19 Recordings Inc. (registered in the United Kingdom as 19 Recordings Ltd.) is a New York-based

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...

owned by

19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced '' Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The '' Idol ser ...

. Founded in London by British entrepreneur

Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK ...

in 1999 as the music division of 19 Entertainment, the label is one of the top record imprints as compiled by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' in 2012. 19 Recordings has the exclusive rights to sign contestants of the television series '' Idols''. Since 2005, it shifted its main operations to the United States following CKX, Inc.'s ( Industrial Media) acquisition of 19 Entertainment. From 1999 to 2000, EMI has distributed its recordings. From 2001 to 2004, releases by most of the artists signed to 19 Recordings were distributed by

Bertelsmann Music Group Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music co ...

(BMG). Following BMG's merger with

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...

to form

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyou ...

RCA Music Group RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009, and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 as all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA ...

has distributed releases by 19 Recordings from 2005 to 2010. From 2011 to 2016, 19 Recordings partnered with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

for distribution through

Interscope Geffen A&M Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA), is an American umbrella label owned by Universal Music Group, consisting of record labels Interscope Records, Geffen Records, and A&M Records. History Interscope Geffen A&M Records was established in 199 ...

(2011–2014) and

Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American independent record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Specializing in country and pop artists, Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by for ...

(2015–2016). From 2018 to 2020, Disney Music Group distributed releases by 19 Recordings through

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Record ...

(2017–2020). As of 2021, 19 Recordings partnered with

BMG Rights Management BMG Rights Management Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, GmbH (also known simply as BMG) is an international music company based in Berlin, Germany. It combines the activities of a Music publisher (popular music), music publisher and a rec ...

(not to be confused with the merged Sony BMG) for distribution.

History

Fuller, who had previously managed the careers of musicians

Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...

, Cathy Dennis, and

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vi ...

in the 1990s, founded 19 Recordings as the music division of 19 Entertainment. The first artist Fuller signed to 19 Recordings was the English indie band

21st Century Girls 21st Century Girls were a teenage all-female band founded in 1996 in Dudley, West Midlands, UK. Previously called She Devil, the band originally consisted of singer Leanne Garner, her sister Fiona Garner on bass, guitarists Kate Turley and M ...

in 1999, who released its only single "21st Century Girls", which only peaked at the top 20 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The English pop group S Club 7, the second act to be signed to 19 Recordings and

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

, achieved better success. S Club 7 went on to sell over 14 million albums worldwide until their disbandment in 2003. After disbanding in 1990, the British duo Eurythmics reunited in 1999 and was signed to

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

and 19 Recordings, and released their final studio album ''

Peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

(1999) to commercial success. In 2001, Fuller created the singing competition series ''

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...

'', which became an instant success in British television and has had international versions in over 48 countries. ''Pop Idols first winner,

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Idol ...

was signed to 19 Recordings and RCA Records in 2002, became one of the most successful British recording artists of the 2000s. Young's debut single, "" Anything Is Possible"/"

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

" (2002), became the best-selling single of the 2000s, won a

BRIT Award The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsore ...

and an Ivor Novello Award. Other ''Pop Idol'' contestants signed with 19 Recordings include

Gareth Gates Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984) is an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show '' Pop Idol'' in 2002. As of 2008, Gates had sold over 3.5 million records in the UK. He i ...

, Sam & Mark, Michelle McManus, and Sarah Whatmore, had moderate success. 19 Recordings has since retained the exclusive rights to sign contestants of all versions of ''Idols'' around the world and has released compilation albums related to ''Idols'' ever since. In 2003, two members of the Spice Girls,

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. W ...

and

Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice. With over 100 million rec ...

, were signed to 19 Recordings and Polydor Records. Beckham released her final single "

This Groove "This Groove" is a song by British singer-songwriter Victoria Beckham. It was released as a double A-side with "Let Your Head Go". It was intended for Beckham's next album, but her record company Telstar Records went bankrupt before it surfaced. ...

"/ Let Your Head Go" (2003) and Bunton released her second album, '' Free Me'' (2003), to commercial success. In 2002, ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to A ...

'', whose format was based on ''Pop Idol'', became one of the most successful programs in the history of American television. Its first winner,

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...

, was immediately signed to RCA Records and 19 Recordings in 2002 and became 19 Recordings' most successful artist with over 20 million albums sold worldwide. Clarkson's second studio album, '' Breakaway'' (2004), also became 19 Recordings' best-selling release with worldwide sales of over 12 million copies and has won two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 2006; ''Breakaway'', along with Young's second studio album, '' Friday's Child'' (2003), both became 19 Recordings' best-selling album in the United Kingdom with sales of over 1.5 million each. Clarkson's single "

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson and the title song from her fifth studio album, ''Stronger (Kelly Clarkson album), Stronger'' (2011). Originally titled as "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" ...

