CAA Signs The Weeknd, Promising New Ventures And Partnerships

Blinding Lights, Big City:
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images – Blinding Lights, Big City:
Blinding Lights, Big City: The full spectacle of The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime show, which was produced by Jesse Collins, the event’s first Black executive producer.

CAA has signed The Weeknd in all areas worldwide, according to an announcement from the agency this morning. 

The Canadian-born, Super Bowl halftime show star, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, recently announced a 104-date world tour of arenas for 2022. Earlier this month he released the compilation project The Highlights with XO/Republic Records and he currently has two records in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears.” The Weeknd was featured on Time magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People of 2020.”
“Abel, Sal and their team are as ambitious in their thinking as we are, clearly seeing the special opportunities they have, both in building their business to new heights and having a meaningful cultural impact,” said CAA’s Christian Carino. “We are honored to play a role in helping shape Abel’s next chapter.”
The Weeknd is managed by Wassim “Sal” Slaiby and Amir “Cash” Esmailian. His attorney is Kenny Meiselas of Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks. He is represented in press worldwide by Kathryn Frazier owner of Biz 3.
The Weeknd was previously represented by WME.  
The move follows the recent blockbuster agency announcement that WME has hired hip-hop power agents Caroline Yim and Zach Iser from CAA after a year of major moves including longtime head of music Marc Geiger stepping away, with Lucy Dickins joining WME as co-head of music and longtime WME figures Michele Bernstein and Sara Newkirk Simon also leaving the agency. 
In other major agency news, just this week it was announced Rob Prinz has stepped down as ICM Partners Head of Worldwide Concerts to resume full-time agent status, with Mark Siegel, ICM’s Head of Music, taking over the helm as part of a wider re-shuffle.