AWAL Names Pete Giberga Head A&R North America

AWAL has hired Pete Giberga as Head of A&R, North America based in Kobalt’s New York office.

Giberga comes to AWAL from 300 Entertainment, where he was EVP and Head of A&R for 6 years. He began his career as a concert promoter and booking agent before starting his label career at Time Bomb Recordings. He also worked at Sony for many years, and was Head of A&R for Epic Records

“I couldn’t be more excited about joining AWAL. What they are building is a novel concept for our evolving record business, and I believe one that will be the blueprint for the next chapter of our industry,” said Giberga. “I look forward to joining Lonny, Ron and the entire global team to help achieve the mission they have been paving the way for these last few years.”

AWAL CEO, Lonny Olinick, commented: “As we continue to invest heavily in our artist marketing, digital accounts, radio and sync departments, we’ve also been working to establish a strong foundation for A&R in North America. Pete is a seasoned A&R executive and the perfect person to help further build AWAL’s A&R team to ensure we provide the best creative support to our clients. His experience across independent and major labels will help us in redefining what an A&R department should look like for today’s industry. He will also work closely with the Kobalt publishing team to take advantage of the amazing access we have to the world’s leading writers and producers.”

Ron Cerrito, AWAL President, North America added, “Pete exemplifies the future of A&R – everything from his deep experience in the traditional model to his ability to build a roster from scratch in the current consumption age. He will lead our team in North America to find the best artists, and be a resource for creative support across our existing roster. Pete not only has a track record of finding true talent, and managing a team, but also has the marketing experience to help artists identify the optimal lane to their fanbase. We are proud to add an executive of Pete’s caliber to our experienced team.”