Candice Watkins has been appointed president of Capitol Records Nashville and executive vice president of Capitol Christian Music Group, two labels under the Capitol Music Group Nashville umbrella.
“It’s a true honor to step into the role of President of Capitol Records Nashville and EVP of Capitol Christian,” Watkins told Billboard. “These labels have a rich legacy in partnering with some of the most brilliant artists of our industry, and I look forward to contributing to its continued success and cultural impact.
This reorganization for Capitol Music Group reflects the entertainment company’s commitment to developing the Nashville label as an innovative hub in Christian, gospel, and country genres. Capitol Music Group CEO Tom March said the company is “looking forward to signing and developing the next generation of country artists on Capitol Records Nashville.” As Watkins leads those plans, she will also head operations for the gospel and Christian music.
The music executive is excited to collaborate with March and Capitol Christian Music Group President Brad O’Donnell in “boldly championing creatives and visionaries.” The label is home to Motown Gospel, artists Chris Tomlin, Anne Wilson, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and publishes Kirk Franklin’s song catalog.
Watkins approaches her recent positions with prior experience as senior vice president of Marketing at Big Loud Records. Her career portfolio includes previous marketing and artist development roles at UMG Nashville. Watkins has developed artists at Red Light Management, Mozes Inc., Borman Entertainment, and Cross Point Church. The music executive has previously worked with names like Morgan Wallen, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Hailey Whitters.
“This new structure will empower our Nashville executives to better serve the incredible artists on our roster,” said Interscope Capitol Chairman John Janick. “Having [Candice] lead our country music business in Nashville and also add her extensive artist development expertise to our CCMG team is going to be great for our artists and for the entire executive team.”
Capitol Music Group’s Nashville division is in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood in Nashville. The 40,000-square-foot space includes state-of-the-art studios designed for recording and content production. The facility also includes a live performance space for artists. The Capitol Tower in Los Angeles will support Capitol Music Group Nashville’s label services. All former Capitol Records Nashville artists will remain under the Music Corporation of America Nashville label.
