Paladin Artists Hires Veteran Agent Craig Newman

Paladin Artists, an independent agency established in 2021, announced the hiring of veteran agent Craig Newman, who comes from Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) and brings his roster of rock clients.

Newman joins former APA colleagues and Paladin co-founders Steve Martin and Andy Somers to expand the recently formed agency’s performing arts, family entertainment, special attractions and comedy divisions. The longtime agent has a diverse roster that includes The Fab Four, A.J. Croce, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, WAR, Micky Dolenz, Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, illusionist Rick Thomas and Under The Streetlamp.

“Craig Newman — a.k.a. Craigie Fresh! Master of time, the ukulele and Arts Centers. Paladin is happy to welcome Craig and his indomitable spirit, taste in artists, perspective and work ethic,” Martin said in a statement.

Somers also expressed joy in having his “good friend” as a teammate at Paladin, saying Newman’s “passion for music and his artists is what he is all about, and he has always achieved fantastic results.”

Before joining Paladin, Newman started working at William Morris Agency’s mailroom in 2000 and was part of the training program. A year later, he joined APA’s Los Angeles office, where he worked for 22 years and rose to become vice president and head of performing arts.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is to make folks feel happy and bring them joy, and as an agent, I feel like I get to do that all the time, and it’s wonderful,” Newman said. “In my career, I’ve had a chance to book just about every type of show and genre of entertainment so having diversity on my roster is what keeps me excited. They call me Craigie Fresh. Perhaps that’s because I’m always looking at things in a cool and different way.”