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Benjamin Blank Named President of Media at WEA, Leading Warner Music Group’s Newly Formed Digital Advertising and Creative Content Division

April 27, 2021

Move brings Company’s owned media including UPROXX, Songkick, and HipHopDX under Blank’s remit

WEA, the Label and Artist Services division of Warner Music Group (WMG), today announced that Benjamin Blank has been appointed to the newly created position, President of Media. In this role, Blank will lead WMG’s newly formed digital advertising and creative content division, unifying WMG’s digital advertising firepower under one unit. Based in Los Angeles, Blank will continue to report directly to WEA’s President, Maria Weaver.

The move brings WMG’s award-winning owned media under Blank’s remit including, UPROXX, the youth culture destination; Songkick, the live music app; and HipHopDX, a leading hip-hop media platform, which recently began its international expansion. He will have oversight of the creative teams as well as oversee advertising sales across all of WMG’s owned media properties. The platforms will continue to operate separately from each other with journalistic independence and creative freedom. WMG collectively generates over 30 billion monthly video views through premium content on verified, premium YouTube channels, as well as streaming and social platforms.

Weaver said: “Since meeting Ben I’ve been impressed with his drive, his leadership, and his fearless ability to think outside the box to create meaningful and engaging content. He’s always in tune with the cultural conversation and he and the UPROXX team have built something really special. There’s no doubt he’s the right person to take the reins as we take a new approach to our owned media.”

Blank added: “Warner Music is a powerhouse, home to not only some of the world’s most influential artists, but also to culture-shaping brands and online destinations for music fans. Putting this collective firepower under one roof makes sense, allowing our partners to tap into our broad reach of fans across the globe at an even bigger scale. I look forward to working alongside Maria and am excited to continue to collaborate with my UPROXX family and everyone at HipHopDX and Songkick.”

Blank most recently served as CEO and Chief Creative Officer at UPROXX Media Group, which has been part of the WMG family since 2018. UPROXX is comprised of an award-winning studio producing digital and linear content, and a massive publishing arm that commands an audience of over 40 million people across the web, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube.

Prior to UPROXX, Blank co-founded the production company Locksmith Content where he directed award-winning television commercials, branded content, and films for high profile clients including American Express, Nike, and Groupon. Before co-founding Locksmith, Blank served as a producer at Anonymous Content, where he worked with influential directors including Mark Romanek and Antoine Fuqua.

The news comes on the heels of the recent promotion of longtime WEA exec Elsa Vivero to General Manager / Executive Vice President, Global Commercial Services.