Following Cindy Mabe’s departure as CEO/chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) earlier on Thursday (Feb. 6), parent company Universal Music Group has appointed Mike Harris as CEO and named noted producer and nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb as chief creative officer.
The move is a return to UMGN for Harris, who served as COO/executive VP there until his departure last September.
“We see an incredible opportunity to expand our presence in Nashville and build upon our industry leading track record,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman/CEO of UMG, in a statement. “The worldwide success of our country artists demonstrate that the genre truly has no boundaries and I’m excited for what lies ahead creatively and commercially.”
“I am humbled to have been asked by Sir Lucian to lead UMG Nashville at such an important and exciting time in country music,” said Harris, who had initially joined UMGN in 2016 after 15 years at EMI. “I also look forward to work closely with Dave Cobb, the amazing roster of artists and my friends at UMG Nashville.”
Cobb said, “I am incredibly excited to work with Mike Harris, I’m here to honor the past, and look to the future.”
Cobb, one of Music City’s most in-demand collaborators, has produced such albums as Chris Stapleton’s 6-times-platinum Traveller, Jason Isbell’s Southeastern and Brandi Carlile’s By The Way I Forgive You as well as recent albums for Mumford & Sons, Red Clay Strays, Zayn, Greta Van Fleet, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire and music for Deliver Me From Nowhere, the forthcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic.
Mabe, whose reign lasted almost two years, was the successor to Mike Dungan, who retired in March 2023. Mabe became the first woman to lead a Nashville major label group. Country Airplay first broke the news.
“I want to thank Cindy Mabe for all her contributions to our Nashville company,” Grainge said. “She leaves UMG with our gratitude and respect.”
In addition to Stapleton, UMGN is home to such acts as Eric Church, Luke Bryan, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton and The War and Treaty. Among its more recent successes were upstart Tucker Wetmore, who reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart last year with “Wind Up Missin’ You,” and Ringo Starr, whose country album is the first release from the newly-relaunched Lost Highway/UMGN and debuted at No. 27 on Top Country Albums.