Grammy-Winning Singer Rhiannon Giddens Signs With WME

Rhiannon Giddens, a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning singer and instrumentalist, has signed with WME for worldwide representation in music, the global agency announced Tuesday.

The signing comes on the heels of Giddens announcing her seventh solo studio album, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, which will be released Sept. 18 via Nonesuch Records. The LP was recorded with longtime collaborators and celebrates people coming together, community and shared traditions in American music.

Giddens, who was featured on the cover of Pollstar in 2024, is a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops whose work spans music, film, opera, literature and education. She earned a Pulitzer Prize for Music for the opera “Omar” and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. A talented banjo player, Giddens’ work has helped define the story of American music by shining a light on its African American origins.

She recently worked as a music supervisor and consultant to the Academy Award-nominated film “Sinners” and contributed new music to Ken Burns’ upcoming The American Revolution documentary for PBS.

Giddens is also an author and stars in the upcoming feature film “An Ode to Mary,” which features Ed Helms, Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, Regina Taylor and John Sayles.

She launched the Biscuits and Banjos Foundation to help fund music education and spoke to Pollstar about the launch of her sold-out music festival last year.

Giddens is managed by Megan Frestedt and Alex Kadvan of Red Light Management. One of her most successful outings last year was a sold-out show at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., where she grossed $159,980 off 2,520 tickets sold, according to Pollstar Boxoffice.