2026 Women of Live: Tracy Martin

Tracy Martin
The Core Entertainment | President

ADVICE TO UP-AND-COMING WOMEN | “Find mentors, ask questions, and be in rooms – even the uncomfortable ones – where decisions are being made. Speak up in those rooms, but before you do, make sure you’ve got the goods to back you up.”

Asked to reflect on her company’s recent highlights, Tracy Martin notes that the past year “felt like one of those ‘OK, this is really happening’ years for us.” She explains, “Watching Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith and Josh Ross level up in a real way – bigger tours, big records, bigger moments – was huge. It’s one thing to have a hot streak; it’s another to see artists step into staying power. That’s the stuff we’re proud of.”

As President of The Core Entertainment, Martin she oversees day-to-day operations and long-term strategy across artist management, recorded music and partnerships for the company’s Los Angeles and Nashville offices, with a team that has grown to nearly 30 people. As part of her role she also helps co-founders Simon Tikhman and Chief Zaruk expand and strengthen the roster.

Martin points to signing Canadian singer/songwriter Cameron Whitcomb and country music duo Dan + Shay and says, “It’s exciting to champion emerging artists while also partnering with established, arena-level talent – that range says a lot about where we are going as a company.”

She says on the business side, she’s been excited to build The Core Records with Universal Music Group “It gives us more ways to support our artists without losing the DNA of who we are,” she says. “Personally, I’m just proud of how the team has grown. We’ve stayed scrappy, stayed artist-first, and gotten smarter about how we scale. It feels less like chasing moments and more like building something that lasts – which is always the goal.”

Martin got her start in live working at CMT Canada, traveling to music festivals and events promoting the TV channel and brand. She says that being in the thick of it, with artists and fans, and seeing the energy of live music firsthand really hooked her. From there she worked at MTV, MuchMusic and then back to CMT, where she got to launch CMT’s first music festival.
“What excited me most when I moved over to artist management was the chance to help artists bring an album/project to life for audiences,” Martin says. “Watching that process unfold in front of real fans is the most satisfying part of the job.”