2026 Impact 50 Honorees: Sam Kirby Yoh & David Zedeck

SAM KIRBY YOH & DAVID ZEDECK
Partners & Co-Heads of Global Music, UTA Live
United Talent Agency

FAVORITE PLACE TO SEE A SHOW: “In a field, at a festival.” – Sam Kirby Yoh

BY THE NUMBER: 21. David Zedeck’s age when on his first day of work the great Norby Walters told him ‘Remember this: When working for clients ‘no job too big, no job too small.’

Twenty years may be young for an individual, but if you’re talking about a band, it’s enough to be considered veterans. The Jonas Brothers reached this milestone in 2025. Celebrations included the JonasCon fan convention at the American Dream shopping mall in their hometown of East Rutherford, March 23, which is also where the “JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown” stadium and arena tour kicked off Aug. 10, at MetLife Stadium, where they moved 55,179 tickets and grossed $6,813,616 – the first of a completely sold-out run of shows.

The year also brought brand partnerships with Mastercard and Stand Up To Cancer, and was topped off by “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie.” Putting it all in place required “a massive team effort,” as Jonas Brothers’ long-time agent and UTA Global Music Co-Head David Zedeck recalls, and seeing the results was “incredibly rewarding.”

Kevin, Joe and Nick have always been known to go solo from time to time, and this won’t change. According to Zedeck, “their individual careers flourish with new releases.” Nick Jonas, for instance, will be starring in the upcoming movie “Power Ballad” alongside Paul Rudd. “The Brothers,” he says, “are a great example of what a team can do in a holistic effort around an artist, and just a great reminder of why I love what I do.”

Samantha Kirby Yoh, UTA’s other Global Music co-head, has an incredible roster, so many of whom have hit another gear. “Rosalía’s largest and most ambitious global outing-to-date in support of her brilliant LUX album, FKA twigs’ massive arrival, showcasing the awe-inspiring performer she is and the community that holds her … from Madison Square Garden to Coachella. Florence + The Machine returning to sold-out arenas across the U.S. and Europe in a time when fans really need her message of self-love and resilience.”
She adds, “Our clients have achieved incredible results over the past year, which is a testament to their courage and creativity” – and she expects “great things in 2026/27.” While she takes the current economic volatility seriously, she’s not worried: “The one constant is that as long as exceptional live talent exists, fans and consumers will show up. It’s our job as agents and leaders in the live space to anticipate what’s next.”

Another case in point: the work UTA has been doing with new client Charlie Puth. “From the outset,” says Zedeck, “Charlie wanted to grow his touring base, particularly in Europe, and scale up to bigger rooms domestically. On this tour, he’s had incredible shows at the Forum in LA, this week at Madison Square Garden, and a nice run of festivals and other headliners overseas. He’s incredibly hard-working and a great collaborator, so it’s been gratifying to help him reach some goals and build toward new heights.”

While solidifying its strengths in genres like Latin, Electronic, Christian Contemporary and Hip-Hop and R&B, Zedeck says UTA also “added some amazing new colleagues, expanded our client roster with exciting new signings, and really came together as a team like never before. I’m proud of the culture we’re creating within the department, and the ethos we’ve developed around representing our clients.”

Kirby Yoh adds, “The agency continues to fire on all cylinders and do what we do best: strategize and collaborate across verticals and departments to best serve our clients and partners. I’m particularly proud of our teams in London, Nashville and Atlanta who have shown such initiative over the past year and brought such growth and value to the department and to the company.”

With the ongoing ticketing controversies, she’s particularly fond of “the work our marketing and ticketing teams have been doing to build registered-fan presales for our clients in an effort to battle scalpers, third-party resellers and bots. More than ever, concerts are immersive, premium entertainment events that fans sink a lot of resources into and have real meaning attached to them. These are more than just shows; they are moments. So protecting fans, and being mindful of the fan experience, from the box office to the sight lines, is more important than ever. Our client Hayley Williams and the passionate team around her have done some innovative work around this.”

It’s a complex and highly competitive business both Zedeck and Kirby Yoh are in charge of, and its global nature means there’s less time to breathe than ever before. When asked what keeps them both grounded and sane, their answer is the same: “family.”