WME Acquires True Grit Talent Agency

WME has acquired True Grit Talent Agency, an Austin-based company with a roster that includes Cody Jinks, Charles Wesley Godwin, Whitey Morgan, Ward Davis, and Dexter and The Moonrocks.

True Grit agents Mike Krug, Carrie Creasey and Shelby Vanek have joined WME and will continue to work out of Austin, Texas. 

Mike Krug’s clients include Cody Jinks, Dexter and The Moonrocks and Whitey Morgan and The 78s. His assistant Lair Reina has also joined WME. 

Vanek’s roster includes Charles Wesley Godwin, Ward Davis and Bart Crow. Creasey is bringing along client Mitchell Ferguson

“We are very excited that what we do caught the eye of a company like WME,” Krug said in a statement. “We are proud of all we have built here in Austin and know that joining WME will create exponentially more opportunities for our clients.” 

Jay Williams, WME Partner and Nashville office co-head, added, “We’ve long admired the business and roster that True Grit has developed, and we are excited to bring their artists and the team into the WME family and expand WME’s footprint in Austin.”  

An announcement from WME notes that this year’s acquisitions of Red 11 and True Grit Talent Agency has expanded the agency’s presence in Texas, as well as in the American Roots music genre. Other highlights from 2023 include WME’s impressive representation at top country music festivals, including all three headliners at Stagecoach (Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton), as well as clients winning the most categories at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Country Music Association (CMA) Awards multiple years in a row. 

Meanwhile, Arthur Penhallow is continuing on as True Grit Management with clients including Charles Wesley Godwin, Whitey Morgan, Erin Viancourt and Coleman Jennings. In other news, Reed Turner is now a partner at TGM.