2025 Impact Intl. UK/Euro Honoree: James Wright

JAMES WRIGHT
Agent
UTA

PINCH-ME MOMENTS WITH DAVID BYRNE, TAKE THAT TOURS

James Wright’s love for music was sparked circa 1988, as a 6-year-old, listening to an ABBA cassette in the back of a Datsun Cherry driven by his mom.

Today, Wright is part of UTA’s UK music leadership team, and oversees an eclectic roster of pop, adult contemporary, jazz, electronic, hip-hop and metal artists that includes Lizzo, Take That, John Legend, David Byrne, Jacob Collier, Underworld, The Marias, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Batiste, Ichiko Aoba, Snarky Puppy, and Hiatus Kiayote.

David Byrne, currently on a sold-out U.S. theater run, will embark on a worldwide trek through Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UK next year. Whenever Wright ponders touring with David Byrne, he has to pinch himself to make sure he’s not dreaming, as the founding member of Talking Heads is more than a client, he’s “a real hero of mine,” Wright admits.

Wright considers his work at UTA “a vocation, not a job” and feels “very lucky” about that, describing himself “utterly unqualified to do anything else.” An introvert by natural disposition, the job allows him “to live out fantasises of grandeur whilst still allowed to stand at the back of the room, arms folded drinking a warm beer.”

David Byrne’s 2026 run is not the only tour of an icon Wright will be involved with, as 2026 sees the return of one of the most spectacular stadium shows ever produced: Take That’s “The Circus Live,” which first toured in 2009, and became the fastest-selling tour in UK history at the time. Wright says he’s very excited to play a small part in “bringing that show back with fresh ideas for fans and plans that go through to the end of 2027.”

According to Wright, the business is ripe with opportunity: “Audiences are hungrier than ever for experiences that feel unique. That’s creating opportunities in festival curation, destination events, and crossovers with other cultural spaces – from fashion to sport to creators. At UTA, collaboration and an international mindset are at the core of everything we do.”

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