Warner Chappell Music (WCM), the global music publishing arm of Warner Music Group (WMG), has signed Maninho – one of Portugal’s most in-demand and highly-respected talents.
The singer-songwriter, who also has a record deal with Warner Music Portugal, exploded onto the scene in 2021 with his debut single “Pode Tentar,” which quickly achieved 4x Platinum status and became one of the year’s biggest hits.
Across his catalogue he has already achieved 7x Platinum and 2x Gold certifications in just four years as a solo artist, cementing his position as one of the country’s brightest stars. While as a songwriter, he has worked alongside major artists including Bárbara Bandeira, D.A.M.A, Héber Marques, and Mariza.
The signing is part of Warner Chappell Music’s strategic move to sign more Portuguese artists with international appeal and to capitalize on the significant growth and increasing prominence of Portuguese music within the broader Latin-speaking music scene. Santiago Menéndez-Pidal, WCM’s President of Southern Europe and Carmen Picado, A&R Manager, WCM Spain are actively looking at the growing market and working with colleagues in both Spain and Portugal to create exciting opportunities for both new writers and the current WCM roster.
The Warner Chappell Music team is also working closely with Warner Music Portugal and using the facilities at the Warner Music Portugal Creative Hub – a state-of-the-art studio and work space in Lisbon – strengthening the ties of WMG’s publishing and recorded music businesses in the region.
Maninho said: “I am very happy to be signing with Warner Chappell Music Portugal and deepening my relationship with Warner Music Group. I’ve enjoyed an incredible start to my career and hope to take it even further with this deal. I want my music to connect with fans globally and the teams here are going to help me do that!”
Santiago Menéndez-Pidal said: “We’re delighted to officially enter the Portuguese market – and to launch with a signing as prominent as Maninho is a real statement of intent for us in the territory. Maninho is an incredible songwriter and guitarist, and someone we can see working with our biggest artists and writers around the world. A special thanks to Paulo Miranda (MD, Warner Music Portugal) for his help in getting the deal over the line. I’m looking forward to our teams in Southern Europe collaborating closely as we continue to sign and develop amazing talent.”
