Quick take:
- Visual and NFT artists Emonee LaRussa and Vinnie Hager have joined the agency’s roster.
- The agency has also signed Andrew Wang, the founder of the Web3 art studio Devotion, for representation.
- Two of the new hires to the Web3 team have made the jump from Web2 e-commerce platforms.
United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed three Web3 talents and the MV3 NFT collection – co-created by Stranger Things writer Jessie Nickson-Lopez – for representation.
The new additions to UTA’s roster includes visual and NFT artists Emonee LaRussa, who created NFTs for the Grammys; Vinnie Hager, who released the NFT collection titled Letters last year; and Andrew Wang, the founder of Web3 art studio Devotion.
UTA will also represent the MV3 NFT collection from digital publication, Metav3rse. The collection is co-created by Nickson-Lopez, Roberto Nickson and Torey Kohara, and features different characters from the fictional world of Eluna City. The NFT collection joins other NFT projects such as CryptoPunks, Larva Labs, and Deadfellaz on UTA’s roster.
Like the other NFT projects on its roster, the talent agency is expected to expand the MV3 NFT collection into film, TV, video games, books, events and other media verticals. MV3 NFT holders will be given the opportunity to influence the storyline of the collection’s characters.
UTA is not the only talent agency to have signed Web3 talents for representation. Creative Artists Agency (CAA) signed NFT collector 0xb1 in October 2021 to help them monetise their pieces through brand licensing and partnerships, and hired a Chief Metaverse Officer earlier this month. Bored Ape Yacht Club and World of Women, signed with talent manager Guy Oseary, while Flower Girls partnered with Dolphin Entertainment. Last week, WME signed Boss Beauties for representation.
“Just like with the emergence of YouTube as a new platform, many years ago, we see the emergence of NFTs, specifically, but also more broadly, Web3, as an area that will spawn a whole new group of important creators,” Lesley Silverman, the head of UTA’s Web3 division, told The Hollywood Reporter.
In addition to the new talent signings, UTA has also added three new agents to the Web3 team to help identify talents and partnerships. They are Caroline Hooven, a former senior brand project manager at American e-commerce membership-based retailer, Thrive Market; Erlan Nyssanov, formerly a startup business development associate at Amazon Web Services; and Griffin Lasker, the co-founder of Internet Friends DAO and a former employee at UTA’s entertainment and culture marketing and ventures divisions.
Despite the NFT market downturn, Silverman told The Hollywood Reporter that it is the time to “build”. She added that the agency has seen an increase in deal flow for access to Web3-native creators as traditional brands are interested in entering the space authentically and are looking to partner with a creator native to the space.
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