" (2012), also became 19 Recordings' best-selling single after selling over 5 million copies worldwide and has been nominated for 3 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and

Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to: * Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year * Dove Award for Song of the Year * Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year * Grammis Song of the Year * Grammy Award for Song of the Year * Latin Grammy Awa ...

in 2013. Other contestants from ''American Idol'', such as Ruben Studdard,

Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor, politician, and activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, ' ...

Fantasia Barrino Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

Daughtry Daughtry may refer to: * Daughtry (band), a rock band fronted by Chris Daughtry ** ''Daughtry'' (album), debut music album from Daughtry **Chris Daughtry (born 1979), American Idol finalist in 2006 and lead vocalist for Daughtry * Mattie Daughtry, ...

, and

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...

, also followed suit with commercial success. Underwood's debut album '' Some Hearts'' (2005), became 19 Recordings's best-selling release in the United States with sales of 7 million copies. Beginning in 2006, 19 Recordings also began to sign artists who were unrelated to ''Idols'', such as

, Amy Studt, Orianthi, and

Sons of Sylvia Sons of Sylvia, originally known as The Clark Brothers, was an American country pop trio composed of three brothers with the surname Clark: Adam (guitar, mandolin), Ashley (lead vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Austin (background vocals, reso ...

. 19 Recordings co-released '' The Annie Lennox Collection'' (2008) with RCA Records to commercial success. Albums by Studt, Orianthi, and Sons of Sylvia were released to minimal success. In February 2014, 19 Recordings sued Sony Music Entertainment for $10 million in damages, claiming that Sony is robbing them in royalties from digital revenue from streaming platforms such as

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

, and

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ances ...

. As of January 2018, a settlement in principle was reached.

Current roster

Noah Thompson Noah Thompson (born April 18, 2002) is an American singer who won the twentieth season of ''American Idol.'' Early life Thompson was born on April 18, 2002 in Huntington, West Virginia. He attended Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Kentu ...

(with

) *

Lauren Alaina Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth (born November 8, 1994) is an American singer and songwriter from Rossville, Georgia. She was the runner-up on the tenth season of ''American Idol.'' Her debut studio album, '' Wildflower,'' was released on Octob ...

(with Mercury Nashville) *

Laine Hardy Laine Hardy (born September 12, 2000) is an American singer from Livingston, Louisiana, and the American Idol (season 17), season 17 winner of ''American Idol.'' Early life Hardy was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and raised in Livingston, Louis ...

(with

) *

Scarypoolparty Alejandro Aranda (born August 11, 1994), known by his stage name Scarypoolparty, is an American singer, musician, and reality television personality from Pomona, California, and runner-up on the seventeenth season of ''American Idol''. His deb ...

(with Hollywood Records) * Laci Kaye Booth (with

BMLG Records BMLG Records, formerly Republic Nashville, is a record label established in 2009 by Republic Records in New York and Big Machine Records in Nashville. It is headquartered on Music Row and utilizes the combined resources of Big Machine Records and ...

) * Julia Gargano * Francisco Martin * Grace Leer * Dillon James (with Hollywood Records and UMG Nashville) * Chayce Beckham (with

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

) * Casey Bishop (with

)

Former artists

(with

Arista Nashville Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks ...

) *

(with

) * Scotty McCreery (with Mercury Nashville) *

(with RCA) *

Kris Allen Kristopher Neil Allen (born June 21, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to ''Idol'', he self-released a 2007 album, ''Brand New Shoes''. Allen's ' ...

(with Jive/RCA) * David Archuleta (with Jive) * David Cook (with RCA) *

(with RCA Records) *

(with RCA) *

Bo Bice Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice Jr. (born November 1, 1975) is an American singer and musician who was the runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of '' American Idol''. Prior to auditioning for ''American Idol'', Bice released a solo a ...

(with RCA) *

Zoe Birkett Zoe Birkett (born 16 June 1985) is an English singer and musical theatre performer. Birkett was the highest placing female contestant on Pop Idol in 2001 and later appeared on Big Brother. Her first single, Treat Me Like A Lady, was released ...

(with Universal Music) *

Crystal Bowersox Crystal Lynn Bowersox (born August 4, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter and actress who was the runner-up on the ninth season of '' American Idol''. She was the first female finalist in three years. Bowersox's debut album, '' Farmer's Da ...

