Universal Music Nashville Promotes Jason Owen to Senior Vice President of Artist Development & Marketing

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Nashville, the country music division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, has promoted Jason Owen to Senior Vice President of Artist Development and Marketing for its MCA and Mercury Nashville labels, it was announced today by Luke Lewis, Chairman of Universal Music Nashville, to whom he reports.

In addition to directing all of the publicity, creative and video activities for MCA and Mercury Nashville, Owen will now also oversee the digital and marketing departments for both companies.

"Jason is a true professional with tremendous energy and vision, and has shown exceptional capabilities within the publicity, marketing and artist development fields," stated Lewis. "His expertise, leadership qualities and outstanding people skills have made him an invaluable asset to our team and artists, and we are delighted to expand the playing field for him even further."

Most recently, Owen served as Senior Vice President of Artist, Media Relations and Creative Services for MCA and Mercury Nashville, where he was instrumental in the break-through success of such chart-topping artists as Sugarland, Julianne Hough, Josh Turner and Jamey Johnson as well as handling all publicity/creative efforts for country superstars Shania Twain, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack and Reba McEntire, among many others. Prior to joining Universal, Owen enjoyed an extensive and successful career in television, serving as Director of Marketing and Talent Relations at Columbia TriStar Television. His background also includes stints with Spelling Entertainment and New Line Cinema/Fine Line Features.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL MUSIC NASHVILLE

Universal Music Nashville, comprised of Mercury, MCA Nashville and Lost Highway Records, is a division of Universal Music Group, is the world's leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's leading global music publishing operation.

Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.