous reality TV judge, created The X Factor format, which remains the most successful music TV format in history. Cowell will join an international judging panel on RESHET 13, alongside Aviv Geffen, one of the most popular singer-songwriters in Israel, Eurovision winner Netta Barzliai and the fabled Israeli judge Margalit Tzanani.
Artists discovered on Cowell's TV formats have sold more than 600 million records. He has launched superstar careers including One Direction, Camila Cabello, Leona Lewis, Fifth Harmony, CNCO, Little Mix, Louis Tomlinson, James Arthur and Susan Boyle. Syco and Universal Music's partnership with The X Factor Israel marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Israeli artists, which will see UMG Israel help provide international exposure for the show's participants, as the show looks to introduce Israel's next music superstar. It has also been announced that the next season of X Factor Israel, will select Israel's next representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022.
UMG made history in June 2020, when it became the first major global music company to establish its own standalone division in Israel. UMG Israel is focused on the signing and developing domestic talent, alongside exploring opportunities for commercial partnerships and new technologies with Israeli companies. UMG Israel forms part of UMG's extensive network of operations in more than 60 countries worldwide and will help the next generation of Israeli music talent to reach audiences around the world.
Yoram Mokady, Managing Director Universal Music Israel said, "We are proud that this collaboration between leading international brands is taking place in Israel, and I am sure it will have a substantial impact on discovering, nurturing and exposing the next wave of successful Israeli stars who can succeed on an international stage. This partnership with the X Factor is the first of several major projects that UMG Israel will launch in the coming months as we look to expand the profile of Israeli music around the world."
Ami Glam, CCO Reshet 13 said, "I don't recall there ever being a greater prize for winning a music show in Israel. On the one hand to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest and on the other hand, to sign an international recording contract with a huge global company like Universal Music Group. It is every artist's dream, whether they are undiscovered or well known."
The fourth series of the X Factor Israel will debut on RESHET 13 later this year.
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THE HEADLINES
Social came for music streaming’s lunch – now is the time for streaming to bite back (see Comment)
The desperate need for optimism and action in the music industry (see Comment)
BRIT Awards viewed as a great success (see Comment, News)
Impala warns on Universal Music's stranglehold on the music market (see News)
Lucian Grainge: AI can’t match the human creativity needed for music (see Comment)
BBC Music Radio: playback data, artist development and the charter (see Analysis)
Prioritise artists over tech in AI copyright debate, MPs say (see News)
The music business is healthy again? Really? (see Comment)
UK ministers consider changing AI plans to protect creative industries (see News)
UK’s creative sector pushes back against opt-out AI training proposal (see News)
The UK may be waning as a pop superpower – but a new generation is being nurtured (see Features)
The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority aims to address “power imbalances” (see News)
More figures express concern over AI companies (see News, Comment)
Industry figures warn over impact of ignoring copyright rules when training AI (see News)
The accusations against Spotify’s Discovery Mode (see Digital)
UK music exports are at a record high, but breakthrough artists are scarce (see Analysis)
Craft versus character: the equation the music industry needs to fix (see Comment)