2025 Impact NextGen Honoree: Coco Fernandez

COCO FERNANDEZ
Director of Marketing and Artist Development
TBA Agency

COOLEST 2025 NEXTGEN HONOREE ROSTER?
Ethel Cain, Jungle, Faye Webster, Ed Maverick.

One of the up-and-coming executives in the live business who is helping artists take their tours to the next level is Coco Fernandez, who describes her role at TBA Agency as “crafting narrative-driven campaigns that grow fanbases and elevate artist visibility across national and local markets.

Fernandez, 26, credits her parents for inspiring her to get into the live business, taking her to shows as long for as she can remember.

She adds, “I just knew from an early age that I wanted to be a part of all of it. Didn’t know how or what it could be, but it was always music.”

Career highlights over the past year for Fernandez include helping launch Ethel Cain’s North America tour and having it sell out in its entirety during presales.

Fernandez explains that “seeing the singer/songwriter go from 250-cap rooms to selling well over 100K tickets has been unreal,” with stops on the tour including the 8,500-capacity Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley and the 7,000-cap McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater near Portland, Oregon.

Other milestones include Faye Webster’s sold-out tour, in particular seeing her play Radio City Music Hall Feb. 26 (5,954 tickets sold, $378,061 grossed). Fernandez says, “Her fans were so mesmerized, and being in that historic space just added more to the awe of it all.” Fernandez also cites Ed Maverick’s sold-out theatre run, Jungle’s sold-out Hollywood Bowl show and working on Big Thief’s upcoming tour.

For Fernandez, growing up online has given her “a real-time understanding of how people discover and respond to music and the artists behind it – not just through traditional metrics, but through the intangible stuff, too. I think we’ve learned to really value connection and let that lead the way. It’s not just about selling something – it’s about building something that lasts.”

Fernandez calls TBA’s Katie Nowak VP, Marketing and Partnerships, a mentor, saying she’s been “instrumental in my growth since joining TBA. She’s shared so much advice over the years, but the most impactful thing she’s taught me is trust, not just within myself, but more importantly, in the team you have.”

Fernandez says that in the next decade, she hopes she’ll still be adaptable and approachable. She explains, “I want to create a space where the people I work with feel comfortable sharing their ideas and thoughts. Supporting new voices and advocating for others drives this industry forward. I’ve been lucky to experience that in my own career, and I aim to keep doing it for those around me.”