(with Jive) *

(with Polydor) * Darius Campbell (with Mercury) *

Diana DeGarmo Diana Nicole DeGarmo (born June 16, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in 2004 as the runner-up of the third season of ''American Idol'', releasing her debut studio album, '' Blue Skies'', later that year. The ...

(with RCA) * Lee DeWyze (with RCA) * Colton Dixon (with

Sparrow Records Sparrow Records is a Christian music record label and a division of Universal Music Group. History Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then artists and repertoire (A&R) director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by Thorn EMI i ...

) * Eurythmics (with RCA) *

Nick Fradiani Nicholas James Fradiani IV (born November 15, 1985) is an American singer from Guilford, Connecticut. He rose to regional attention as the lead singer of pop/rock band Beach Avenue when they won the Battle of the Bands at Mohegan Sun in 2011. He ...

(with

and

Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

) *

(with Universal Music) * Danny Gokey (with RCA Nashville) *

Tamyra Gray Tamyra Monica Gray (born July 26, 1979) is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition ''American Idol'' in 2002. Post ''American Idol'', Gray has begun acting on B ...

(with RCA) * Mike Leon Grosch (with Sony BMG) * Justin Guarini (with RCA) * Trent Harmon (with

) * Taylor Hicks (with

Arista Arista may refer to: Organizations *Arista Networks, a software defined networking company *Arista Records, an American record label, division of Sony Music **Arista Nashville, a record label specializing in country music *Arista (honor society) ...

) * Allison Iraheta (with Jive) * Casey James *

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...

(with RCA) *

Damien Leith Damien Leo Leith (born 18 January 1976, in Dublin) is an Irish- Australian singer–songwriter. He was the winner of the Network Ten music contest '' Australian Idol 2006''. Since winning the title, Leith has released nine studio albums, four of ...

(with Sony BMG) *

(with RCA) * Blake Lewis (with Arista) *

Laura Marano Laura Marie Marano (born November 29, 1995) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role in the Disney Channel series '' Austin & Ally'' as Ally Dawson. Marano was one of the five original classmates in '' Are You Smarter than ...

(with Flip Phone Records) * Michelle McManus (with BMG) *

Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. In May 2006, she rose to fame as the runner-up on the fifth season of ''American Idol.'' Her eponymous debut album was released on RCA Records on Janua ...

(with RCA) *

Chris Medina Christopher Edward Medina (born November 30, 1983) is an American-Norwegian singer born in Chicago, Illinois. In late 2010 he auditioned for ''American Idol'' making it to the top 40 before being eliminated. He is most famous for his hit " What ...

(with Interscope) *

Daniele Negroni Daniele Negroni (born 31 July 1995) is a German-Italian singer and television personality, known for being the runner-up in season 9 of ''Deutschland sucht den Superstar'' and the twelfth season of ''Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!''. ...

(with Universal Music) * Kurt Nilsen (with RCA) * Shannon Noll (with Sony Music) * Orianthi (with Geffen) * Phillip Phillips (with

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...

) *

Kellie Pickler Kellie Dawn Pickler (born June 28, 1986) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television personality. Pickler gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of ''American Idol'' and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed ...

(with BNA) * Maddie Poppe (with

) * Tobias Regner (with Sony BMG) * Haley Reinhart (with Interscope Records) * La'Porsha Renae (with

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

Records) *

S Club S Club 7 were a British pop group from London, created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller and consisting of members Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens and Tina Barrett. The grou ...

(with Polydor) * Sam & Mark (with BMG) * Jessica Sanchez * Juliette Schoppmann (with

Ariola Records Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomera ...

) *

Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's '' The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...

(with Sony Music) *

Jana Škoļina Jana Škoļina (born 2 November 1990) is a Latvian singer-songwriter who has appeared on the TV programs ''Latvijas Talants'' and season 9 of ''Deutschland sucht den Superstar''. Biography Early life Škoļina was born in Ludza, Latvia. She ...

(with Universal Music) *

(with Interscope) *

Rachel Stevens Rachel Lauren Stevens (born 9 April 1978) is an English singer, television personality, actress and businesswoman. She was a member of the pop group S Club 7 between 1999 and 2003. She released her solo debut studio album '' Funky Dory'' in S ...

(with Polydor) * Ruben Studdard (with

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...

) *

Pia Toscano Pia Toscano (born October 14, 1988) is an American singer. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of ''American Idol''. In 2016, she released the EP ''Belong''. Her debut album ''I'm Good'' was released on October 14, 2022. Early life Toscano ...

(with Interscope) * Sarah Whatmore (with RCA) *

(with RCA)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Record labels established in 1999 American independent record labels British independent record labels Companies based in New York (state) 1999 establishments in New York (state)

History

Current roster

Former artists

See also

References

External links