Shirley Halperin & Sean Woods Named Co-Editors-in-Chief At Rolling Stone

Veteran music journalist Shirley Halperin has joined Rolling Stone as its co-editor in chief and head of music, effective Sept. 1, and will serve alongside Sean Woods, who most recently held the role of executive editor at the music publication. Her latest career move makes her the first woman to be named editor in chief of Rolling Stone since the magazine was founded in 1967. With Halperin’s departure as co-editor in chief of The Hollywood Reporter, Maer Roshan has been promoted from co-editor to the sole editor-in-chief.

Today’s announcement from Rolling Stone notes that Halperin and Woods will work closely with Rolling Stone CEO Julian Holguin to shape the magazine’s editorial direction. Halperin will split her time between New York and Los Angeles, while Woods will continue to be based in New York. 

“Sean and Shirley are unmatched in their expertise and passion for storytelling, and their partnership will play a pivotal role in shaping Rolling Stone’s future,” Holguin said in a statement. “Both bring exceptional vision and a deep understanding of the brand’s legacy. Their leadership will continue to drive the world-class journalism and culture-shaping conversations that Rolling Stone’s audience has come to expect.”

Halperin has spent more than two decades working in entertainment and music journalism, including serving in leadership roles at Variety, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Los Angeles Magazine. She is also the author of three books.

Woods has worked at Rolling Stone for more than two decades, and during that time, he’s overseen “award-winning investigations and feature stories that have earned three National Magazine Awards, two George Polk Awards, and numerous other accolades, including GLAAD, DART, and LA Press Club Awards,” according to RS. He also earned Rolling Stone its first Emmy nomination in 2023 by helming the multimedia investigation, The DJ and The War Crimes.

“Rolling Stone is embarking on an exciting new era,” Woods said. “Julian and Shirley bring a lot of fresh ideas, passion, and energy. We are going to be trying different formats and approaches — while sticking to our core principles of in-depth reporting, breaking news, gripping feature writing, and sharp cultural criticism.”